tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60578606490260900462024-02-02T02:09:58.203-08:00Vote With Your ForkMaking changes to health, the environment and the world, one small change -- one forkful -- at a time.Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-48121742751929439042014-02-21T14:17:00.001-08:002014-02-21T15:42:20.254-08:00The Coffee Habit Unbeaned<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlKSrFlqSL7fitcGKVHmfKkrODKsMcmQOrvx5evY8-NdLUewAlKIFbY58WfJj1WVuJSge16Z9QXOPorO0PnTMPvd7-cIdVS1KHobekyh_f7jHxRdfWOajsKu86QRTE1dQ62O6QkOvXB_3/s640/blogger-image--1419593600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlKSrFlqSL7fitcGKVHmfKkrODKsMcmQOrvx5evY8-NdLUewAlKIFbY58WfJj1WVuJSge16Z9QXOPorO0PnTMPvd7-cIdVS1KHobekyh_f7jHxRdfWOajsKu86QRTE1dQ62O6QkOvXB_3/s640/blogger-image--1419593600.jpg" /> </a></div>
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I love a good cup of coffee. Okay, my husband would say that's not accurate. I love my flavored coffee creamer accompanied by a cup of coffee. I've never been one of those people who consumes a pot a day... one to two cups is usually my max, in the morning, and I'm done.</div>
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That was still enough to cause me to get a raging headache that ibuprofen wouldn't touch by 2 pm if I didn't consume my morning cup.</div>
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I got pretty tired of this, so I started investigating alernatives. I tried chai... not what I was looking for. I wanted something full-bodied, something... well, something very much like coffee. And I know that the flavored creamers on the market are not a model of healthfulness, but I LOVE THE STUFF. More on that later.</div>
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Why not decaf? Because the caffeine is taken out of the coffee with toxic solvents including ethyl acetate or dichloromethane. They are SOAKED in this stuff, then roasted, ground, and packaged. According to <a href="http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Ethyl+Acetate#" target="_blank">Toxipedia</a>, "Ethyl acetate is an effective poison for use in insect collector as its
vapors are a respiratory tract irritant whose vapors can kill the insect
quickly without destroying it, leaving it intact for study." No thanks, I'd rather not.</div>
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So I wanted something UN-caffeinated rather than decaffeinated. The week I made this decision I was in TJ Maxx (where I often buy my coffee because you can get organic/free trade for way cheaper than normal) and stumbled upon a box of "Caffe Orzo." It's basically roasted barley, and they've been using it in Italy for ages, serving it to kids instead of "real" coffee. </div>
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I bought a box, took it home, LOVED it, went back and bought all they had. It's lasted me probably four months. I cut it with regular coffee about half the time because I don't necessarily want to eschew coffee entirely, I just want to cut way down on my caffeine load and reduce my headaches. What I really liked about it was that it brews the same as coffee in the beloved coffee maker my son got me for Christmas. </div>
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Well, I've run out, and of course, TJ Maxx doesn't stock anything permanently, and I haven't seen it there since. So I started a quest online and I can only find a place to import it from England. A Google search didn't turn much up. Amazon had it but "currently unavailable." </div>
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So I thought I'd try this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0066FET1Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0066FET1Y&linkCode=as2&tag=mygrehom-20" target="_blank">Ayurvedic Roast from Amazon</a>. </div>
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This is a non-caffeinated blend made from roasted barley (cafe orzo), roasted rye, roasted chicory, ashwagandha, shatavari, brahmi and natural vanilla flavor. Okay, I don't know what those last four things are except for the vanilla so maybe more research is needed. </div>
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It's good. It's much less bitter than coffee, brews in a pot, french press or percolator. It's organic. It's supposedly vanilla flavored but I'm not getting a lot of that. I did notice that it does not want to come out of my reusable coffee filter, not sure why that is. If you're concerned about the acidifying effect of coffee, it's non acid. </div>
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Only one problem: I paid $16.95 for 11 ounces of this stuff. Holy moly! I can't afford this habit, even at two cups a day, even cutting it with nasty bitter cheap coffee (and then what would be the point?). Also, I find that it takes a little bit MORE of this to make a pot that tastes like it's not watered down. </div>
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So it's back to the drawing board to try to find something I can drink. Curse you TJ Maxx for getting me hooked on something I can't get more of!</div>
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Then I started thinking... barley's cheap. Why couldn't I roast my own barley? <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/make-your-own-coffee-substitutes-zmaz77sozgoe.aspx" target="_blank">Mother Earth News</a> came through and here's an article on how to do exactly that (and recipes for other coffee substitutes I may have to try). I love you, Internet! I'll be letting you know how these experiments work out.</div>
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How about you, what's in your warm morning beverage mug?</div>
<br />Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-33107980130681822062014-02-11T12:03:00.003-08:002014-02-11T12:03:48.720-08:00Great Backyard Bird Count<div style="text-align: justify;">
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This blog is about food. But it's also about living in harmony with the rhythms of nature. About eating seasonally. About walking with your feet on the earth and knowing that you are leaving footprints. For me, that is a spiritual experience and the way I eat has very much to do with the central philosophy of who I am in this world.</div>
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Too existential for you? Sorry. But I'm going to guess that you're here reading for a lot of reasons, and that you probably care at least a little bit about the environment and the creatures and plant life that share our world.</div>
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To that end I want to talk a little about the <a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count.</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Click to go to site</a></td></tr>
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This makes a great project for homeschoolers or parents of kids, and big kids who get a kick out of watching birds. It happens every year in mid-February, and this year is this Friday-Sunday (14-16). It's pretty easy. You register to participate, tell them where you'll be observing, and then you spend some time (in your yard, or elsewhere, up to you) observing, and log how many birds of which species you see. You log those findings on the website. You probably learn a thing or two along the way (last year I discovered that the chickadees where I live in Tennessee are Carolina chickadees, not the black-capped chickadees I was used to seeing in Ohio where I grew up... no wonder they sound a little different!) about the animals that inhabit your corner of the universe.</div>
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It's crowd source science, and it's awesome! Then you can explore the data and see what kinds of birds are being seen where. </div>
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Between this project and my garden, I started noticing things. I noticed plants blooming that I hadn't noticed before, and I educated myself about what they were. I started keeping a nature log - the daffodils bloom now, the forsythia blooms then, I discovered that my horses are eating an interesting weed and this is what it is. And, the robins and bluebirds are back earlier this year than usual. That sort of thing. Since I'm a hard core journaler, I love this kind of stuff. It tunes you in, in a way that just going about your information-saturated, dissociative business and shoving factory food in your face every day can't.</div>
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So join me! Maybe keep a little nature journal of your own. I have a sketchbook, but I also have a little page on my Notes app on my phone so I can type in what I see when I see it (is there an app for this kind of thing? If there isn't there should be). Happy birding. :)</div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-54193422294662188682013-07-31T11:03:00.002-07:002013-07-31T11:03:27.739-07:00National Farmers' Market Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThEgxKXKMCzYzDjqqCzCZygaauaCUOHIz5IGuJOABbOV89IWJlrz0MfYw5xBAhOIX992xKZMB-izFrooUipA3WP2qjOTI2usXRlu9EqvVtq0T2Px1MeHw9ZNgKaF0hwQeigjUASJL_ZPs/s1600/natfarmmktweek.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThEgxKXKMCzYzDjqqCzCZygaauaCUOHIz5IGuJOABbOV89IWJlrz0MfYw5xBAhOIX992xKZMB-izFrooUipA3WP2qjOTI2usXRlu9EqvVtq0T2Px1MeHw9ZNgKaF0hwQeigjUASJL_ZPs/s640/natfarmmktweek.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I got an email from Slow Food USA about this coming week being National Farmers' Market week... apparently the USDA and Secretary of Agriculture issued a proclamation that August 4-10 will be National Farmers' Market week.</div>
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So I Googled it. There's practically nothing about it. So I went to the pages of all the farmers' markets I could think of on Facebook. There's nothing about it.</div>
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What the heck? Why so little publicity? So I took it upon myself to make this little graphic and share it around on Facebook... feel free, if you are a small farmer who goes to markets - no wait. If you are a person who eats food, feel free to share this graphic and if you haven't been to your local market - or if you have! - please go and support your local farmers this week.</div>
