Grow. Cook. Eat

british strawberry milkshake

2009-05-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

{our new favorite summer-time treat}

why do i call this a "british" milkshake?

because CJ used to love to complain about

the "milkshakes" he ordered when in Britain...

"it was just milk! no ice cream!"

well, that's what we find ourselves making these days.

really simple. really refreshing.

ingredients:

whole milk (we use Straus)

fresh strawberries

agave nectar (for sweetening)

mix it all up in a blender.

ENJOY!

quinoa salad

2009-05-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

i've been mixing quinoa with everything these days. i can't get enough. last night i made a quick little quinoa salad for ceej and i. here's what was in it:

1/2 cup quinoa (boil, then simmer in 1 cup water)

3 small cloves garlic

2 Tbsp ghee

1 1/2 cups black beans (cooked)

1 green pepper (chopped)

fresh cilantro

1 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp red pepper powder

salt (to taste)

quick. simple. easy. delicious.

2009-04-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

photo by annabel mehran

will be back after graduation

may 08 2009

(hip, hip!)

Photography: Victoria Pearson

2009-03-20T09:49:00.001-07:00

What a dream job! Being able to photography food regularly...and get paid to do it. Mmmmm.
I think Victoria's images are so wonderful. Don't you?

See more of her fine photos here.

and happy weekend!

Ghee!

2009-03-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

image via www. ayushveda.com

this morning i am going to be making ghee for the very first time. i learned how to make it a couple weeks ago when i attended an ayurveda workshop here. it's the yummiest thing ever! you can use it for EVERYTHING (even for a massage oil!), and it's been around for thousands of years. below is a little excerpt from a recent yoga journal article.

Ghee, or clarified butter, is a simple, powerful tonic used to nourish and heal the body.

It is difficult for most Americans to believe that a little fat in their diets can be healthy, let alone be considered good medicine. In Ayurveda, however, pure clarified butter, known as ghee, is one of the most powerful tonics. It is used to heal wounds, improve digestion, fight free radicals, and boost the immune system. Ghee is also believed to enhance one's ojas, or "life energy."

see the rest of the article here.

The best part is, is that it is VERY SIMPLE to make. The bummer part is that I couldn't just write the instructions down. Making it requires listening, watching, and smelling. If you're ever around and want to make some, I'd be happy to show you! Or, for now, you could get an idea by watching this video here.

Spring Break!

2009-03-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I finally have some time to cook as well as having access to my own kitchen, appliances, and ingredients! Hip, hip hooray!

lunch

I've been eating homemade hummus, avacados, and cucumbers on a toasted tortilla. Here's the hummus recipe:

lemon cilantro hummus

1 16 oz. can of organic garbanzo beans

3-5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp tahini (a sesame seed paste)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

2Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cilantro

blend all ingredients together in a blender OR mash it all up by hand (I prefer the latter-it gives it a thicker consistancy).

Maybe I ate one of those cupcakes in the background after I ate my lunch!

I'm back to making my almond milk.

almond milk

1 cup raw almonds

4 cups water (+ more for soaking almonds)

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey

1 drop almond extract (optional)

soak the almonds for 4 hours or overnight in some water.

once soaked, drain the water out of the bowl of almonds.

mix almonds in a blender with 4 cups of water.

strain the almond bits out by using wire mesh strainer or a cheesecloth.

put the "milk" back into the blender and add the agave nectar and almond extract. mix. store in refrigerator. keeps for 1 week.

real milk!

happy to be back in Sacramento where i can get straus dairy products. their cows are able to roam freely about eating grass near the coast...and they get massages! happy to be having milk, butter, and yogurt that is so tasty and happy!

cupcakes!

chocolate-chocolate cupcakes

(the best part about these is the batter...it's so light and fluffy!)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

for the glaze:

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp confectioner's sugar, sifted

3 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes.

Add the egg, then the yolk. beating for 1 minute after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear.

Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with a rubber spatula. Divide evenly among muffin molds.

Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees.

for the glaze:

melt the chocolate in heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

then transfer bowl to counter and let stand 5 minutes.

