CSA Baskets 101: Second Pick Up

May 5, 2012 By 1 Comment

Everyone got a pint of strawberries.

When the greens come in, the greens come in.  Thank the Lord for the perfect cooling of the weather and rain to make them abundant for the CSA members at Madison Creek Farms this week!  You can tell by all the pics there were a ton of goodies in our baskets this time around.

Almost everyone got a red leaf lettuce.

Most everyone received a red leaf lettuce and a romaine lettuce.  I got a buttercrunch and a romaine lettuce.  I like them all so it really didn’t matter to me :)

Spring Braising Mix

If you are new to surveying the many types of greens there are, this is definitely an exciting week for you to experiment.  Braising greens are just a random mix of different types of greens sewn together in the field.  To cook them simply use a little olive oil, onion, garlic, a dash of vinegar if you like, and salt and pepper to taste.  Sometimes after I saute them I use a little sprinkle of slivered almonds for crunch.

Kohlrabi

Alot of you had never seen or heard of kohlrabi.  Kohlrabi come in green or purple, can be eaten raw or cooked, and taste a lot like broccoli stems, radishes or cabbage. The word kohlrabi is German for cabbage turnip (kohl as in cole-slaw, and rübe for turnip) though kohlrabi is more related to cabbage and cauliflower than to root vegetables.  You can even use the kohlrabi greens to cook with your braising mix.  You can make a kohlrabi and apple slaw or make quick kohlrabi pickles.

Kohlrabi Apple Slaw:

  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon good mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 pound fresh kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled, grated or julienned
  • 2 apples, peeled, grated or julienned

Whisk cream into light pillows – this takes a minute or so, no need to get out a mixer. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients, the kohlrabi and apple. Serve immediately.

Quick Kohlrabi Pickles:

  • 1-2 small kohlrabi bulbs, trimmed, peeled, and cut into cubes
  • Good olive oil (optional)
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Black Pepper
  • Pinch of sugar or squeeze of honey

Place the kohlrabi chunks in the bowl of a lidded, airtight container.  Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a good splash of vinegar, and honey.  Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Replace the lid and shake well.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Place in fridge, shaking occasionally.  They are best after they have marinated for a few hours.

Mustard Greens

You can cook the mustard greens the same way you would any other greens by sauteeing with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Kale

Our CSA owner, Peggy, led a workshop today showing everyone how to saute kale and make a dish that can be a side or a main meal depending on how you finesse it at the end.  My favorite way to enjoy kale is in an Italian soup I make every winter with potatoes, Italian sweet sausage, kale and crushed red pepper.

Radishes

Romaine

If you guys have never tried grilled romaine lettuce for a salad, you should.  It’s delicious!  You can grill the lettuce on an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan, either way works fine.  It gives the lettuce a completely different flavor and texture alongside a wonderful summer dinner.

Buttercrunch Lettuce

Tea Rose

Ahhh the flowers, a wonderful perk to my CSA.  Tea roses and peonies made it into my bouquet this week.  It’s a great way to bring some of the beauty on the farm into my home and enjoy every day.

Remember to use everything from your baskets!  You can replant the onion and lettuce bottoms to grow more at home.  All the trimmings can be washed and boiled into stock.  I will only be composting the kohlrabi bulk peels and the radish tops.  I will even use the trimmed strawberry tops to make homemade strawberry mint lemonade syrup.  If you want to know more about this type of cooking to get the most out of your CSA basket, check out my ebook, Don’t Compost It, Cook It.

What did you get in your basket lately you are excited about trying?


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My Garden Project 2012 Part 5: A BIG Change of Plans

May 1, 2012 By 2 Comments

Transferring seedlings from shells to peat pots

This week we are talking about how to deal with the unexpected in terms of your garden.  My landlords have decided there isn’t time this year to get the ground ready out back the way they want to for a garden.  They would prefer it be properly fenced in, tilled with a tractor, and have a nice flow and layout.  They want it to be an asset for their tenants and use it themselves.  So, it would be a community garden for them and the people that live here.  We will all help maintain the garden, too.  Honestly, I love this idea.  Sharing the load makes it easier.  But that does throw a big wrench in my low to zero cost garden plans for this year.

I have decided I will have a bucket garden on my deck.  They gave the OK for me to put several five gallon buckets out there so I can still grow my vegetables.  Good thing, too, because my little seedlings were already about to run me out of the living room.  It would have been tragic if they had nowhere to go and be planted.

Long view of the deck

After making some calls I found a couple places that had pickle buckets, icing buckets, and other kinds of buckets they were willing to give me for free.  So I started making my rounds and picking up all I could for a few weeks.  The buckets being free have made a huge difference in my garden budget.  If I had to buy containers for all these plants, the budget would be busted and finished before I even got started.

