Food Guilt!

No, not 'loosen-the-top-button-I-ate-too-much' guilt,  I am talking about something else entirely!  I am talking about Responsible Grocery Shopping - read this:

"Do you take home the certified organic, cage-free dozen from California, or the non-organic but vegetarian-fed eggs from the family farm nearby?  Do you spring for the Omega-3 eggs at a dollar more a dozen, or wait for your next trip to the Feed & Seed, where you can by 9-year-old Nathan's mismatched rainbow of uncleaned eggs packed into re-used cartons?  Not to mention large or extra large, Grade A or Grade AA.  Is the notion that brown eggs are healthier real, or is the difference from their white counterparts only shell deep?

So here's my question: does a quick trip to buy eggs turn into a "nerve-wracking test of your personal belief system"? 

When I first read this passage from 'Organic, Local and Everything Else' written by Zoe Bradbury I honestly felt she was inside my head, writing from my very own experiences.  I have these debates with myself all - the - time, and not only standing in front of the array of choices at the egg fridge but at the fish counter (is it farmed or wild caught?  loaded with mercury?  from local waters or far off seas? how much energy was consumed in capturing, processing and transporting?), looking for a steak (organic from the other side of the US, or local? pasture raised or grass fed or grass finished - and what's the difference? what about antibiotics?  hormones?  how many cows are in this one packet of ground beef?)  and then there is chicken, milk, produce, bread, cooking oil . . . sometimes I think I might spontaneously combust from all the friction caused by the to and fro of the constant debate as I wrestle with . . . myself!

Who knew grocery shopping would become an anxiety laden two-hour event as we try to make socially and environmentally conscientious choices?  All the while food corporations are working harder than ever to convince us that what they put in front of us is exactly what we want - even when it's not!  Product messaging cleverly targets our desire to make good choices, for instance, I picked up a bottle of milk the other day that was labelled 'no added hormones' and thought I had made a good decision.  It was only as I was standing in the check out line mulling over my bounty that I realized they just guaranteed no hormones were added to the milk, but they never said they didn't give them to the cows!  I had been duped and I was so ANNOYED! 

After more and more of these experiences I am thankful to have my fresh produce and egg dilemma resolved, and it makes me happy to be able to extend the peace of mind to others through South Shore Organics, and I feel collectively we will address meat, fish, cheese, bread and butter dilemma's too in time to come.  In the meantime, just make the best choice you can using the following guidelines:

• first choice: local, sustainable, conscientious, humane, organic
• second choice: from further afield and certified organic
• third choice: from further afield and sustainable practices
• everything else

And then quiet that relentless voice in your head, you have made the best choice you can -  besides, the last thing we need is people bursting into flames throughout the store! 

Surviving Snowflakes!

Do you remember the conversation your mom had with you when you were little and the kids at school were being mean?  The one where she says 'don't worry honey, don't let them get to you - if they don't get the reaction they want, they will soon get bored and find somebody else to pick on' . . .

Well, that is how I feel about the snow.  It is being mean, and it is picking on me . . . us!  I mean, REALLY!  One storm is romantic, two is still somewhat fun, but one a week is losing its charm.  I have enough snowy photos for ten years worth of Christmas cards - and we built a snowman bigger than us - look:

Yes, my daughter is actually sitting on 'his lap' and those are russet potatoes for eyes - not sure where his rainbow carrot nose is at this point but there you are.  I know others out there agree, that we are kinda out of snow-day ideas.

Back to my point, I think I am going to take my mom's sage advice and refuse to give the mean snow the reaction it is looking for.  Instead, I am going to celebrate these days because after all, taking some down time is not the worse thing to do and I have been told that shovelling your drive burns 1500 calories which makes me feel even more justified in suggesting that we do something decadent, indulgent and delicious with our afternoon.  I am suggesting BAKED PEARS!  With a dollop of Marscapone cheese: 

Ingredients:

• 4 D'Anjou pears
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• Dash of salt
• Dash of ginger (or cinnamon)
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Method:

1. Heat oven to 325 deg F (slow to moderate)
2. Wash the pears and cut a think slice from the blossom end (don't you love that term, I think all bottoms should be called 'the blossom end') - this is so they will stand easily - leave the stems on
3. Place pears upright in baking dish
4. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over pears
5. Bake uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until pears are tender.  Baste syrup over pears occasionally while cooking
6. Enjoy!

Maybe, just maybe, if we punctuate these storms with a little celebration, the snow will get bored and go pick on somebody else.  It's worth a try . . .



BLISS = crushed strawberries + pancakes + maple syrup + kids

So this morning we decided a pajama breakfast party with pancakes was in order - its been a tough week!  I don't know how many people can even make pancakes without pancake mix anymore, but I turned to my trusty cookbook (thanks Granny) for this recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sifted flour (I like King Arthur's organic)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar (cane only if you please)
2 eggs (thank you White Gate Gardens)
1 cup sour milk (I didn't have any, so I used un-soured milk and added a tsp of lemon juice)
1 tbsp melted butter

Method:
Sift dry ingredients together
Beat eggs, add sour milk and butter together
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients gradually, beating until smooth
Drop from spoon into heated greased pan, brown both sides

For the top, I cut some strawberries in half and then crushed them in a bowl using a heavy plastic cup. We spooned the strawberries onto our pancakes and laced them with maple syrup. 