Use a whisk to stir the sugar into the chocolate, followed by the cold butter.

boxties!

a traditional Irish dish.

boxty pancakes

Ingredients
8 ounces (225 grams) freshly cooked potatoes
8 ounces (225 grams) peeled raw potatoes
8 ounces (225 grams/ generous 1 1/2 cups) white flour
1/4 American teaspoon baking powder (1/2 Irish teaspoon bread soda), sifted *see note
8 to 12 fluid ounces (225 to 300 millileters/1 to 1 1/2 cups) buttermilk
Pinch salt (optional)
Butter, for frying
*Note: an Irish tablespoon is the same quantity as an American tablespoon plus a teaspoon
Directions
Peel the cooked potatoes while they are still hot, drop into a bowl and mash immediately. Grate the raw potatoes, add to the mashed potatoes with the flour and sifted bread soda. Mix well, and add enough buttermilk to make a stiff batter.
Heat a frying pan, grease with butter and cook large or small pancakes in the usual way. Eat them straight from the pan with butter, crispy rashers or pure Irish honey.

delicious sugar cookies!

I will not be sharing this recipe...it's my secret!

but these photos below might give you some hints...

happy cooking!

Temporary Merge

2008-11-20T17:08:00.001-08:00

Until further notice, I will be blogging about any food on my every-day blog for a while...at least until I a) get a new camera to document things better or b) have more time to cook interesting things. Click here to visit my other blog.

Simple, Yummy, and Pretty

2008-11-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

This morning I made Cranberry-bran muffins. Vegan. Ate them with raw honey, and a French Butter pear. Mmmm. If you'd like the recipe for my muffins leave a comment. If you want to simply comment, please do!

Butternut Squash Soup

2008-11-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

Last week I made butternut squash soup for the first time. It's my favorite soup, but I have been afraid to try making it because I've had amazing butternut squash soup at some great restaurants. I was afraid my homemade version wouldn't be as gourmet and delicious! But it turned out great. I really didn't do too much measuring, so the measurements given below are approximates. Try it out. You'll love it.

1 3-lb. butternut squash
4 Tbsp. olive oil (plus a little more)
1 large shallot chopped fine
6 cups water
salt
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp nutmeg

Step 1: bake the butternut squash with the shallot in a glass 9x13 pan 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (drizzle a bit of olive oil in the pan).
Step 2: peel the squash when it has softened.
Step 3: Bring to boil in a large pot the squash, olive oil, water, shallot, salt, milk. Then let it simmer for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Blend the mixture in blender in portions.
Step 5: add sugar and nutmeg.

Done.

Back!

2008-10-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Apple Hill farms and sampled apples, nectarines, pies, donuts, cider, and veggie burgers. I would have loved this outing, BUT the lines were unbelievable. It turned out to be a stressful day of waiting in line for EVERYTHING. Boo. Wish it wasn't so very crowded.

I haven't posted much on this blog for two reasons. First, I've been out of town for such a long while. Second, I am without our beloved camera which was stolen from us, and it's hard to post when I can't take decent photos of what I'm makin' in the kitchen. I'll try to post more often though. I apologize for crappy photos or the use of stock photos.

Slow

2008-09-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to eat Raw as much as I can. It's a little tricky when you don't have a dehydrator or specialty food stuffs. Yesterday went pretty well. I was especially pleased with the banana chocolate shakes we had. Mmmm. I hope I can come up with some more things today...it's hard for me to get a variety when I need so many things. But I'll keep at it. Eventually I need to revamp my entire kitchen, as far as what I keep around.

Favorite Raw Salad

2008-08-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been making this salad at least once a day. It's just so so so yummy! Here's the lovely ingredients:

1 avocado
1 medium tomato
3 leaves of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large spoonful of homemade basil pesto

So simple and so good!

Hooray For Beets!

2008-08-22T09:52:00.001-07:00

I have been enjoying beets all summer long. I love how sweet they are. Yesterday for lunch I made a green bean and beet salad...just added a little olive oil and salt. So yummy. I like the Italian's motto in cooking: keep it simple.

White Figs

2008-08-21T09:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday at the farmer's market I bought an over-flowing pint of white figs. They are oh so yummy and sweet. I will be buying more next week for sure!

Ceej In the Kitchen!