Free buckets

There are a couple of kids from California that came up with a bucket wicking system for growing vegetables.  You should really check out their site if this is something you are interested in or have thought about doing yourself.  I have chosen to use their system of setting up the buckets and the potting medium they use to grow my plants.  It’s going to cost a little extra for the potting medium.  But considering the money I am hoping to save on produce to freeze up from the harvest, I am willing to invest it!

This week I will be going to the landscaping company to fill up several buckets with the mix and getting all the buckets ready for the plants.  I pray it isn’t too expensive.  And, hopefully in the next few weeks you guys will finally get to see the plants on the porch ready to grow and produce in mighty ways!  I will also be starting more seeds in my eggshells this week.  I am planning on succession plantings and waves of plantings as one crop drops off in production; I hope I have another ready to go.  I have only spent money on a couple packs of peat pots the past few weeks to transfer the seedlings into.  They were getting to big and it’s still too cold for them to go outside.

How are your garden plans and plants coming along so far?


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Taking Charge of Your Physical Health: 5 Steps to Get Started

April 30, 2012 By 4 Comments

My long time readers know I am proactive in making healthier choices and trying to continually improve my health and lose weight.  For whatever reason, up until now I have procrastinated being transparent with you all.  Well that stops now!

Those of you active in my Facebook community agree with me that we all struggle with weight related issues.  The past year and a half to two years I have lost 50 lbs, great but not enough.  I kind of stalled for several months because of graduation, our apartment flooding, moving three times, starting grad school; the list goes on and on.  Now, thank the Lord I haven’t gained the weight back.  But I haven’t lost anymore either.

About three weeks ago the Lord decided to sit down and talk about several things with me.  You know the kind I’m talking about probably; the kind where He puts you in your place and tells you to stop being hard headed about something.  I have always striven to be obedient and He knows this, He knows me too well darn it!

Anyway, He was revealing some things to me that haven’t been just dormant, but dead in my life.  He said it was time to bring them back to life because I was ready.  I instantly sulked up and said, “No way!  Are you serious?!?!  But we’ve had this plan for over a decade now and everything is fine.  Just when the motion of one step forward and two steps back has become two steps forward and a half a step back, if at all….WHY do we have to do that now?”

The sulking lasted about a day and per my usual I put my big girl panties on and started to deal with it the same way I have dealt with everything, with faith, obedience, and a willing and humble spirit.  I don’t like when He pulls out the guilt card and puts me on my face!  That wounds my heart.

Now the reason I told you that entire story is because my weight is part of the intricateness of the revelation.  Now I can’t just ‘work on it’ anymore, it has to be one of the top priorities in my life.  And since several of the other goals I have been working toward are completed or running smoothly on their own, I have literally no excuses anymore.  Nothing to hide behind, no one to blame, and no one else can do it for me.  It doesn’t matter what I’ve been through in my past that got me to this point, I have to be the one to fix it, period!

The Issues:

  • I have a bad ankle.  I slipped and fell in a diesel fuel puddle that someone neglected to clean up in a parking space.  I’ve had four surgeries on it.  Each time I was in a wheelchair for 3-6 months.  My orthopedic surgeon said next time he has to fuse it, and I’m way too young and active with a teenager to do that.  Under strict orders I cannot do a lot of different kinds of exercising that put pressure on that joint.  He would even rather I not do lots of walking as exercise, only normal household cleaning and shopping and that’s it.  Impossible, right?
  • And, I have asthma.  If I get too hot, I cannot breathe.  My asthma attacks don’t usually require me going to the hospital and turn out to be anything that serious other than I will cough extremely hard and not be able to stop and then I will get sick. (Sorry to be gross!)
  • Everything I do for grad school, my freelance writing, and homeschooling my son are mostly sedentary activities.  No amount of controlling what and how much I eat is going to make that big of an impact on my weight loss anymore without adding exercise to my day, EVERY day.
  • Plus, I am NOT a morning person.  No, seriously, you have got to believe me when I say my normal wake up time is between 8-9 a.m. and we stay up until 12-3 a.m.  That is the natural sleep rhythm for me and my son unfortunately.  We can make ourselves go to sleep and wake up normal hours, and we do.  But, it’s not our natural rhythm.  But we should work out in some way first thing in the morning at a bare minimum to wake up our metabolism.

Enter God’s sustaining grace.