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In other news, the EPA recently approved an increase on allowable limits for glyphosate (Roundup and its spin-offs) on crops. Hey EPA... you're under a Democratic president, get a clue :( Here's a <b><a href="http://www.rareseeds.com/caution-do-not-eat-/" target="_blank">link</a> </b>with more info on why glyphosate is awful for the environment and awful for you.</div>
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Please, if you can afford to, eat organic or certified naturally grown (crops that are not grown with Roundup or other herbicides, artificial fertilizers and pesticides), and especially, support your small local farmer who is farming responsibly. Get to know them. There's nothing like knowing where your food came from.</div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-60515691444153628362013-07-03T10:18:00.000-07:002013-07-03T10:18:17.567-07:00Herbal Stomach Soother Green Smoothie<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSERLP_U85aEi7MOqDUb4Lde-ScE5uD45LHaeYeY8ORQ8Ca3b_nVE4yjNTZXQA1QOcIGKjyn5X-NK6qHWkPZNs285u9QqMi1vCws2zZyjoZ6Fb2_QBXFI0rMPY_NOY0h7VyBA4mxMjkiS/s1600/smooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSERLP_U85aEi7MOqDUb4Lde-ScE5uD45LHaeYeY8ORQ8Ca3b_nVE4yjNTZXQA1QOcIGKjyn5X-NK6qHWkPZNs285u9QqMi1vCws2zZyjoZ6Fb2_QBXFI0rMPY_NOY0h7VyBA4mxMjkiS/s400/smooth.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty? Eh, kinda. Good? Yes!!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I'm trying to ease up on the coffee, because I'm tired of having a headache by 1:00 pm if I don't drink it. So I cut back to 1 cup for a few days, now I'm drinking 1 cup of Chai tea in the morning.<br />
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Chai and my empty stomach didn't get along this morning, and I was getting a burning in the back of my throat and some reflux. Bleh.</div>
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So here's what I did for my green smoothie this morning... I took a handful of stomach-soothing herbs -- apple mint, and lemon balm -- and threw them in the blender with the greens, and made sure to use papaya as one of my fruits, because it's known for its stomach-soothing properties, too. Seems to have done the trick :) Here's the recipe.</div>
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Don't have lemon balm and mint? My god, why not? Find a corner of your property you don't want to mow anymore, stick one of them at one end and the other at the other end (seed, plants, whatever) and let them go to town. They will take over the area, and you will have all the mint and lemon balm you could ever wish for. They both make amazing hot teas and iced teas, and they add flavor and a load of nutrients to a green smoothie, and as far as green things go they taste fantastic. Last year I couldn't possibly have picked and dried and used all the lemon balm and mint I had growing. My plan this year is to pick it and freeze it with water in ice cube trays so I can throw it in my smoothies all winter long. </div>
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Stomach Soother Green Smoothie</div>
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10-20 mint leaves</div>
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10-20 lemon balm leaves</div>
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1 cup kale or spinach or green of choice</div>
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1 cup water</div>
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1 cup Silk coconut milk (I love this stuff!!!!)</div>
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Blend the heck out of it. If your herbs are stemmy you might want to strip leaves off the stems. If the stems are still tender and you have a good blender, throw 'em in.</div>
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1 cup pineapple, fresh preferable or if using cans you can use some of the juice instead of water</div>
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1/2 a papaya, seeded, peeled and sorta chopped</div>
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1 small-medium banana</div>
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<br />ice cubes to taste... I like mine cold. You can seed and chop the papaya and then freeze, freeze the banana, pineapple, or all of it, for a nice cold one. If you put enough ice cubes in here and you have a Vitamix, you can turn this into their version of soft serve ice cream. Or freeze it into popsicles for little upset tummies.</div>
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Blend till smooth. This will serve 2, you can put it in a sealing glass jar or mason jar in the fridge and it'll keep for a day or two, if there's only one of you in the household braving the green stuff.</div>
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This is GOOD! Seriously, if you don't have mint and you're a smoothie-holic, get some.</div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-84414270236763605712013-07-03T10:01:00.002-07:002013-07-03T10:01:57.747-07:00Green Smoothies Win!Last week I started a Green Smoothie Challenge. I am loving it!! <a href="http://simplegreensmoothies.com/30-day-challenge" target="_blank">Want to join me?</a><br />
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<a href="http://simplegreensmoothies.com/30-day-challenge" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://simplegreensmoothies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/30Dayside_July1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the deal. I am all about some whole foods, which is why we are in a CSA again this year. Well, with a full share and only 2 of us consuming it, I am finding that I have a lot of leftovers, most of which can be canned, frozen or preserved in some way, but not so much the greens, which, being springtime/early summer, we are getting a lot of.<br />
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So, what to do with them? I stumbled on this green smoothie thing. The concept is, you drink 1 smoothie a day. You can use it to replace a meal (you'll probably want to, they're filling, but you can snack a little too). That's it. You don't deprive yourself, you can eat what you're eating, but here's the thing. Since this is basically whole foods thrown in a blender, you're getting all the fiber with whatever sugar is in it, which for me is killing my carb/sugar cravings (yay!), and because of the fiber you don't get the same spike in blood sugar levels that you would just eating junk or even juice. The ingredients are PACKED with nutrients, so that's awesome. </div>
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How to: The skinny is, you shoot for a proportion of 40% greens (leafy dark greens preferably - think kale, spinach, collards, mustard, turnip... I don't eat most of that crap except for the first two either, but I promise, you won't taste it) and 60% whole fruit, with a liquid - water, coconut milk, almond milk, you can even use teas sometimes, or regular milk, or yogurt. You can follow that challenge link above to get you started with great tips and recipes.</div>
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Recipes will follow here, or you can follow my <b><a href="http://pinterest.com/deannalack/green-smoothies/" target="_blank">Green Smoothie Board on Pinterest</a></b> as I gather smoothie info and recipes from all over the web. Drink up! </div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-61789074115513634272013-06-27T08:31:00.000-07:002013-06-27T11:42:22.070-07:00It Might Get Easier Being Green....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEwDlO4t1u-OTPAX4dBsIvPPeocWShaHOEa9y1wTCAmBKipXkDt2F1NZ43kzbPFc22om3X_tkguLp6W6nyv-LO7S8MdtbJYslH7EnCXI3-NaLGLexwFN7IQqmPahqssOIHOkA5MTnrDpF/s960/colvin+cukes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEwDlO4t1u-OTPAX4dBsIvPPeocWShaHOEa9y1wTCAmBKipXkDt2F1NZ43kzbPFc22om3X_tkguLp6W6nyv-LO7S8MdtbJYslH7EnCXI3-NaLGLexwFN7IQqmPahqssOIHOkA5MTnrDpF/s640/colvin+cukes.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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My hubby and I were in Franklin (a Nashville suburb) last week and I had the long-awaited opportunity to go to Franklin Farmers' Market. It is awesome!!</div>
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While I was there I ran into some very cool people from <a href="http://www.colvinfamilyfarm.com/" target="_blank">Colvin Family Farms</a>, who sold me these white cukes. Some of them (the lower one in the picture) were "regular" white cucumbers but some were these super cool translucent glowy looking things that remind me of jellyfish and were delicious (actually they were all delicious). Unfortunately they can't tell me the variety, they say they only have one variety of cukes. So I'm not sure what causes this awesome but I love it.</div>
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I have an interesting story to tell. My doctor diagnosed me with Tension Myositis Syndrome... this syndrome is the result of repressed emotions causing actual physical symptoms in the body. Lots of cases of degenerative disc disease, fibromyalgia, and other things, are the result of TMS and not necessarily a physical process. The disease keeps people living in fear of pain. And I've had both chronic neck pain and fibro type symptoms, and they are getting better with treatment. </div>
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But, when we went to Nashville this weekend, my foot suddenly started hurting, just an ache I thought was arthritis at first, but after we walked for hours at Cheekwood Botanical Garden, I started to worry that it was a stress fracture or something... any pressure on ONE point on the ball of my foot caused excruciating pain. I hobbled around all weekend.</div>
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Then on Monday I started to wonder if maybe this wasn't a new TMS manifestation... once you "conquer" one of them, others frequently crop up. So I basically told myself I didn't believe there was anything wrong and started walking on it normally, even though it HURT at first. </div>
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Within a few hours the pain was gone. The mind is a crazy thing. If you have chronic pain you owe it to yourself to read up on TMS, because there is a CURE. Here's a <a href="http://www.mindbodymedicine.com/" target="_blank">LINK </a>for you.</div>