2008-08-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Last night Ceej wanted to put to use the leftover almond meal that I have after I make almond milk. So he combined the almond meal with oats, honey, dried cranberries, and orange zest. He baked it at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes. It turned out quite yummy, and I had some for breakfast this morning with some strawberries!! I think we will be perfecting this little recipe for sure.

Old Mother Hubbard = No Cooking

2008-07-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

My kitchen has been void of a lot of food the past few days as I am leaving on vacation tomorrow. Sorry for the lack of food posts...I'll try to keep it up daily the next two weeks while I'm in SLC.

Concerning Land & Gardens: Hasenpfeffer Writes

2008-07-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

I have a good friend named Hasenpfeffer. He writes. He's very good at it. Last November he wrote something that was witty and smart (well, he always does that), but the following prose has been running through my brain the past couple of days. It's long, but it reads fast because it is crafted so well...be prepared to laugh outloud and to think.

I put a lot of work into my garden. It's mine. It's mine. Not because a piece of paper says I own the land. I mean, can a person really own land? Just because I stick a flag in a pile of dirt—dirt that was there for thousands and millions of years before my great-grandparents were born and will still be there for thousands and millions after my great-grand kids are dead and buried in it.

Dirt that will eat me like a cowboy eats beef...like a poet eats life...like an empire eats the cowboy and the poet and then eats itself.Just because I stick a flag in a pile of dirt, does that make it mine? Did I create that dirt? Did I earn the dirt? Was I given the dirt by some all wise dirt-distributing genie that looks over the deeds of everyone great and small, then deems them fit or unfit to have dirt? What? The bank? The bank gave me the dirt? Who gave the bank the dirt? I can't make dirt. My great-great-grandpa Orville Redenbaucher “Dirt Head” Thatcher, a prominent rancher and corn farmer in the young days of the West, could not make dirt. Chief Wabi Sabi Oatmeal Pie Head who walked these Salt Lake streets 2000 years ago, could not make dirt. Neither Adam, nor Eve, nor Steve could make dirt.

I think, generally speaking, if I make something then I can have it. If I make a sandwich, I can usually eat it. If I make a joke, I can claim it as my own. If I make a bust sculpture of the president's head, I can keep it. Unless that bust is made from a petroleum-based substance, in which case the president will surround me with armed soldiers and confiscate that bust. He will then take it to his Oval Bathtub, melt it down, swim in it, and then drink it down until there isn't a drop left. Not one drop.But otherwise, generally speaking, if I create something then I can have it.

I can't create dirt. I can't make land. So when I say that this garden is mine, I don't mean that I own it. I mean that it is mine like a friend is mine. Like a song I used to listen to growing up is mine. I mean it is mine in the sense that I have spent hours working in it, with it, inside of it. As I have covered it, it has covered me. Its fruit has entered my mouth, turned in my stomach, spread through my veins, and come out as energy that I have used to till its surface, plant its rows, harvest and eat its fruit. It is mine AND I AM ITS.I am this garden, and this person is mine. This person is me. This garden is me. I am this garden and I have spent hours working this man. I have opened up and swallowed his shovel, his water, his seeds.

I've covered him in my dirt. I've planted in him my fruit so he would have the energy to plant in me his. I've planted in him peace, when he couldn't find it elsewhere. I've planted in him a sense of pride and accomplishment and work and rest. I have fed him like a baby, and he has fed me. My seeds are in him and his seeds are in me. We are one and we are married—but not legally.

This garden is mine. This neighborhood is mine. I grew up here. I swam in the canal, I crashed my bike on the hill, I made a dirt fort in the field. I played with every kid on ever block. I kissed some of the girls, ate dinner with some of the neighbors, door-bell ditched thousands of houses and played football at every park. This neighborhood has made me, has raised me. It is mine and I am it. THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS MY GARDEN.These mountains are mine, and if you have spent enough time in them to know what I am talking about, then they are yours. WE belong to them.And I don't want Energy Solutions to build a huge sports arena on top of my favorite backcountry ski peak, even if it brings in millions. Millions of what? Who cares? I don't want to put an electric vending machine in my garden. I don't want a shiny, neon-lit with metal stuffed-animal grabbing claw, filled with plastic wrapped waxy chocolate and unnaturally bright and colorful candy pellets, eternally humming box in my garden. I don't want to hear Louis Armstrong play covers of all of Britney Spears' songs BECAUSE THEY GOT NO SOUL. THEY GOT NO SOUL!They have no soul. They don't have any soul. They have no breath. If they do, then it's bad breath. They don't come from a garden, a neighborhood, a mountain.I don't care if they will bring in MILLIONS of dollars. They are without SPIRIT. They are shells without turtles. They suck and drain and pretend to give back. They are the turkey dinner from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Remember what happened when Chevy Chase cut into the turkey?No. This garden is mine and I am its. I will plant only seeds that will bring only beautiful delicious healthy fruit that will make me an my family and my neighborhood and my mountains beautiful and delicious and real and healthy.

