Madagascar – Divabetic

01/13/202401/13/2024

Divabetic’s Murder Plain As Vanilla Mystery Podcast is Fully Animated On YouTube

Enjoy our animated video playlist of Divabetic’s 10th Annual Mystery podcast, “Murder Plain As Vanilla”, streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.

If you love listening to our annual mystery podcast, you’re in for a treat. We animated every podcast scene this year, including our colorful characters and situations.

Animating our tenth annual mystery podcast is a beautiful way to celebrate a decade of our team’s work. Our team of educators, mystery writers, advocates, friends, and family step out of their comfort zone to become voice actors and perform in our podcasts. We appreciate their time, talent, and enthusiasm for this yearly project.

Animating this year’s mystery podcast was an eye-opening experience for Divabetic founder Max Szadek, who writes, produces, and directs these yearly podcasts.

“The animation brings out the entertaining approach to diabetes education,” says Max Szadek. “It also reinforces key messages in diabetes, self-care, nutrition, and health and wellness.”

Our mystery podcast isn’t only for mystery lovers. It’s a fun way to learn about diabetes and self-care. In between colorful characters, crazy adventures, and mysterious surroundings, we pack health and wellness tips that can help you take charge of your diabetes. We also encourage you to think like a detective the next time you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Search for clues, collect data, talk to witnesses, and bring your ideas to the authorities (healthcare collaborators) for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes isn’t a bad idea either.

Here’s a short synopsis of Divabetic’s 10 Annual Mystery podcast, “Murder Plan As Vanilla”: When Mr. Divabetic’s arch-nemesis baking sensation Renata Whisk calls, offering a chance to participate in the Visions of Vanilla baking competition, he can’t refuse. It’s an invitation to compete against culinary giants Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourment, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess and, most importantly, a chance to pay back his debt owed to his mother. But before Max’s hands touch flour, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar. As luck has it, Max is the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he enlists his team, USA Today’s best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie.

But when another baker’s dead body is found near Max’s station, even his mother tastes a recipe for disaster. Now, armed with only Renata Whisk’s Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team’s expertise in solving murders and dispersing diabetes health information, Max has no choice but to solve the mystery or at least die trying.

Divabetic Mysteries: “Murder Plain As Vanilla” features Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, Leisa Chester Weir, and Amparo Peterkin. Written by Max Szadek and Wendy Radford. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Animated by Max Szadek

Enjoy all of Divabetic Mysteries Podcasts streaming on Blog TalkRadio, iTunes, and Spotify: “Pink Panther,” “Phantom of the Okra, “Suspect Boulevard,” “Gypsies, Tramps & Peas Swan Wake, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes”, “Kill Me Madam,” “A Christmas Peril”, “Tomorrow Is Not On the Menu.”

Website: Divabetic.Org

12/26/202312/26/2023

Murder Plain As Vanilla Mystery Podcast Excerpt

Enjoy this excerpt from Divabetic’s 10th Annual Mystery podcast, Murder Plain As Vanilla, streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.

Search for clues, collect data, talk to witnesses, and bring your ideas to the authorities (healthcare collaborators) for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes isn’t a bad idea either.

Here’s a short synopsis: When Mr. Divabetic’s arch-nemesis baking sensation Renata Whisk calls, offering a chance to participate in the Visions of Vanilla baking competition, he can’t refuse. It’s an invitation to compete against culinary giants Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourment, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess and, most importantly, a chance to pay back his debt owed to his mother.

But before Max’s hands touch flour, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar. As luck has it, Max is the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he enlists his team, USA Today’s best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie. But when another baker’s dead body is found near Max’s station, even his mother tastes a recipe for disaster.

Now, armed with only Renata Whisk’s Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team’s expertise in solving murders and dispersing diabetes health information, Max has no choice but to solve the mystery or at least die trying.

Co-Starring Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, and Amparo Peterkin. Script Editor Wendy Radford. Producer, Leisa Chester Weir. Music from the Broadway Cast albums of Anything Goes courtesy of SONY Music.

09/06/2023

Divabetic Mysteries Podcast: Murder Plain As Vanilla Coming in Fall 2023

Divabetic will present its 10th Annual Divabetic Mysteries podcast, Murder Plain As Vanilla, this fall. The cozy mystery podcast features a Murder She Wrote-style whodunit with loads of diabetes and self-care information.

Murder Plain As Vanilla Synopsis

When Max’s arch-nemesis baking sensation Renata Whisk calls late at night, offering a chance to participate in the Visions of Vanilla baking competition, he can’t refuse. After all, it’s an invitation to compete against culinary giants Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourment, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess and, most importantly, a chance to pay back his debt owed to his mother for using her credit card at the Jersey Shore to buy kitchen equipment.

He arrives bright and early at the historic Hedge’s Inn in East Hampton, New York, with nothing to lose. But before his hands touch a flour canister, he discovers the dead body of the competition’s sponsor, Conrad Rivera, the Vanilla King of Madagascar, lying in the Hedges Inn’s bed of roses. As luck has it, Max is the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. Soon, rumors are swirling about Max’s involvement in legendary TV Chef Sweet Sally Buttercup’s untimely demise at Central Park’s Gingerbread Man competition. To prove his innocence, he enlists his team, USA Today Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, health educators MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie. But when another baker’s dead body is found near Max’s baking station, even his mother refuses to taste his newest recipe. Could it be as lethal as a cup of kale hot cocoa?