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So, we are CSA customers at Miracle Mountain Farm here in Cookeville, and we are getting more produce than I know what to do with (huge head of cabbage... oh my....). I frequently have way more greens than my husband and I can consume, so I decided to take the <a href="http://simplegreensmoothies.com/30-day-challenge" target="_blank">30 day Green Smoothie Challenge</a>. I have so much produce, I figured, why not? And if it makes me feel great... well, great!<br />
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Follow me on <b><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/deannalack" target="_blank">Pinterest </a></b>if you want to scope out some green smoothie recipes, in addition to my usual repertoire of recipes both healthy and not so much, and also jewelry, horses, animals, and art, and lots of other eye candy because I freaking love Pinterest. I'll be sharing recipes and ideas here too... also, I'll be posting some stuff here about what to do with all that zucchini, blackberries, and other goodies that nature is pouring down upon us right now.</div>
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<b>Green Smoothie, Day One</b><br />
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Around two cups of mixed greens: kale, beet greens, & collard greens (I think they're collard, not 100%... we're in a CSA and I don't always know what I have!), gently packed.<br />
3 cups of a mixture of: 2 bananas, frozen fresh strawberries, 2 small peaches<br />
I added a teaspoon of chia seeds<br />
2 tablespoons of frozen 100% apple juice concentrate<br />
2 cups of water.<br />
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Go Vitamix go!<br />
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Assessment: I'm getting a little bit of aftertaste of greens (probably the beet greens and collards), but all in all I think I can handle this, it's pretty yummy. Not really pretty, because the red strawberries + greens makes it kinda brown, but good. With no added sucrose, so yay! I think it's gonna fill me up just fine, too, but we'll see.<br />
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This made way more than I can drink. I put it in the fridge in a mason jar to keep it from oxidizing; should keep till at least tomorrow.<br />
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If you're doing the green smoothie thing I'd love to hear from you and trade a few recipes.<br />
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Good health to you, and good eating! </div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-46567935666250989382013-06-05T18:44:00.002-07:002014-02-14T10:32:07.245-08:00Crab Linguine in Marsala Cream Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8bjBQL01sig2m6_9bYuosJW9LRHN3tCf2KySj2IVm_o9LEqVA-4g-RnrLwnlzWjgfwkfy06MkGjH2c-RA9rpUioWGrlSx16V6gp04ARHeFSFKvf8s2QxOftvRJy7JxXdewKy9zwWUDH9/s1600/crab+linguine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8bjBQL01sig2m6_9bYuosJW9LRHN3tCf2KySj2IVm_o9LEqVA-4g-RnrLwnlzWjgfwkfy06MkGjH2c-RA9rpUioWGrlSx16V6gp04ARHeFSFKvf8s2QxOftvRJy7JxXdewKy9zwWUDH9/s400/crab+linguine.jpg" height="400" width="292" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">CSA started this week! Which means, this early in the year, mostly salad :) </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">On a tragic note, the Refrigerator Apocalypse happened this weekend... my fridge broke and my epically awesome husband diagnosed it, which meant we did NOT have to buy a new one, and my epically awesome father-in-law knew someone who was willing to come and fix it on a Sunday morning. Saved the day, but not the food. I had to throw an awful lot ou</span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: yellow;">t.</span> <span style="color: yellow;">But I was freaking out because I had a bushel of produce coming on Monday.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Considering the Fridgepocalypse (and the fact that after paying to repair the fridge I couldn't really afford to restock it), I'm pretty happy that I managed to pull together this meal. It was pretty awesome. You want the recipe? Sure, I'll share.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Crab Linguine in Marsala Cream Sauce</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 cup Marsala wine</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 cup 2% milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 cup evaporated milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">8 ounces uncooked linguine</span> </div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">4 Tablespoons of butter, separated</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 Tablespoon flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 stalk of green garlic, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 green onion, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">5-6 Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced</span> </div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"> 1-2 Tablespoons of lemon juice (more if you like lemon flavor, less if you don't)</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1/2 teaspoon of salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">1 package imitation crab meat</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, preferably, or flaky, NOT Kraft)</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Finely snipped fresh parsley</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Freshly ground pepper</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Put your pasta water on to boil. </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Put the Marsala in a small-medium saucepan with the heat on medium. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in 2% and evaporated milk, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced to around 1 1/2 cups. Remove from heat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Put the linguine in your boiling water and cook al dente.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Meanwhile, put 2 Tablespoons of butter in a deep skillet or wok. Saute the green garlic and green onion in the butter, until the white parts start to turn translucent. Throw in the mushrooms and saute lightly. Remove the sauteed vegetables to the other pan with your cooling milk mixture.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Put the other 2 Tablespoons of butter in the skillet/wok. Stir in the flour until a paste forms. Then, add the milk mixture. Add lemon juice and salt. Cook and stir (pretty much constantly, make sure you don't burn it) until the mixture thickens to a little smoother than alfredo generally is. Add the crab meat and cook until heated through. Keep stirring.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Put your drained pasta in a serving bowl, top with the sauce, garnish with Parmesan, parsley and pepper. Serve immediately.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: yellow;">This serves around 4 people pretty comfortably and I thought it kinda needed some fresh baked bread, but I think that about almost everything. Enjoy!</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-6831033959571591132013-05-29T13:59:00.001-07:002013-05-29T13:59:43.613-07:00Apocalypse PizzaI've blogged about home made pizza before, haven't I? Of course I have. We've been making homemade pizza for years, often on Family Pizza Night where it's a social event as well as dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2md93ufAYGczyPBqIkCtV9ev7NKiPfCgFtJaac2uOag1IXad_1ks0jddJYjySJLsy3kNGI6LK0G0SpFQdC9Z85tFw8XmKGS1xjnWlJwGoAfCQx3H9-CSxzWWU-Fh4ruAqNphG9ZVWMetp/s1600/apocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2md93ufAYGczyPBqIkCtV9ev7NKiPfCgFtJaac2uOag1IXad_1ks0jddJYjySJLsy3kNGI6LK0G0SpFQdC9Z85tFw8XmKGS1xjnWlJwGoAfCQx3H9-CSxzWWU-Fh4ruAqNphG9ZVWMetp/s400/apocalypse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's the story behind Apocalypse Pizza. We were driving to Atlanta for a craft show and stopped at a random exit looking for a specific kind of restaurant. Then we drove by a place called Apokalypse Pizza and I decided that that was epic enough to cause us to eat there even if it wasn't what we were looking for. And there, we had an amazing Greek pizza. I don't know if we could even find that place again.</div>
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So here's my version. You make the dough in your bread machine (allow about 2-3 hours), and at least in our house, each family member gets to make their own personal pizza. When one of my adopted kids comes home from the military, this is what he asks for :)</div>
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<b>Apocalypse Pizza</b><br />
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Place the following in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer (usually wet, then dry, then yeast):<br />
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Dough:<br />
2 Tb olive oil<br />
1 to 1 1/4 cup of water<br />
3 cups of bread flour (can sub up to a third with wheat flour)<br />
1 Tb sugar<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
2 tsp yeast<br />
I also sometimes throw in some parmesan or crushed dried basil or oregano.<br />
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Set
to your machine's dough cycle. Watch at the end of the knead cycle;
sometimes you'll need to add more flour. Should be a smooth ball. When
the cycle ends, take it out and divide in 2-4 balls. Drizzle a little
olive oil into an equal number of bowls, roll your dough in the oil to
grease it a little, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise for an
hour.<br />
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Topping:<br />
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olive oil<br />
garlic<br />
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sliced tomatoes<br />
Gyro meat<br />
kalmata olives, halved<br />
pepperoncinis<br />
artichoke hearts<br />
thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms<br />
crumbled feta cheese<br />
thinly sliced onion (saute if desired)<br />
a handful of pizza cheese (better than mozzarella)<br />
coarsely chopped fresh oregano and/or basil <br />
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Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Yes, I said
500. Grease a baking sheet a little (nonstick spray works but seems to
smoke in the oven a bit) and then sprinkle with cornmeal (optional).