Amen, Hasen! Didn't I tell you he's good?

photo via: ryan mahoney, flickr, see it here.

Truly Enjoying

2008-07-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Local Flavors written by Deborah Madison is a very useful, informative, and charming cookbook. It shows you how you can make meals from food you buy at the farmer's market...this might seem like a 'no duh', but sometimes it's hard to know how to put everything together into something that will be yummy and nutritious. It's very good for teaching you about which veggies and fruits are in season when. Here's a couple of excerpts that I really enjoyed, one about how important farmer's markets are, and one about children's experiences at farmer's markets.

“When you think about it, the farmer’s market is really about the only place left in our lives where we can interact with someone who makes something we use. And it’s hard to imagine what is more vital or intimate than the food we consume, for it becomes our health, our pleasure, our nourishment, who we are, in fact. Today it is farmers who are providing the fragile connection that binds us in a meaningful way to our own humanity. In this sense, they are selling far more than tomatoes.

"You won’t find children nagging their mothers for candy and junk food…Children, those so-called recalcitrant consumers of vegetables, can become good eaters when they see the connection between the farmer and the food they eat. This is especially true if they have a chance to participate in some kind of farming experience, such as picking strawberries or gathering eggs at a farm stand, learning about honey at the market, visiting a farm or farmers’ market. They won’t know it, but they’re learning good eating habits by developing a taste for truly fresh, delicious food when they’re young, which will inform their food choices and affect their health over a lifetime."

Almond Scones

2008-07-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I made these yummy almond scones. I love that they aren't very sweet at all, just good and flaky. We ate them for dessert...with some very sweet yellow nectarines.

Another Summer Dinner

2008-07-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I was quite busy, and, therefore, not up to much cooking. Even if I had wanted to there was simply no time. So Saturday evening CJ and I went to a local sushi restaurant. We both ordered some veggie sushi rolls and a wakame salad. So so so so good. I've got to learn how to make my own. Have any of you ever tried it? I'll let you know when I do and how it goes.

photo via: www.us-sushi.com

Iced

2008-07-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been drinking a lot of tea. Every now and then I add some soy milk...and viola! Tea latte. These days I've been having it iced as it is very hot in the afternoon around here. An iced mint green tea latte soothes everything!

photo via www.gourmetgold.com.au

Fruit Smoothies

2008-07-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Smoothies make for a good snack or a full meal. I love them because they are sweet and take care of any cravings I might have. They are also packed with fiber (depending on the fruits you use) so they fill you up. They just feel so clean and fresh. I had one for breakfast today.

1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 medium banana, sliced

1/2 cup almond milk

Blend it all up. Easy.

Summer Dinners

2008-07-16T09:52:00.001-07:00

Last night's dinner was perfect. Light, filling, and fresh. Here's the details:

This picture is a little misleading...I acutally made Orange-Raspberry muffins. For my first try at this recipe I followed the book to a "t". Next time I make them I will swap out the white flour for whole wheat or another whole grain flour. They turned out super yummy!

For this recipe you need the zest and juice from one whole orange!

Mmmm. "Fay, are these oranges hand-squeezed?". Yup.
Buttermilk. Definitely not vegan. Next time around I'll try my almond milk.
Fresh raspberries.

Our pretty table. Look at all the color!
Eating raspberries always takes me immediately to my Grandma's backyard...Grandpa picks the raspberries fresh from the bush for us to taste. So, so good. I hope the raspberries are ready when I visit home next month!
All food (except the orange) from the farmer's market. This corn was amazing, truly. No need for butter, salt, or pepper. Just good.