A month ago I started a new part time, temp job.  After three days I started waking up before my alarm clock.  The clock is set to go off at 6 a.m. every day.  I have been waking up between 4-5 a.m. EVERY DAY, including Saturdays and Sundays.  Am I upset by this, surprisingly I’m not.  That is the first miracle of God and His sustaining grace.  This is unprecedented in my life and completely uncharacteristic of me.  And some days I’m a little upset at myself that I like the turn of events.  LOL!  That’s just the old me being a sulking teenager again I guess.

I have been doing light resistance exercises at home for a few months now.  But, the past month I have gotten the inner urge to press and do more with it.  So I have.  And I find I enjoy the burn now!  Go figure!?!  I have added simple things throughout my day-even things at my desk-to keep myself moving and exercising.  I do leg lifts under my desk while I’m writing, like now.  I use my free weights I bought to do numerous arm reps while I am reading at my desk.  And once an hour on the hour I get up and do two straight minutes of something that gets my heart rate elevated, like go up and down my three flights of stairs quickly four times.

When I’m at work, I walk outside my entire morning and afternoon break, and I walk half of my lunch break.  So far none of my exercising has affected my asthma or my ankle.  And if anything the affects have been positive.  I have tons more energy and I am sleeping better without waking up off and on.  The walking also helps you not want to eat as much I’ve noticed.  It’s even improved my mental state and clarity, not that it was bad! LOL!

I’ve always been a very happy person.  I’m one of those people that repeat to themselves and everyone around them that happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy no matter what is going on around you.  But the past two weeks it’s like I have this fountain of unexplainable joy continually pouring out of me.  I went from having friends describe me as having a tendency to be uptight to relaxed and carefree, like night and day.  SO weird….

The good news is I have lost 7 pounds in one week!  Usually, when I’m working diligently I lose that much in a month.  I’ll take several more weeks like this, please!?!

As far as diet goes, I have only changed a few things.  I have gotten stricter with the amount of food I eat, I’ve also dramatically increased the amount of water I drink, and I don’t eat past 4 p.m. at all.  IF I find myself hungry, I drink a glass of V8 and more water.  The first couple of days I had bad headaches doing that.  Now I don’t have any and I’m used to it.

I get up and do my daily devotional, exercise, start drinking water, and then I get the whole day’s food ready.  I make us both breakfast-two eggs and a piece of whole wheat toast.  I make myself a nice salad for lunch at work.  And I make/unfreeze dinner so I can eat it right at 4 before I leave work and it’s also already prepared for my son when I get home which is a bonus!

Here are five things you can start doing today to help you in your weight loss goals.

  1. Get moving!  Add a quick 5-10 minutes of resistance exercises to your morning routine.  Start with a 10 minute walk 2-3 times throughout the day.  Do something to get your heart rate up for minutes at a time.  Find something and make it work for you and your issues!
  2. Drink more water.  I learned something a few weeks ago that blew me away.  Despite the fact that I drink over 64 oz of water a day, it still wasn’t enough water for me.  Take your weight and divide by two.  Then divide that answer by 8.  The number you get is the number of 8 oz glasses of water you should be drinking every single day.  Don’t be scared.  It’s going to be a big number.  But, you swallow an elephant one bite at a time. So get started now! LOL!
  3. Pick a cut off time and do not eat past that time of day, no exceptions!  4:00 might not be a practical time for you, that’s OK.  Pick another one that will work and that you can stick to, and do it!
  4. Find a supportive accountability partner.  For me, this was probably the most important step.  I’m pretty strong, focused, and determined about most things in my life.  The area of physical exercise has been a tough hurdle because I need someone to do it with me.  As a single mom, that’s not always possible.  I prayed for one.  And God provided one in an unexpected person and place, another miracle of grace!
  5. Commit your efforts to the Lord.  This is cornerstone.  He wants you to have the desires of your heart.  For whatever you are lacking to make this happen for yourself, seek God through prayer and petition.  You’ll get an answer.  Just be prepared for whatever it may be :)

My prayer is that if you are struggling with this issue, or if you resemble myself and my struggle and bless your heart if you do, I want you to know you can find power and strength in God and yourself to take charge of your physical health once and for all.  I’m not saying we won’t have ups and downs, just show up and do your part.  God will be faithful to provide the results!

If you need a prayer and accountability partner, email me!


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My Garden Project Part 4: Planting Schedule

March 26, 2012 By 8 Comments

So far in this series we have covered my general plan, things I am using to help keep costs low and be more sustainable, and the produce I chose to grow.  This week we are talking about my planting calendar.  Now, you guys are going to think this sounds too easy when I tell you.  But sometimes simplicity is best, right?

On the back of any seed packet you will find information on the variety of vegetable you have, germination and planting information, how to best sow the seeds, a zone map, and tips on how to grow that particular vegetable the best that you can.  To find out when to start my seeds I looked at my zone map to find out when that particular seed should go in the ground.  Then, I went back six weeks to figure out when to start my seeds indoors.