Spread out your dough on the sheet. This dough does not rise much, so
it'll be about as thick as you spread it, so if you like a thick crust
leave it thick (and it's soooo good thick).<br />
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Saute the garlic in the oil to give it a little flavor (helps to do this when you first take the dough out of the machine so that it has some time to infuse the oil with the garlic flavor). After you spread out your dough, drizzle with garlic oil, and top as desired with the toppings listed above. We generally stop by our local Greek/Italian (is this a southern oddity?) restaurant to pick up the Gyro meat since I've never seen it in a grocery store, but enough for the whole family is $2.95 there. The only topping that is not optional is the feta. There must be feta. I find that you don't need a lot of pizza cheese with these toppings and the feta and oil, but if you're a bigger cheeseaholic than I am, go for it.<br />
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If you like, hit the edges of the crust
with a little parmesan or (YUM) fresh grated Asiago. Drop those babies
in the hot hot oven for 7-11 minutes depending on your crust
thickness. Let cool a bit so the cheese doesn't slide off, if you can
wait, cut... and mangia! Or whatever the Greek word is for "Eat!"<br />
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<br />Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-46096626853852324312013-03-28T18:31:00.002-07:002013-03-28T18:31:41.889-07:00Israeli CouscousI found a recipe for herbed couscous but I modified it so heavily that I thought I'd share my modified version, partly to be generous and partly so I can remember it!<br />
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The original called for fresh parsley, which I didn't have, but I do have some kale bravely growing out in the leftovers of last year's garden, despite the freezing night temps we've had for most of March. <br />
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My family likes the Israeli couscous (the little balls) better than the other tiny crumbly kind... toasting it in the olive oil first gives it a little tooth that I really like. If you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the cheese, it's vegan and still really flavorful. Personally I'm doing a pescetarian kind of thing and it went great with the lemon pepper tilapia I made tonight.<br />
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Israeli Couscous with Kale</div>
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2 Tablespoons of olive oil </div>
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2 cups Israeli couscous (I used the tricolor)</div>
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1/2 clove garlic </div>
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1/3 cup of fresh kale, chopped fine</div>
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4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth</div>
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1 teaspoon dried parsley</div>
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1 teaspoon dried rosemary</div>
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2 Tb. lemon juice</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired. </div>
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Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the couscous, toss to coat. Add the garlic, cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until toasty. Toss in the kale and stir until it's just a little wilty.</div>
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Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for around 10 minutes. Before all the liquid is absorbed add the lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper. Sprinkle on a little bit of Parmesan cheese right before serving... I thought it was missing something so I added it as an afterthought and it was marvelous.</div>
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I halved this recipe, ate more of this than I should have and still had leftovers, so unless you have a family of more than 4, or you like leftovers, you might consider halving it too.</div>
Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-21582410421828420012012-05-31T11:24:00.002-07:002012-05-31T11:24:15.470-07:00Berry Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJzLUIJ1y2M57Uxagr-s-3rVq2G2IBXBWS8Gp-BNxKDbTQuHuVv9tYKQeGPC0O-4HrygQ7fP2XTr106Vce0kL2ntXFRxToi6AzMpPrhkl0sBtUs1JZBVaY_8z4u4gmhj9aTaZxNskwvvE/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJzLUIJ1y2M57Uxagr-s-3rVq2G2IBXBWS8Gp-BNxKDbTQuHuVv9tYKQeGPC0O-4HrygQ7fP2XTr106Vce0kL2ntXFRxToi6AzMpPrhkl0sBtUs1JZBVaY_8z4u4gmhj9aTaZxNskwvvE/s320/IMG_3199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />On the left in the picture are domestic Jewel Black raspberries grown in my garden, and on the right wild blackberries, which I was pleasantly surprised to find growing in my back yard this year (we didn't bush-hog last year, and they bear on second-year canes). What's the difference, and what (besides devouring them while you pick them) are they good for?<br />
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The two are not the same; the easiest way to tell the difference is that raspberries have a hollow core and when you pick them they leave a white cone on the plant. Blackberries are a solid cluster. You can see that the raspberries are just a little bit more reddish than the blackberries. Taste test wise, the raspberries are a little sweeter and the blackberries more tart. <br />
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Both of these plants are ripening really early this year; usually the blackberries happen around the end of June/early July here in Tennessee, and the raspberries a few weeks earlier. The winter was so mild that pretty much everything is coming early this year. Both start out red and turn black. You can tell the black raspberries are ripe because they pull off the plant pretty easily; if it gives you a lot of resistance, it's not ready. To a lesser degree this is true for the blackberries as well.<br />
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The blackberries are juuuust starting to turn black, so if you know a spot where wild blackberries grow you might want to get out there in the next week or two. If you want to make your goodies (whether preserves, or cobbler, or whatever) seedless, you'll need a food mill and someone with a good arm. <a href="http://ceweb2.uml.edu/EW_Project2/patki784/recipe.html" target="_blank"><u> Recipe here.</u></a><br />
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For the black raspberries you'll most likely need to plant your own. You can do so in the fall. Pick a place where they can freely re-seed and in a few years you'll have plenty of berries. If you're a want it now kind of person, I highly recommend checking your local farmer's market, or if you're in Tennessee try <a href="http://picktnproducts.org/"><u>picktnproducts.org</u></a><br />
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Most of the black raspberry recipes I came across called for black raspberry jam or preserves, so you might have to whip up a batch of that. It's worth it to make some of the awesome recipes I found though, besides the awesomeness of black raspberry jam on its own. Here's an awesome summer cookout dessert.<br />
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<b>Black Raspberry Cream Pie</b><br />
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1 9" graham cracker pie crust<br />
1 egg white, beaten<br />
1 cup whipping cream<br />
8 oz cream cheese, softened<br />
10 oz black raspberry spread (seedless preferred)<br />
fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish<br />
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Preheat oven 375 degrees. Brush pie shell with egg white and bake 5 minutes. Cool on rack.<br />
In mixing bowl beat whipping cream with an electric mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in raspberry spread on low speed just until combined. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into pie shell , cover and freeze 4-24 hours or until firm. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves. Makes 8 servings.<br />
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<br />If you've got the berries, try this with ice cream:<br />
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<b>Triple Berry Crisp</b><br />
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1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries<br />
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries<br />
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries<br />
4 Tablespoons white sugar<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 cups rolled oats<br />
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1 1/2 cups butter<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Gently toss berries together in a bowl with the sugar. Set aside. In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. press half of mixture into a 9 x 13 pan, cover with berries, then top with the other half of the mixture. Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden. <br />
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Trust me, you'll need the ice cream. Yum. If you <i>don't</i> have all of those berries, I'm sure it'd be just as good with only one or two of them.<br />
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And if you pick enough blackberries, you might want to try <a href="http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/blackbr2.asp" target="_blank"><u>blackberry wine</u></a>, which I'm hoping to do this year. <br />