Lazy

2008-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the cooking fire inside for the past few days. All I want is PB&J on whole wheat bread. Don't worry. My PB is the Adams kind...peanuts are the ONLY ingredient. And the jelly is that kind that comes with the red&white checkered lid...only a handful of ingredients, all of them I recognize as food. So my PB&J is as healthy as they can get. Today I go to the farmer's market and will load up on fresh veggies and fruits. I think tonight I will end my lazy streak.

Sunday Dessert

2008-07-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made some delicious Cinnamon Squares...the yummy recipe came from this book. I love all the good chocolate it calls for. It wasn't too sweet either. Just perfect.

Sorry for the lack of pictures of the food I make. Sometimes I am just too tired after cooking all day and washing the dishes three times over. I'll try to be better.

Homemade Pesto

2008-07-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

This stuff is oh so yummy! AND cheap! I got the basil from the farmer's market for only $1.00 for a huge bunch. That's right $1.00. That same bunch of basil could have cost me $15.00 at the grocery store. Farmer's Market: 1 point. So I guess it doesn't cost a fortune to eat like a peasant. I stand corrected. Happily.

2 c. packed fresh basil
1/2 c. pine nuts or pistachios
1/4 c. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
Mix it all up in a food processor...and PRESTO! You've got yourself some Pesto!

Snack: Part 2

2008-07-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Another current favorite snack is a mini-latte-bowl filled with Orange-Honey-Almonds while reading through magazines. Mmmm. I think I'll go get some now.

Snacks

2008-07-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

My mom is always asking me what I snack on. Often it is tea...especially when it's hot out. I like it iced. (At the moment I'm at Hina's Tea having a sip). This week I've been snacking on these incredibly sweet peaches. I'm not a summer girl, but the fresh fruit makes it possible to get through 106 degree weather.

Sometime Soon

2008-07-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the near future I would like to go raw for a period of time. Now, before any of you start asking your skeptical questions READ UP ON IT. It makes sense. A lot of it. I, however, am not interested in it for weight loss, though some people are. I just like the cleanness of it all. I would do it this second if I could afford to buy a dehydrator, Vitamix, and all the expensive ingredients.

For now I just eat raw whenever possible. But I still like cakes for a Sunday indulgence. One of these days I'll fork out the cash to make a raw dessert...there are many that look just as good as any "real" dessert.

Hayden Lake

2008-07-07T10:45:00.001-07:00

By far my favorite thing we ate at the Lake this weekend was the grilled pineapple! We had a lot of good fruit and vegetables during out trip. Eating out on the deck was absolutely wonderful.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hopefully there are pies in your plans for the holiday...I sort of doubt there'll be any where I'll be. Boo. Maybe I can change that...

If I Could, I Would

2008-07-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

I would make these mini cheesecakes for the 4th of July if I wasn't going to be on a lake for the rest of the week.

When we return I will be more faithful in my actual cooking efforts, rather than just reading about what I could be cooking.

To Eat Like A Peasant

2008-06-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

I am feeling the reality of this statement: YOU HAVE TO BE RICH TO EAT LIKE A PEASANT. I want to buy organic and locally. And I do. But I am limited. I don't get as much variety as I would like. I should stop buying so many cook books because I want to make everything in them, but most recipes will only last one meal yet cost a fortune. Alas! The solution would be to have a garden...where to put one when you live in an apartment? There's so so so much to invest in right now: a garden. juicer. dehydrator. mandolin. etc. etc. None of these are inexpensive. Sorry to complain. I know that if I was a little more disciplined in my consumption in other areas I would be able to save some pennies for these cooking investments. I'm a book-aholic these days.

I am also interested in finding a part-time job where I could learn to bake bread & pastries or a job where I could learn how to cook "outside the box" so to say. Anyone know of anything in my Sacramento area?