We are still licking our fingers, bad manners I know, and I guess its time to get dressed but it has been the perfect start to this day and my to-do list can wait just a little while longer - it's not going anywhere and you know what?  Neither am I . . .

Don't Play With Your Food!

I had a candid conversation with another working mom the other day about meal times and menu choices and children.  I have one child, who will eat anything you put in front of her, except mushrooms.  And if she hasn't seen it before, she eats first and asks questions later.  She gobbles down soups, stews, anything roasted, and even prefers vegetables to fruit, which is unusual I think.  Then I have a boy who has a hundred questions before he will even pierce the suspicious item with a fork, doesn't like anything of color and usually responds with 'do I HAVE to?’   

Of course, he has a hard life because he seldom gets his pick of menu choices, and 'so-and-so' from school is so lucky because he gets DINOSAUR chicken and SMILEY face potatoes!  This gives me pause to consider the correlation between food and entertainment - which have gone hand in hand for centuries, after all what is a feast without a court jester?  Dancing?  Live Music?  Even to this day, many other cultures seem to manage this combination beautifully, they embrace the day with a slow breakfast and lunch is a laid back affair in which bread is broken and conversations are the table centerpiece.  Good quality, fresh food, well made or simply and casually combined is appreciated - even expected. 

Most families I know barely have time to defrost something let alone actually make it from scratch, and a languid lunch with some wine and conversation is about as foreign to us as France.  So what are we doing wrong?  Our lives are busy, mine is too as a working mom, and although I have blamed 'the world we live in' or 'this day and age' with a frustrated sigh, it doesn't end there.  Food corporations have taken advantage by playing on our time constraints with campaigns around making meals fun AND quick.  Enter dinosaur chicken.  So it comes to pass that with each trip to the grocery store, we have given up ground in 'savoring supper' while walking down the path to convenient and well-marketed.   The paradox here is that at the end of the day, we don't have more time on our hands, we are still discontent, and the food we eat is no longer all that good for us (made with profit as a goal, not nutrition).

Perhaps it's time that we as a nation stop being lured by 'fun and quick' - being entertained by food is a grossly inadequate placebo for a culture of casual, simple meals and appreciation for the taste of freshness and quality. 

Let's find away to kick 'fun food' out the door, and bring food pleasure back instead!

The New Family Cook Book

When we moved into our new home, I took a moment over a hot cup of tea and a view of our homestead to rest my tired feet and reflect what it means to move - all the change, excitement, hope . . . glancing around at all that still had to be done, my eyes rested on this cookbook lying near the top of an open yet-to-be-unpacked box.  It was a gift from my grandmother, a well used and loved book that I have seen her use on many occasion.  I used it now and then for shortbread, but hadn't taken time to really look at it, consider all its undiscovered treasures, and appreciate the true value of this gift.

And it was over that cup of tea, one hot July afternoon, as I took stock of the heavy books' contents that I learned the true depth of words like 'heritage', 'legacy' and 'heirloom'.  Everything I think the younger generation has forgotten about cooking, is contained within these precious pages - from where different cuts of meat are taken, and what they are best suited to, to canning, preserving, freezing, cooking temperatures, how to tell if something is fresh and where to store it to keep it that way.  And it is not just about cooking, I got a glimpse too of what it meant to host a luncheon in the 50's on pages 53 - 130, how to set the table, what to choose for the menu, and how to be a gracious hostess.  These are all skills I feel are largely lost, and sadly so - I think our children would greatly benefit (as would we) from learning and remembering these graces. 

When my own daughter breezed into the kitchen, it occured to me that four generations were represented right there in my kitchen, with another cookbook my mom had made me with recipes for all the meals I loved to eat while growing up, a recipe book I often leaned on for family favorites, and a recipe book my daughter had received (her first one) for Christmas.  What a wonderful gift, and a special heritage these books would become for the younger members of our family one day.

Occasionally, I will be including experiences of our meals from my 'New Family Cook Book' in my blog, and tips too so I hope you visit often.  Let us make it a family affair as we teach our children that being a conscientious adult means knowing the source of the food we eat, what sustains it, and how to cook it and not how to recycle the cardboard box it came in.

The Princess and the Matador

Once upon a time there was a princess, she was unassuming to look at, but she had a big heart and was mild tempered, she was also gentle and sweet.  One day, a matador came to town, he came from the Chioggia's, a long line of matadors with an outstanding pedigree.  Chioggia was in town for a bull fight!  He was strong, bold, had a well defined character and was very brave.  The princess caught his eye, and he fell instantly in love - he knew any beet with his tops still on would know there was more to her than met the eye, she had a beautiful heart.  He thought she was radishing!

Chioggia decided he had to get her attention and gain her favor.  Although he was striking to look at, he knew the best he had to offer, was in his heart too and she deserved nothing less. 

He didn't realize that the princess had already been admiring the handsome beet, and when they finally met, it was a match made in heaven.  They clicked immediately!  They truly brought out the best in each other soon became inseparable, appearing everywhere together.

Not long after, they were married, the bold brave beet and his radishing princess, both with beautiful hearts.  They lived happily ever after as king and queen of the root kingdom.

THE END!