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Here's an <a href="http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Clippings.folder/ForagingForBlackberries.html" target="_blank">article on foraging for blackberries</a> in case you don't know how to identify them. My tips are: be wary of poison ivy, ticks and chiggers ( the bugs are particularly bad this year), and expect to get some scratches (and purple fingers!). If none of that's for you, again, you're likely to find some brave soul at the farmer's market who has gone to the trouble for you.Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-42998514969747385672012-05-28T16:44:00.002-07:002012-05-28T16:44:46.071-07:00Made of Awesome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've wanted to be a part of a CSA for several years now. The food is great. This week (and it's early in the season) we got squash, zucchini, beets, kale, peas, cucumber, bread and killer awesome cookies, and more. But for me it's only partly about the food. For me it's just as important to be buying local, organic, responsibly and sustainably grown food. It's about supporting someone local. So, I'd have joined a CSA even if the people who were farming were only moderately awesome.<br />
<br />
That's not the case, though... my farmers, Roger and Mary Payne of <a href="http://miraclemntfarm.com/" target="_blank">Miracle Mountain Farms</a>, convince me a little more every week that they're made of awesome. Here's only one reason.<br />
<br />
When I dropped by the farm today and got my basket o' goodies, Mary asked me would I take some <a href="http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ark_product_detail/green_striped_cushaw/" target="_blank"><u>cushaw melon</u></a> seeds and plant them, and save them, and share them for free? Please? Then she gave me a handout all about this unusual melon from Slow Food's Ark of Taste website. <br />
<br />
So what is Ark of Taste? According to their website:<br />
<span class="size12 lh18 grigio"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="size12 lh18 grigio"> "The Ark of Taste travels the world
collecting small-scale quality productions threatened by industrial
agriculture, environmental degradation and homogenization.</span><br />
<span class="size12 lh18 grigio">
The Ark of Taste searches out, catalogues and describes forgotten
flavors from all around the planet: products at risk of extinction but
surviving, that could be rediscovered and returned to the market."<br />
<br />
Basically, monoculture is destroying our food heritage. There are four or five varieties of tomatoes in your average supermarket - the ones that have the best shelf life, NOT the ones that taste the best or anything that is prized for any other quality (although, heirloom varieties are finding their way into some supermarkets, thankfully). So there are strains of long-cherished varieties of plants that are vanishing. Ark of Taste - and Miracle Mountain Farms - seek to preserve them, share them. And urge you to grow them.<br />
<br />
The Paynes are all about building community, preserving our heritage, through food and agriculture, and they are doing SO MUCH in that vein. You should look them up on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002063210727" target="_blank"><u>Facebook</u></a>, and if you're local, definitely pay them a visit either at their farm or Cookeville Farmer's Market on weekends. Because they're made of awesome.<br />
<br />
And, by the way, I will be planting some cushaw melons in my little garden this year, along with mostly heirloom varieties of tons of other veggies. <br />
<br />
I would really like to see more of a Slow Food movement in this area, and I'm willing to spearhead it if there's enough interest. To that end I'm hoping to 1) Start a little local food newsletter and 2) Maybe eventually open a Slow Food chapter here. So if you're interested in being a part of that, do drop me a line at dmedtrans@yahoo.com. <br />
<br />
"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." -- Orson Welles</span><br />Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-74502037014730535872012-04-19T11:43:00.000-07:002012-04-19T11:46:12.296-07:00What's In Season: Strawberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NsVORpiQQZGNJXJIhfW_57T-M2eoq0K_B3Sbpa2hG-Af5hTuiihpjmxRyHrdFkM6dhHzO9lXKBljSgXABg1HMJraxVnuozbxUIJ7flh5pJcq8gUmhURIpDRA8qpe2Ue7o65SlifmFZV1/s1600/strawaf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NsVORpiQQZGNJXJIhfW_57T-M2eoq0K_B3Sbpa2hG-Af5hTuiihpjmxRyHrdFkM6dhHzO9lXKBljSgXABg1HMJraxVnuozbxUIJ7flh5pJcq8gUmhURIpDRA8qpe2Ue7o65SlifmFZV1/s320/strawaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We
are proud members of a CSA this year, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002063210727">Miracle
Mountain Farms.</a> For my fellow shareholders and anyone else
who wants to eat local produce in season I thought I'd share some
recipes for the goodies we're getting from Miracle Mountain, so follow
this blog if you're interested in what's cooking.<br />
<br />
For
starters, my amazing homemade waffle recipe that you can top with fresh
strawberries from your CSA, local farm or farmer's market. If you're in
Tennessee, check <a href="http://www.picktnproducts.org/">Pick TN
Products</a> for somewhere to get them locally, and if not, try
<a href="http://www.localharvest.org/">Local Harvest</a><br />
<br />
<b>Belgian Waffles with Strawberry Topping</b><br />
<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
5 tablespoons white sugar<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 3/4 cups self-rising flour<br />
2 cups warm milk<br />
2 egg whites<br />
<br />
Beat together yolks and sugar, then butter, vanilla and salt. Alternately mix in flour and milk until the mixture is smooth.<br />
<br />
In
a separate bowl beat egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gently
fold into batter. Let stand 40 minutes to rise - it's a long wait but
it's worth it, they're so fluffy!<br />
<br />
Cook on your waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.<br />
<br />
<b>Strawberry Topping for Waffles</b><br />
<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or potato starch<br />
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate<br />
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
In
a large saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in OJ until
smooth, then add strawberries. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes
until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and let cool
slightly. Store in the fridge.<br />
<br />
Of course, whipped
cream is necessary in our house. I really recommend you either whip your
own or at the very least use Redi-Whip, not Cool Whip.<br />
<br />
YUM!Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-56998386298839553102012-02-12T13:30:00.000-08:002012-02-12T14:11:53.484-08:00Tomato Legacy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctbbBxTogofvn_TdJS_1JT0Qs-5l-cyOQFH6dTxM4W5s7qj5PcEmiRKV3rccLah4RpKkRRRU88yZ85fYak_TyQGSv83hR4dBCWhVRXjGItJzy02IvGrSaBSXhUJyyoFRF-hfPupG__Fsa/s1600/soldacki.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctbbBxTogofvn_TdJS_1JT0Qs-5l-cyOQFH6dTxM4W5s7qj5PcEmiRKV3rccLah4RpKkRRRU88yZ85fYak_TyQGSv83hR4dBCWhVRXjGItJzy02IvGrSaBSXhUJyyoFRF-hfPupG__Fsa/s320/soldacki.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708365585140889538" border="0" /></a><br />My grandfather's garden was a strip of ground along the fence on each side of his yard, maybe 2 feet wide and 15 feet long each. It was a tiny yard just barely outside Cleveland, Ohio city limits. But from this tiny amount of land he coaxed tomatoes, cucumbers and various other produce that for me, was the taste of summer. This magical place also contained a giant, graceful cherry tree bifurcated only about 2 feet off the ground, perfect for a little kid to climb into and daydream, whose fruit found its way into the fantastic wine he made, a process he had down to a science in a mystical bubbling lab in the basement of the little house.<br /><br />He made his own sausage, and cooked old world food. I recall taking my then husband to his house one day. Grandpa, a machinist, had rigged up a sausage grinder to a machine he'd made to automate the process of making sausage, because the meat was on sale. My husband was amazed. John Soldacki knew how to enjoy fine things in life because of his own skill, not because he was a rich man.<br /><br />I recall him proudly showing his garden to a family friend, asking if he'd like some "Polish tomatoes." The friend joked, "What are those, the seeds on the outside?" Not exactly. This was an open-pollinated, potato-leaf, indeterminate variety whose seeds his mother had brought over from Krakow, Poland, and showed him how to raise, and propagate. They are huge (up to a pound), meaty, pink -- in my mind, the ultimate sandwich and hamburger tomato. And always grown organically.<br /><br />Much later, when I was a teenager, he brought over a book, 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden by Carolyn J. Male. Apparently he'd been talking garden shop with someone who was a seed saver, and shared some seeds of his Polish tomatoes with them. I don't know the tale of the intervening journey they made, but apparently a coworker gave them to Carolyn, and then they found their way to Seed Savers Exchange. There on a full page of her book was a big picture of his humble "Soldacki" tomatoes (they are not pretty... they're lumpy and huge and prone to cracking but they are SO good). It was a signed copy.<br /><br />This was the first time I'd heard of "heirloom" tomatoes, and I thought it was weird. It wasn't until more years later, when I had a piece of land I could actually call my own, that I got interested in gardening, and feeding myself, and I now prefer heirloom varieties over any others. At the time, Grandpa was 85 and in poor health. He had had someone coming over to help him plant his tomatoes but he got anxious and decided to start by himself, then fell on the concrete and broke his hip. His health took continual downturns from there.<br /><br />Mom gave him regular updates on my gardening efforts (and of course I was growing Soldacki tomatoes). He was pretty excited to have someone actually in the family growing and saving his seeds. Last year she told me he was doing quite poorly so I made the trip back to Cleveland mainly to see him. I got him on a good day and he was in great spirits, and I was pretty excited to be able to talk gardening with him... for me it was like going to see the guru on the mountain, so I still laugh when I think about asking him questions and his sage answers: "Sure, try it... get a book!"