Mini Cupcakes: Unsuccessful

2008-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

I bought a mini cupcake pan over the weekend and was very excited to try it out on Sunday. Last time I made cupcakes I set the oven 50 degrees cooler than what was called for (since my old old oven is more than dead) and everything turned out perfect. So I tried the same trick with the vanilla mini cupcakes. Not so good. The cupcakes on the edges were golden, but the cupcakes toward the center of the pan were still gooey. Hm. My other mistake was filling each cupcake slot 2/3 full (like the recipe said). They overflowed into each other. Next time I will fill them only 1/2 way full. The photo is NOT of my cupcakes. These ones are pretty. I didn't take pictures of my not-so-pretty cupcakes. I'm always a little miffed when things don't work out, but that's how cooking goes, yes? You win some and you lose some. The good news is the cupcakes tasted very yummy, and we ate them with blueberries, strawberries, covered with a citrus glaze. Mmmm.

Adding To The Library

2008-06-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

I am oh so excited for this one. Yes, I am all for eating healthy. And sweets are healthy if they are not everyday for every meal...AND if they are made from real ingredients. Eating should be a pleasure and a joy. Sometimes that means sweets! Thank goodness!
I like cook books that challenge me. I'm okay with the words "easy" and "organic" when it comes to cooking. "Seasonal" is where the challenge comes in. No strawberries in winter? This is a hard thought for me at first. But as I think it through a bit more I like the idea of seasonal food...it makes you look forward to each new season. Strawberries for summer, apples for fall, oranges for winter, etc. To be honest, I have no idea what vegetables are in season and when. I'll be finding out soon enough.

English Allotments

2008-06-26T17:31:00.001-07:00

Allotments in England are gardens throughout the city that are in empty, unused spaces. They started springing up in the 1860's! During World War II they helped to feed those who were starving. They sound a lot like our current Guerrilla Gardens in our cities here (except Allotments are, well, not a secretive)...we're a bit behind. You can read a bit more about them here.

Almond Milk: Homemade!

2008-06-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

So I've just discovered how easy and tasty it is to make my own almond milk. This puts an end to my store-bought-almond-milk-it's-not-food dilemma. If you buy almond milk from a store it has a whole slew of ingredients that are not recognizable as food. But now, thanks to this cookbook, I can make my own. Almonds, water and agave nectar. That's it. Try it!

Whole Grain Cranberry Muffins

2008-06-26T16:01:00.001-07:00

I go through phases where I eat these every morning for weeks. I'm in one of those phases right now. These muffins are oh so yummy...and no refined sugars! They're super filling too. Lately I've been eating them with fresh strawberries from the farmers market. The strawberries are amazingly sweet...no white centers and a deep red. No added sweetness needed. Here's the recipe:

Whole Grain Cranberry Muffins
INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
½ salad oil (or canola oil)
½ cup honey
2 cups flaxseed meal
1 ½ cups bran
1 ½ cups milk or homemade almond milk
2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry if you’ve got it)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
Cranberries…as much as you like.

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs, oil, and honey. Then slowly stir in the flaxseed meal and bran. Next, add the milk. Add the whole wheat flour ½ cup at a time as you stir the mixture. Finally add the cinnamon, baking soda, and cranberries and mix well. (You can mix this by hand or use an electric hand-held mixer). The mixture should be wet and sticky. Spray an aluminum muffin tin and fill each cup 2/3 way with the batter.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

VARIATION: I also like to add a couple of very ripe bananas to the mix when I happen to have some.

Farmer's Market: Every Tuesday

2008-06-24T15:22:00.001-07:00

Every Tuesday I go to the Farmer's Market (I go on Wednesdays too...and sometimes on Saturdays as well). Cherries, peaches, and squash are everywhere right now. I'm thinking of making a cherry cheesecake this weekend...we shall see.

One of Mr. Pollan's food rules is "know the hand that feeds you"...so go out and meet the farmers in your area by frequenting the farmer's markets often. Plus, your food will taste better (and it's usually cheaper!).

Summer Solstice: Our Tradition

2008-06-22T18:59:00.001-07:00

The loot from the Woodland Farmer's Market: figs, apricots, beets, green tomatoes, big beef tomatoes, early girl tomatoes, ambrosia cantaloupe, grapefruit, and corn on the cob.
figs, fried green tomatoes, corn on the cob, and...
Ambrosia cantaloupe with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. The ambrosia has 30% more natural sugars than a typical store-bought cantaloupe...which is why we ate it for dessert.