This popular podcast will be available for free on all streaming platforms. Stay tuned for more details!

Tune in to Divabetic’s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not on The Menu.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything seems low pressure and low calorie until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation!

Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with stripes?

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Dave Jones, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to our colleague, the multi-talented Wendy Radford.

The Holidays are full of surprises— especially after Mr. Divabetic gets a new job as the pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home nestled in a cozy Christmas Village.

But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge, named Mr. Pincher almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies. Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic, our team of amateur sleuths and his overly protective mother — set out to find the real culprit hoping his name isn’t on a lethal naughty list.

Our story was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.

Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford. Special thanks to the Houdeshell family and Pharmacist Mandy Reece. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir.

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten-time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’.

But resentment, greed, and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.

Delusional baker and amateur sleuth Mr. Divabetic is even shocked to find himself being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police after meeting her just once!

As if his life wasn’t crazy enough before, escaping a murderous mishap in New York and attempting a fresh start in Nantucket has turned into a complete and utter baking disaster, now Max, along with his friends and nosy mother, have to add tracking down a murderer to his To-Do list, as well.

Can our team hunt down the real murderer before they strike again? Will he become the next victim? Can Max ever manage to bake a cake that’s actually edible?

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

11/16/2022

Demands for Real Vanilla Sparks Violence and Murder

Who knew our desire for real ingredients versus artificial ingredients is partially responsible for fueling violence and murder in Madagascar?

Almost two-thirds of consumers choose foods made from clean ingredients, defined as “not artificial, synthetic organic fresh, and natural.”

Unfortunately, this ever-increasing global demand for real vanilla used in everything from ice cream to alcohol to cosmetics, coupled with the dwindling supply of vanilla, and more stringent labeling laws, have created such fierce competition on the open market that violence has ensued.

Armed farmers in Madagascar now guard their crops to protect them against thieves who sell their vanilla beans for profits on the open market. Thieves will attack and kill farmers for their vanilla pods.

Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than beans from other countries, which is why Madagascar vanilla beans are so richly flavored. But vanilla isn’t easy to grow, either. Vanilla plants must be nurtured for three to four years before bearing pods. The flowers bloom once a year for 24 hours and must be immediately pollinated.

The rising demand from global markets is forcing farmers to clear forests to make new fields for vanilla bean crops.

Stringent labeling laws must state “vanilla-flavored,” not “vanilla,” if real vanilla is not used in a product.

Cyclones in back-to-back years battered Madagascar, wrecking vines and diminishing supplies causing prices to skyrocket.

Vanilla’s high price, rampant poverty, and corruption have made the crop a favorite target of violent criminal networks.

Authorities have not disclosed the number of deaths due to vanilla.

12/29/2020

Why is Vanilla So Expensive?

Over the holiday I ran to the grocery store to buy vanilla to use in King Arthur Baking Company’s recipe for shortbread cookies using almond flour. The cost for a 2 oz. bottle of Pure Vanilla extract was a surprising $14.99!

Why is vanilla so expensive?

According to Business Insider vanilla is worth more by weight. Why?

Complex Pollination Process

Vanilla is actually a difficult plant to grow. The vines take 2-4 years to mature. The orchid flowers only bloom once a year and must be hand pollination on the same day. Then it takes several months before the vanilla is ready to harvest.

Limited Quantity

Additionally, over 80% of the world’s vanilla is grown on the island of Madagascar, which has been recently hit with terrible weather. Failed crop yields have caused the prices of vanilla beans to soar to nearly $600 per kilogram, which is 10 times more expensive than it was a few years ago.

High Demand

The demand for pure vanilla has skyrocketed because of the natural foods movement. Consumers don’t want food products containing artifical ingredients which has triggered many large food and beverage companies such as Nestle, General Mills, and Hershey to eliminate these ingredients from their products. Instead these large manufacturers are replacing cheaper articifial vanilla with real vanilla in the products. The public’s increasing desire for shorter ingredient statements and transparency in production practices and supply chains keeps the price rising and rising as demand continues to grow.

“Clean eating became more prevalent and mainstream with the initial push of plant-based eating several years ago, which began as a health-based trend focusing on whole or unprocessed foods and a back-to-basics view on diets,” said Cali Amos, the research manager for HealthFocus International as reported by Food Business News. “That, along with a major push toward a sustainable planet, crops and food sources, people are tying what they eat to the source of the food and not just how it affects their body but how it affects the world around them.”

Theft

Vanilla beans are now the target for theft because of their increased value. Many farmers have to guard their farms to prevent their beans from being stolen. As the stolen beans move up the supply chain, they get mixed in with legally purchased beans making it difficult for buyers to know which are which. The prevent theft, farmers pick the beans before they’re ripe and unripe beans means lower quality vanilla.

Climate Change

Cyclones are becoming increasingly more common in Madagascar and can easily wipe out vanilla crops. If this happens, it takes a year before new plants start producing beans. The limited supply works to drive prices for vanilla up.

We’re talking about ’Eating Right, Being Bright’ during the holiday season with musical inspiration from Harry Connick, Jr. on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast. Our guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Dan Houdeshell, Pendulum Glucose Control‘s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Orville Kolterman and Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy, Author Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, and Mama Rose Marie. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Harry For The Holidays album courtesy of SONY Music.