<br /><br />It's been just about a year since we lost him. I am fairly sure this time of year I will always, always be thinking of him, and of the skills he possessed that are lost to subsequent generations, who so often depend on food that comes out of a box, a bag, or a window. It is such a loss not to know what it means to feed yourself out of the green earth, to sit down to a meal that is made of things that are real and a part of you... the work of your hands.<br /><br />I hope that, like me, my son will ultimately decide that he should be a gardener, when he has a home and a family of his own. Whether he does or not I am so very thankful that my grandfather's seeds have found their way into the hands of people interested in preserving pieces of family heritage like the Soldacki tomato. And for my part, it's my hope to rediscover some of the lost skills of previous generations, and perhaps to have some part in helping the generations after me to do the same.<br /><br />If you'd like to try growing Soldacki tomatoes, you can get them at <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=125%28OG%29">Seed Savers Exchange</a>.Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-61429830643580893382011-03-29T07:50:00.000-07:002011-03-29T08:27:17.264-07:00Trials & Tribulations of a N00b Gardener<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU7XMksjcoUD8ixhr4FuQhNnu1jnHrR09sEeRG2dFnB_1hEfHtWeee4wQOTxnhFyEnHaWMavHBsu-4pLrBTdFRSNY_XZqLe_p5013jGQ6wqyRc5ehXKBBsOBDmsYO_EgzATYM-NbyYYmr/s1600/4.15.10+006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 336px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU7XMksjcoUD8ixhr4FuQhNnu1jnHrR09sEeRG2dFnB_1hEfHtWeee4wQOTxnhFyEnHaWMavHBsu-4pLrBTdFRSNY_XZqLe_p5013jGQ6wqyRc5ehXKBBsOBDmsYO_EgzATYM-NbyYYmr/s400/4.15.10+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589514845869735154" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtd80cSTWq2EYk6_SMuV3nJoc77ZFdnJQtKi_Ck-HHTV6oFNJxsDv_N2IZ-5zdSuHYSjSZ_jKeYOfRtzLTFDeqE1lfk06oVZDBVHPRonqkQxBoCQrHMWqBHqCwrVukgKlfFqbb1mlaOT9/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtd80cSTWq2EYk6_SMuV3nJoc77ZFdnJQtKi_Ck-HHTV6oFNJxsDv_N2IZ-5zdSuHYSjSZ_jKeYOfRtzLTFDeqE1lfk06oVZDBVHPRonqkQxBoCQrHMWqBHqCwrVukgKlfFqbb1mlaOT9/s320/IMG_1041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589522573142694930" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qS_8EhmZ-JWRlIpCTgNzyoeG01Cqrl-nt2GB788Qn9_naJOHKAbTFyDmyJnoaB17-BR1BdtBPmDgwW7P1h7AlbPvoxbOMqdeiPm4i7XO1DT9lwIrICYgAT12cPG-ww9aG-L5D-VX-UKG/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG"><br /></a><br />The first photo was taken April 15 last year, before my seedlings went into the ground. The second was taken today, 3 weeks earlier in the year... ... wow, this year's bunch looks so much better. I think I leveled up my gardening skills! I provided better light this year and I think that's what's made the difference. <br /><br />That said, I thought I'd share what went right and what went wrong last year, in case there are any other new-ish gardeners who would like info on avoiding the same mistakes I made.<br /><br />First, I had heard you could grow stuff right in straw bales, so to save money on dirt in my raised beds I put a layer of straw in the bottom. This would've been great, IF I'd done it the fall before I wanted to put my garden in, but I did it in March, so my plants were growing in straw and I think as a result, didn't do great. Toward the end of the season, as the straw broke down, the tomatoes went crazy, and I picked a gallon of them the day before our first frost. But that straw is nice and decomposed now, and I think I'll reap the benefits this year.<br /><br />Lost a lot of stuff to bugs. Here in Tennessee it's a constant battle. The flea beetles got the eggplant, the squash bugs and squash vine borers did in the zucchini after a minimal harvest, and I got some cucumbers but then the cucumber beetles came calling with the Blight, which destroyed the cukes, and the watermelons too. I also had Japanese beetles on the beans, and the little yellow caterpillars, which reduced my harvest. Plan for this year: traps for the cuke beetles and floating row covers on all of the above.<br /><br />I started squash and cuke seeds with the tomatoes and eggplant. I lost all those seedlings to rot and they got pot bound, so curcurbits go right in the ground from now on. Or, I won't start them till 2 weeks before they go in the garden.<br /><br />I put lemon balm, a mint relative, in the vegetable beds. It's going to be a weed if I leave them there. Anyone want a lemon balm plant? Need to move them to a different spot, but I do love the herb.<br /><br />I think grandpa's heirloom Soldacki tomatoes don't much like the climate here... I may put them somewhere they get a little bit of shade every day so they're not in the blazing TN sun.<br /><br />Carrots needed something... lighter, sandier soil, I think. They came out stubby. Broccoli failed utterly, but I planted it too late. The peppers also needed something, and I think this is a crop I do not have an affinity for, but I do use them, so I need to figure out the problem. I think the straw may have had a lot to do with it.<br /><br />Successes:<br /><ul><li>Had a bumper crop of tomatoes toward the end of the season, and canned my own salsa for the first time.</li><li>Peas! They are so easy to grow. This year's are off to a good start, too.<br /></li><li>Herbs. I have an affinity for a lot of them and they make my thumb feel green. My regular basil didn't do as well as it did in a pot the year before, but the purple basil produced more than I knew what to do with. I have a cabinet full of dried herbs, still.<br /></li><li>Swiss chard. Which, unfortunately, Russ hates.</li><li>Determinate cherry tomatoes did really well all year.</li><li>I got tons of raspberries on my everbearing Heritage bush, and also a decent crop of sour cherries off my dwarf North Star tree, considering it was its first year.<br /></li><li>I definitely learned a lot!</li></ul>This year's tomatoes are already 4-6 inches tall with thick, healthy stems. I finally got all of them potted into little pots from peat pellets yesterday and they look happy. Actually pretty much all of my seedlings are thriving (9 tomato varieties, 4 eggplant varieties, 6 peppers, basil, parsley, some flowers, ground cherries... I think that's it) and if things continue as they are I will be giving away seedlings around the end of April. Or maybe taking them to the farmer's market, but I suspect friends and family will want them.<br /><br />That's the report... I'll keep you updated on this year's organic garden and food preservation efforts as we go!Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-49009583205447880962011-03-24T05:56:00.000-07:002011-03-24T06:27:23.952-07:00The Season's First Fruits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.vegetannual.org"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf7riXgg_WXBY9zoEQ6bIA-SLUnt-Ksa6WonFziwP4xmnqU_ZaQ7MF5Utu4o-Hyuf6SFJnR4jQ8ERksdJ3sZ0a1oy0uhU-F3ZqbMhzAZ-2hDHKWpOkMj3FCfhdirzMzVNtmtFa0RqcUuM/s400/vegetannual.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587632575063921122" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Vegetannual as seen in <a href="http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com">Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</a>: click for interactive version<br /></div><br />Consider the broken American food system: a farmer grows a crop (probably corn), sells it on the national market for a price that can't feed his family or even turn a profit on the crop (the government subsidies -- taxpayer money -- are what make it possible for him to keep growing it). It goes into a massive food machine that churns out products that don't even resemble the corn or any natural food, and have been proven to increase health problems. Calculate the approximate percentage of the food that you eat that comes out of a box, a bag or a window, and ponder the cost for a moment.<br /><br />Consider an alternative: if you eat locally produced food you obtained from a farmer's market or CSA, 100% of the money you would be spending on it would go to feed that farmer's family and to keep him producing healthful food, or even if your grocery store carries local food, a large percentage goes to the farmer. (You can find markets and CSAs at <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/">http://www.localharvest.org</a>)<br /><br />However, this requires a huge shift in thinking: it means that we have to eat primarily what is in season where we live. This is a good time of year to think about it, because if you want to get in on a CSA you have to do it before the main growing season. (See<a href="http://mygreenhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/01/community-supported-agriculture.html"> this post</a> for more info on Community Supported Agriculture).<br /><br />So, what the heck do you cook? The picture above is Barbara Kingsolver's Vegetannual (click it for an interactive version), showing when you can expect what vegetables in your area. By the way, if you're thinking about a local food diet and haven't read her book, make sure you do.<br /><br />There are plenty of web sites that can help you find recipes for your farmer's market finds. Mark Bittman's cookbook <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Cook Everything</span> is great for ingredient-specific recipes. Also, check out the <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap">Peak Season Map at Epicurious </a>for recipes for what's in season in your specific area, although it has its flaws; check the states adjacent to yours. <a href="http://www.wholefoods.com">Whole Foods'</a> website also has great recipes that often keep in step with growing seasons.