Ceej and I originally called this holiday "Mid-Christmas" as we felt there was a dearth of gift-giving holidays in the summer. Until this year, we never really nailed down the specific rituals that would go along with the holiday. Now that we've changed it to the Summer Solstice celebration we will celebrate with produce of the season, jump over bonfires (well, candles at least), send flowers down the river for fertility goddesses, and give thanks for the approaching new seasons.

New Tradition: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

2008-06-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

These cupcakes are an absolute dream to another mythical realm. I love the cinnamon and cayenne pepper in the mix. It made me feel very much like Vianne Rocher herself...truly a witch of the best sort. The sunken middle is due to an oven that is older than myself.
A treat now reserved only for our Summer Solstice festivities. Much to Ceej's dismay. He wants them all year.
This book was gifted to me just as we were moving from Salt Lake City to Sacramento by my favorite girls in the whole Salt Lake Valley: Sophia, Caroleine, Isabella, and Julie. I will be forever in their debt for adding to my traditions!
Ceej and I had seconds.

Why Traditions: Profane vs. Sacred Life

2008-06-22T18:15:00.001-07:00

You must know this about me to really understand my passion for food and the importance that it plays in my traditions. The creating and keeping of tradition is what creates a "sacred" life. Here's why:

"In imitating the exemplary acts of a god or of a mythic hero, or simply by recounting their adventures, the man of an archaic society detaches himself from profane time and magically re-enters the Great Time, the sacred time." -Mircea Eliade.

What I mean to say is by living a life of ritual where one returns again and again to the past in a cyclical manner there is a connection of the present with what has gone on before. It is the process of remembering. It is my goal to fill my life with as many rituals and traditions as possible. This includes creating "Theme Nights" as well as learning Grandma Thayne's shortbread recipe...to make the shortbread just like she did decades ago (while wearing her apron that I "borrowed" from my mom), to gather around feasts for special holidays like I did with my cousins as we were growing up. To go back to these moments over and over again is to remember where I came from...to remember who I am.

Below are some other interesting Eliade statements:

"...an object or an act becomes real only insofar as I imitates or repeats archtype. Thus, reality is acquired solely through repetition or participation; everything which lacks an exemplary model is 'meaningless', i.e., it lacks reality."

"A sacrifice, for example, not only exactly reproduces the initial sacrifice revealed by a god ab origine, at the beginning of time, it also takes place at the same primordial mythical moment; in other words, every sacrifice repeats the initial sacrifice and coincides with it."

"Just as profane space is abolished by the symbolism of the Center, which projects any temple, palace, or building into the same central point of mythical space, so any meaningful act performed by archaic man, any real act, i.e., any repetition of an archetypal gesture, suspends duration, abolishes profane time, and participates in mythical time."

Mircea Eliade, The Myth of the Eternal Return, pg. 34-36

The Catalyst

2008-06-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

For years now I have been concerned with eating healthy. But what does that really mean? This book written by Michael Pollan was the book I read most recently that truly opened my eyes, and urged me to take immediate action in improving the way I eat. I blogged about this book and Michael Pollan on my other blog here and here.

Here's a taste of the introduction (I think you'll like it):

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.

I hate to give the game away right here at the beginning of a whole book devoted to the subject, and I'm tempted to complicate matters in teh interest of keeping things going for a couple hundred more pages or so. I'll try to resist, but will go ahead and add a few more details to flesh out the recommendations. Like, eating a little meat isn't going to kill you, though it might be better approached as a side dish than as a main. And you're better off eating whole fresh foods rather than processed food products. That's what I mean by the recommendation to "eat food," which is not quite as simple as it sounds. For while it used to be that food was all you could eat, today there are thousands of other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages elaborately festooned with health claims, which brings me to another, somewhat counterintuitive, piece of advice: If you're concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it's not really food, and food is what you want to eat.

You can see how quickly things can get complicated.

It's In My Blood

2008-06-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

My great-grandpa George David Ward had a farm in Declo, Idaho. My grandpa, Newel, is also a farmer. I desparately want to learn the art of gardening. I want to be more aware of the seasons and the heartbeat of the earth. I want to grow food with no chemicals and that tastes oh so good. I want to cook the food I've grown. So here it goes. It might take some time. So be patient.