For example, a red cherry tomato in my zone should be put in the ground in April-June.  On March 1 I started my red cherry tomato seeds indoors in my eggshell planters.  I placed three of each seed in each shell.  As they grow, watch for which plant seems stronger and hardier.  At the end of three weeks, thin the three seedlings down to one.  This will give the surviving seedling three weeks to grow with no competition in its pot before placing it outside.

When you thin your seedlings, if they are already good size and you feel they should come out of their eggshells, I have empty vitamin bottles, Styrofoam cups, used produce clamshells, and a host of other items I do not throw away but keep instead so I can transplant my seedlings to for a few weeks before taking them outside.  Come April 1st, they will be all grown up and ready to weather whatever the great outdoors may bring.

Here are the vegetables I chose, the dates I started my seedlings-or will start my seedlings, and when they will be moved outside.

  • Brandywine tomatoes-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Jelly bean tomatoes-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Italian Parsley-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Cilantro-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Basil-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Tarragon-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Oregano-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Mint-started February 16, plant outside April 1
  • Cucumbers-started March 1, plant outside April 30
  • Pumpkin-started March  1, plant outside April 30
  • Chives-started March 15, plant outside May 1
  • Thyme-started March 1, plant outside April 30
  • Sage-started March 1, plant outside April 30
  • Bush green beans-started March 15, plant outside May 1
  • Crimson sweet watermelon-start on March 26, plant outside on May 15
  • Hale’s Best cantaloupe-start on March 26, plant outside on May 15
  • Butternut squash-start on March 26, plant outside on May 15
  • Carnival sweet pepper mix-started March 15, plant outside May 1
  • Straightneck squash-start on March 26, plant outside on May 15
  • Black beauty zucchini-start on March 26, plant outside on May 15

I should mention I am in zone 6b according to the USDA Gardening and Plant Hardiness Zone Map.  All dates were calculated using that hardiness zone.

If you don’t have the space, time, or the inclination to start seeds, you can still grow your own vegetables.  Go by your local tractor supply and pick up some organic plants when they need to actually be planted outside.  Let someone else do the mothering of the seedlings.  This is still a cheaper option than buying all your produce from the grocery store!

Have any of you started seeds indoors yet?


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Foji’s Indian Chicken

March 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Some of you may not know, but my ex husband is Indian, from India not American Indian.  For years I have enjoy cuisine.  I am grateful I was able to learn how to cook a little bit of Indian food from my ex’s family.  My son loves when I cook it for him at home.  He says it’s delicious but not as good as when his dad’s family cooks for him, LOL!  Anyway, this dish is LEGENDARY in my ex’s family.  It’s his uncle’s creation, hence Foji’s Chicken.  Foji is the Indian word for uncle.  I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love this dish.

Ingredients

  • 8-12 skinless pieces of chicken legs, or 6 breasts
  • 3 cans fire roasted tomatoes, pureed in blender-optional*
  • 1 large chopped onion, pureed in blender-optional*
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 inch of ground ginger
  • 2-3 ground garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp Shan chicken curry powder
  • 2 tsp cumin

Directions

Saute onions in oil on medium high heat and add cinnamon and cloves.  After onions are caramelized, add tomatoes and let simmer for five minutes.  Add Shan chicken curry powder, garlic, ginger, cumin, and garam masala then let simmer for five minutes.  Add approximately 8-12 skinless chicken pieces, whichever pieces are your favorite will work.  Foji usually uses legs.  I used breasts and it was delicious, too.  If you use breasts, I would cut them in half and only use six.  Turn burner down to low and let simmer for 45 minutes and stir every 20 minutes or so.  After simmering and chicken is cooked through, check for salt and add if needed.

This dish is not hot but it is spicy.  But don’t let that deter you from trying it.  If you are afraid it might be too spicy for you, buy or make plain yogurt when you are purchasing the ingredients.  That is what my ex’s family use to take the spiciness of a dish down a few notches.  Just put a good 2-3 tbsp dollop onto of your chicken and sauce and mix in to cool it off.

Serve this dish with basmati rice, or white rice if it’s all you have.  When you prepare the rice, add about 4 cloves to the pot while you are cooking the rice.  This is very typical to do when cooking rice.  In the picture above I used saffron rice to serve with.  Also, I added a can of chick peas to my chicken mixture.  My son and I love them.  It only made it better to us!  I also added 1 tsp of turmeric but you can leave this off if you don’t like it.

Are you brave enough to try and make Indian food?

Shared on the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.


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