<br /><br />Here in Tennessee and in a lot of states nearby it's asparagus season (or almost). You can also get plentiful dandelion greens often right in your own back yard, assuming you don't use chemicals on your lawn (be sure to wash them thoroughly). Some farmers use cold frames and have lettuces ready now. Lamb is very definitely in season; check CSAs for availablility, if you're a meat eater.<br /><br />Eating local produce in season is not something you're going to be able to do immediately or overnight; it will take some planning and some food preservation, and a pretty radical change in thinking. But this is a great time of year to start the thinking process. I'll try to keep the recipes coming; keep a weather eye out.<br /><br />Here's a simple, quick asparagus recipe for you. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Parmesan Asparagus</span><br />24 medium asparagus spears<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, preferably fresh<br />1/4 teaspoon garlic powder<br /><br />Preheat oven 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients into a Ziploc bag or large lidded container, shake to coat. Dump onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the spears are tender. Yum!Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-62375640884080391912011-02-21T06:14:00.000-08:002011-02-21T06:25:30.282-08:00It's the Little Things<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaawr9s8RdK9IzHCaR04L5isdyBAkq4F5CZ1_zEhBslAq5KAArXG2HkUvIoRVNSl-X71_g8wMxM4E4yJCtCJ3LIrwhwHLuv_bu1j5_g0PTq0gKVn0i0rN3OBzBWsKOwlREIFHCMg7OWQez/s1600/Drinks008.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaawr9s8RdK9IzHCaR04L5isdyBAkq4F5CZ1_zEhBslAq5KAArXG2HkUvIoRVNSl-X71_g8wMxM4E4yJCtCJ3LIrwhwHLuv_bu1j5_g0PTq0gKVn0i0rN3OBzBWsKOwlREIFHCMg7OWQez/s320/Drinks008.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576147174982732786" border="0" /></a><br />We went out with friends this weekend, and Russ made a point of talking about how I don't use the straw that the restaurant passes out with the drinks. Yeah, it's a tiny bit of garbage, but how many straws have I used in my lifetime? How many does a family use in a year, if they eat out a lot?<br /><br />When it comes right down to it, most of the things I am doing are little things. The mass of the vegetables I'm throwing in the compost and not in the trash is not huge. The amount of high fructose corn syrup that I no longer consume is not going to bankrupt the producers of high fructose corn syrup. But, I think that's the point of this blog. Big changes are really hard. Most people aren't going to go from eating 3 fast food meals a week to eating 100% locally grown organic food all at once. Most people aren't going to reduce their garbage production or their energy consumption to zero in a year. <br /><br />But when other people who care about such things see others making small changes, they may be inspired to make small changes. And, a million people not using any disposable straws means a LOT less straws in landfill. A lot less plastic bottles and shopping bags. A lot more people voting with their forks, banning horrible for you packaged and fast foods in their own homes, means that large corporations have to change the way they do things if they want to sell to us. So it matters.<br /><br />I want to say it again: EVERY LITTLE THING YOU DO MATTERS, whether it's in ignorance, or whether you are paying attention to the small things. So do one thing different today, for the environment, or for your health, or both.Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-67015538310380633752011-01-09T21:38:00.000-08:002011-01-10T04:39:10.498-08:00Now I've Done It<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpsUi-4oOReMGcYgIBIlanHXaqStGjlpFtNRbwE-DRB9USw5kg_DatTCXjly669LDCHbbjj2el20YmX_AqGKwFah4Q-kAzcDecs3Swwj-K5M0N2I9Sk_7YDNrss47UvjCLxPOA1h6jsbj/s1600/food-pyramid-government-subsidies.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpsUi-4oOReMGcYgIBIlanHXaqStGjlpFtNRbwE-DRB9USw5kg_DatTCXjly669LDCHbbjj2el20YmX_AqGKwFah4Q-kAzcDecs3Swwj-K5M0N2I9Sk_7YDNrss47UvjCLxPOA1h6jsbj/s400/food-pyramid-government-subsidies.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560428067828354866" border="0" /></a><br />I did three things last year that I am really proud of: 1) I boycotted single serving plastic bottled beverages and bottled water for the entire year, 2) I converted to reusable shopping bags, and 3) I spent the year saying things like "Vote with your fork" and "Find out where that stuff you're eating came from."<br /><br />I was so proud of #1, which was my New Year's Resolution, that I decided to make another one this year in line with #3. Now, if my world was perfect, I'd have time to be a homesteader and make most of my own stuff, grow my own food or get it all from farmer's markets and CSA's, eat everything local and organic. My world ain't perfect. I, just like you, have days when food has to be consumed on the run. At least I'm remembering my water bottle and my reusable bags most of the time now. I'm still taking baby steps, and every step means something.<br /><br />This year's resolution: I am boycotting high fructose corn syrup. This one made my hubby go, "Oh boy..." and it seems to do the same with everyone who hears that. "Wow, what are you going to eat?"<br /><br />This bothers me. This tells me that my friends and family KNOW that this processed crap is in everything they're consuming. Some seem to know it's horrible for their health. Others don't seem to think so.<br /><br />The last week has been eye-opening. I learned just how much food it's in. I learned that it's not the same as "corn syrup" on a label, and also that there are sneakier ways to put it in there and not on the label as consumers become wiser. Remember the old days, when sugar was bad for you, a no-no? It'll rot your teeth? Yeah. Now they're marketing soda and other things with "contains REAL sugar!" Oh boy!<br /><br />I'll save some of the ranting now, though I'll probably get into it later. The above subsidy food triangle amused me. For Christmas I got Michael Pollan's <span style="font-style: italic;">Omnivore's Dilemma</span> (HIGHLY recommended). I wasn't aware of how much government policy affected the food we ingest. And you hear politicians bitch and moan about how fat we are. I got news. Government corn subsidies (read: taxpayer dollars) make it cheaper to buy your kids a box of Froot Loops to throw at them for breakfast than to feed them something healthy (and of course, there's the convenience factor too, which is heavily marketed). You can decry the obesity epidemic all you want, Washington, but you are causing it.<br /><br />Please educate yourselves about what you're feeding yourself and your family. There are alternatives. I'll be posting what I learn here as I go. And don't feel like you have to do it all at once.<br /><br />Good health to you!Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-81445289588855395712010-03-07T18:42:00.000-08:002010-03-07T18:44:34.897-08:00Factfinder Brandon<div style="text-align: justify;">Well, someone's listening when I rant. My son Brandon (17) was asked to do a research paper for his English class about something he's passionate about, and he chose genetically modified and industrial foods. I'm very excited to see how this paper turns out, and I will share when he's finished with it. If you've got any great books or links or other info he can use for reference (websites must be .org or .edu), please send the info my way. Thanks!<br /></div>Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-43906151387278428082010-02-26T08:32:00.000-08:002010-02-26T08:48:49.701-08:00National Chili Day<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41118110"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 250px;" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_430xN.124835700.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41118110">Large Turquoise Chili Bowl by Sunbury Village Yarns</a> on Etsy<br /></div><br />There seems to be some discrepancy as to when National Chili Day is, but it's definitely this week. So, here's my favorite chili recipe to warm you up, wherever you are. If you can find local products to make this or grow your own, go for it, or buy organic if you can't. Enjoy, I think I am making a pot tonight!<br /><br />Really Good Chili (serves 8-ish)<br /><br />2 lbs. ground beef (venison is yummy if you can get it, no more than half the meat)<br />1/2 onion, chopped finely<br />1-3 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely (to taste)<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 1/2 cups tomato sauce<br />1 large tomato, chopped<br />8 oz jar of salsa or picante sauce, however spicy you want it (or use your homemade!)<br />1 tsp black pepper<br />2 Tb. chili powder<br />4 tsp. ground cumin<br />3 tsp. creole seasoning or seasoned salt<br />1 tsp. red pepper flakes<br />2 tsp. oregano<br />2 tsp. cilantro<br />2 cans of beans - (I like to use 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of black beans. I plan on experimenting with locally grown dried beans this year)<span><br /><br />In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef, onion and pepper, and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and veg are tender. Drain grease.</span> Add sauce, salsa, tomato, spices and beans. Mix and simmer at least an hour. <br /><br />I serve it with loads of cheddar or mexican cheese, and oyster crackers or corn chips. Yum.<br /><br />If you eat chili regularly, get yourself some chili bowls like the one above... something about a good handmade stoneware bowl for chili makes it so awesome.Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-8774390419665703852010-02-17T06:49:00.000-08:002010-02-17T07:03:37.108-08:00About That Time...!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25173830"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 430px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.71148458.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25173830">Recycled, Biodegradable Seed Starting Pots from Rush of Wings on Etsy</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">You might still be under a bunch of snow and spring might still seem kind of far away (the ground is still frozen solid here in Tennessee), but if you're starting seeds indoors it will soon be time to get that under way. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited... I've been poring over seed catalogs for the last month deciding what heirloom varieties of vegetables and herbs I want to grow, and a few flowers. <br /><br />I'm a raw newbie so I don't know ahead of time how this is going to work, but I'm starting them on shelves under grow lights. I don't have any fancy heat mats, but in my fairly warm bedroom I'm hoping I won't need them. I can't wait to turn the soil and get my hands in the dirt! Stay tuned for the tale of the little garden that could.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div>Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-24274559883886944782010-02-12T06:40:00.001-08:002010-02-17T07:03:53.544-08:00Great Backyard Bird Count<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fqbswvgTRdOPZJ77xHlI18ijYm-h8l3y0pDOXwYEWRA43YvR5mOEKMDVYmtzqjYnyuBIzun6lL0uEEhmdMDgAIf9uANpX_4PjJfu9zK7-AOjA-ohLNHki4y87-iqJfrF5qrI-S9iV3vT/s1600-h/Bluebird+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fqbswvgTRdOPZJ77xHlI18ijYm-h8l3y0pDOXwYEWRA43YvR5mOEKMDVYmtzqjYnyuBIzun6lL0uEEhmdMDgAIf9uANpX_4PjJfu9zK7-AOjA-ohLNHki4y87-iqJfrF5qrI-S9iV3vT/s400/Bluebird+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437367009452662530" border="0" /></a><br />Once again this year I'm participating in the <a href="http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/">Great Backyard Bird Count</a>. Over the course of four days you count birds in your area so Audubon can get an idea of how many birds are in what habitates in what areas of the country. It's a lot of fun, visit the link to check it out.Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-90462147597349231392010-02-01T07:49:00.000-08:002010-02-01T08:04:53.361-08:00Seeds<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39704928"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 430px;" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com//il_430xN.120025328.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39704928">Five Color Swiss Chard from The Bearfoot Shaman on Etsy</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Like gardeners everywhere, I'm looking out my window the past few days at the snow-covered (even more snow-covered than has been usual for my time in Tennessee) ground and daydreaming of turning some of that land and getting my hands in the dirt and...<br /><br />ordering seeds.<br /><br />I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one obsessing over seed catalogs these days. In my temperate zone it'll be time to start some seeds indoors in about two weeks. So I'm ordering this week and next from my four favorite companies: <a href="http://www.seedsaversexchange.org"> Seed Savers Exchange</a>, <a href="http://www.heirloomseeds.com">Heirloom Seeds</a> and <a href="http://www.rareseeds.com">Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds</a>, and <a href="http://www.richters.com">Richter's Herbs</a>. <br /><br />I'm ordering all heirloom varieties. My husband isn't too keen on technicolor vegetables; he thinks it's weird, and yellow tomato sauce doesn't appeal to him in the least. As I ponder this, it occurs to me: the reason it's weird is because the biodiversity of the crops we eat, and even the crops we grow, has drastically dwindled in this century, till the only tomatoes anyone's ever seen were red.<br /><br />But heirlooms are a piece of history, and usually not bred for color but superior flavor or other great qualities - what they are NOT bred for is pesticide and herbicide resistance. I feel a special responsibility to preserve heirloom varieties since one of them - the Soldacki tomato - was brought by my grandfather's family from Poland, and he has preserved them throughout his lifetime, but now is unable to garden at almost 88 years old. With industrial farming threatening crop diversity, I think the need is even more pressing.<br /><br />So my rabid catalog perusing is socially and environmentally responsible. At least that's what I'm telling myself. This is my first year of "real" gardening, so come fall I'll be saving those seeds for next year (and thumbing my nose at Monsanto and their self-aborting seeds, in the process).<br /><br />Oh, and <a href="http://www.etsy.com">Etsy </a>has some heirloom varieties as well. There's something really cool about buying from a human being who's preserved the seeds themselves, so check it out.<br /></div></div>Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-77357237734806428872010-01-31T19:29:00.001-08:002010-01-31T19:49:17.962-08:00I Twibboned.Twibbon is an application for Twitter, Facebook and Myspace that puts a little graphic on your avatar supporting a cause you believe in (or an entertainer, or any number of things). I made a no GMO Twibbon. If what you eat matters to you, and you'd like to see legislation for GMO labeling, consider wearing this little doohickey on your avatar in any of these apps -- or find a cause that matters to you and support.<br /><br /><center><script type="text/javascript" src="http://twibbon.com/embed/Non-GMO-Foods-2"></script></center>Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-35780165144599398722010-01-21T07:19:00.000-08:002010-01-21T07:37:24.176-08:00Still a Small Planet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6iGPnSX0i-Whlbmk4CKFhL5CL7rfe1vtMImFjohXON5LLpeY-agobYo_uBWqDGSdKyuFr359QzhWhfIjGvG_3EjMBLaVl9kncchGGAwtsgJwbV3eXdVCHhab9bgpyXSVE3ZKVZ2MoTjr/s1600-h/cow.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6iGPnSX0i-Whlbmk4CKFhL5CL7rfe1vtMImFjohXON5LLpeY-agobYo_uBWqDGSdKyuFr359QzhWhfIjGvG_3EjMBLaVl9kncchGGAwtsgJwbV3eXdVCHhab9bgpyXSVE3ZKVZ2MoTjr/s400/cow.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429217643941829906" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I became a vegetarian around 1997 and stayed that way for three years. My reasons weren't ethical or environmental, mainly health. For those who don't eat meat for health reasons, or because they don't believe in killing conscious creatures, this article is not for you.<br /><br />When I became a vegetarian, I read Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet (still a great read, if you keep in mind that some of the info is dated). Its grain-and-bean combining amino acid theories have influenced vegetarian eating for decades. She also brings to light the fact that eating vegetarian is more resource-friendly - essentially, you have to feed (and water) the animal you're eating a lot more than you would have to eat to sustain yourself on purely vegetable matter. So one person consumes less acreage if they eat vegetarian. It's worth thinking about, and it's still true. Interestingly, Ms. Lappe is not a vegetarian herself. I haven't read her new book yet, but plan to.<br /><br />Time magazine this week has an extremely intriguing article that I recommend any sustainable foodies out there pick up. It's entitled Save the Planet: Eat More Beef* (asterisk reads: Grass feeding required). In essence, free range beef is putting more carbon into the soil than it is taking out by consumption (whoa, the way nature is supposed to work!) Not only that but grass fed beef is much lower in fat and higher in omega-3's. An interesting quote from the article: "A vegetarian eating tofu made in a factory from soybeans grown in Brazil is responsible for a lot more CO2 than I am [by eating grass fed beef]."<br /><br />I'd be willing to bet that, unless you're a vegetarian, you could stand to eat LESS meat than you already do, and that's a step in the right direction wherever your meat comes from. But on an environmental scale, and a world hunger scale, eating some meat makes sense - an animal can graze on a hillside planted with human-inedible grass, over land that nothing could be planted and farmed for human consumption. That's just wise resource use. From a world hunger perspective, many of the places people are going hungry are not places where there are amber waves of grain - the scrubby grass that grows there isn't good for much but livestock.<br /><br />So, from an environmental standpoint, some things you can do to make a difference in your environmentally conscious omnivorism:<br />1) Eat less meat.<br />2) Eat free range meat.<br />3) Eat local organic meat.<br /></div>Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6057860649026090046.post-80874234084661186322010-01-20T16:52:00.000-08:002010-01-20T17:00:04.628-08:00The Case Against GMO<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nongmoproject.org"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3Y0dHEFVuCBg6beA60LoOo5IaZaDQtkcY1UTNtxFnBpDKMYwOZadCLMwRI4_RqPEzefIkj6-bfUpyQWPdmVdChOMUKSfd6XH6fJ20JyWOqLcMv2X3bRskiRFdmmXGXtpCykiZt_M40vc/s400/nongmo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428990203798914786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In the news, the Supreme Court decided this week to hear case Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, regarding the safety of GMO crops - specifically alfalfa, the first perennial crop to be GM, and a crop that bees pollinate, which means the $*#($-up genes can be spread over miles and miles. Lovely! Kudos to the <a href="http://truefoodnow.org">Center for Food Safety</a> for bringing this case. Here's the low-down: <a href="http://truefoodnow.org/2010/01/15/supreme-court-to-hear-first-genetically-engineered-crop-case/#more-849">http://truefoodnow.org/2010/01/15/supreme-court-to-hear-first-genetically-engineered-crop-case/#more-849</a><br /><br />While you're at it, click that icon at the top to go to Non-GMO Project's web site to learn more about a new food seal stating that a product has no GM stuff in it, and take the pledge to look for the seal near you.<br /><br />More kudos to <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com">Whole Foods Market</a>, whose blog brought me all this good info. Sure wish I had one of those glorious places near me.<br /></div>Deanna Lackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480571317311122702noreply@blogger.com0