A Minneapolis Homestead

How You Might be Adding BPA and other Obesogens into Your Garden

2012-02-28T09:47:00.002-06:00

I got the idea for this posts when my husband recently had placed our shredded documents bin by the door to be taken out and I had the thought, "I should probably empty that into our compost bin today." But then I thought," Oh no, I can't anymore because of the BPA. Thank goodness I remembered that!" I then wondered how many gardeners are doing just that and started thinking of all the ways my husband and I might be introducing BPA, phthalates, and other xenoestrogens and obesogens into our soil.

How to Copyright and Protect Your Blog On Blogger

2012-02-23T10:16:00.002-06:00

image credit

For those of you following this blog, you are probably aware that this entire blog was copied by a splog, a fake blog that profits from stolen content. I wrote about my experience and what I learned to do if you have been splogged last week. I have learned from this experience that what most people who write on this topic say is true, "It's not IF your blog will be splogged but WHEN." So if you have a blog and haven't protected it, now is the time to do it (before it even happens). I think it's worth it to take the time to protect your content considering how much time you spend creating it. Why should someone profit from your work?

What to Do if Your Site Has Been Splogged How I Got My Content Removed

2012-02-16T18:05:00.000-06:00

image credit

How I Found Out This Blog Was Splogged
About a week ago I was researching the average last frost date here in Minneapolis on Google, and my article I wrote last spring came up. What was weird was I saw two listings for the same article I had written, one was this site and another site, so I clicked on it only to see it copied word for word with all my images and all the links stripped, with no credit given at all. There was no about page, contact email, or any navigation. There was however related links posted after the article, all of which were the exact same titles of articles I have written and published on this site. The more I tried to dig into the site, the more of my articles I found of mine along with other garden bloggers. As far as I can tell I had around a hundred of my articles stolen. Some were even copied 3 or 4 times, due to me changing the title. It even copied my own comments and the readers of this blogs comments on some pages! I guess to make it look more legit maybe.

This Site Has Been Splogged

2012-02-10T14:18:00.001-06:00

image credit: http://anti-splog.com/what-is-splog

What does this mean? Professional sploggers create multiply sites that steal content of blogs via software and make money by the traffic created from the stolen work from ads on the site. Every article I have ever written on this site has been copied. If you are reading this anywhere but the site A Minneapolis Homestead at the url http://theurbanhomestaed.blogspot.com then the site is a splog stealing my content and others.

When Should You Warm Up Work Out And Stretch?

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

image source

I am trying to develop a workout routine for myself that I will actually follow (I'm not one of those wake up and go to the gym people). I need it to be something I can do inside mostly with little to no equipment. I am a newbie to exercise outside of getting out and trying to bike and walk a lot I do not exercise. My strategy is to follow the advice of trainers to people who really know fitness. Since I'm new to exercising I wondered "What is the proper exercise routine I should be doing?" According to personal trainer, Darin Steen, (You can watch him explain in detail in the video below) and Web MD you should:

10 min areobic warm up (jump rope, jumpingjacks, power walking)
5 min stretching (arm circles, stretches like ingym class)
45-60 min intense work out (resistance training,yoga, interval cardio, etc)
Intense stretching 4 or 5 streatches for each muscle group you worked on (4 to 5seconds taking each one further)
Cool down (light power walk)

Veggie Burgers with Sundried Tomato Chili Ketchup

2012-02-07T22:20:00.000-06:00

I use to buy frozen veggie burgers all the time, until I realized that they had either mostly soy or quinoa in it. I try to minimize soy in my diet and while there is nothing wrong with quinoa but I felt weird eating a bun with a patty that was mostly carbs. I am also trying to stop buying processed foods. So I have been wanting to try to make my own veggie patties for awhile, and I finally did. My inspiration was a McDonald's cheeseburger. I haven't had one in years and never plan to again, but I do love the simplicity of it. It's all about the cheese, pickles, diced onions, and ketchup and mustard. I figured why not make a veggie burger that exaggerates those flavors? I was trying to only use meat like substances as the base (black beans and mushrooms) and I added mustard, pickle relish and sun dried tomatoes in addition to onions, garlic and hot sauce. I also skipped the bun because I didn't have any one hand and I'm trying to eat less carbs until I lose my Holiday weight (it already has some carbs in the recipe). Without buns they were like a veggie meatloaf. I just ate it with a fork. I think the sun dried tomato chili ketchup added a ton of flavor, if you have the ingredients on hand I'd recommend trying it. For my side dish I grilled frozen mangoes diced and pineapple chunks on my cast iron skillet while I was cooking my patties and then I tossed it in a tiny bit of salsa verde for an easy quick healthy sweet and spicy side dish. I think it turned out pretty good for my first veggie burger. Tell me what you think!

15 Easy Tips to Lose 5 pounds: What Works for Me

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

image soure

This weekend I put on my baggy jeans and they were tight. "Oh that's not good," I thought, "I should probably weigh myself." So I did, only to find the scale hitting my highest weight. Ekk, just what no women wants to see. I seriously thought I had escaped the dreaded holiday weight due to my healthy eating and the warmer weather we have had has allowed me to be more active. So I thought I'd take this as an opportunity to share how I regulate my weight. I have maintained my weight to a 25 lb flex my whole adult life. Meaning my lowest and highest ever weight has been within 25 lbs. I can still wear clothes I had over 15 years ago.

Work Out With Madonna's Trainers (past and present) via videos!

2012-02-06T12:09:00.001-06:00

image source

I didn't watch the Super Bowl last night (I'm not into sports), but I did catch the half time show. Madonna has inspired me to work out more. My new goal is to look and move like Madonna when I'm in my 50's (she is 54).

Chocolate Banana Cups

2012-01-30T16:36:00.005-06:00

I love Lindt's petite desserts collection of chocolates based on desserts (lemon tarts, creme brulee, etc). I have concluded that what I liked most about these chocolates are the difference in texture. What I thought I could do better is to increase the different flavors. So my mind has been thinking of many different ways to have different textures and flavors (that complement chocolate). One way I thought would be interesting is to mix flavored curds into white chocolate to make a ganache and then add the curd by itself into the chocolate as well, for the different flavors. For the texture I thought shortbread cookies and nuts would be a good compliment. I found through experiments that you need a really good solid thick dry shortbread cookie. I first tried a chocolate wafer and I couldn't even tell it was in the finished project. The second time I tried ginger thins, better but still hardly any crunch. So make sure to make or buy thick shortbread cookies if you want good texture in your cups!

So What Is Left of Our 2011 Harvest? Our First Steps in Garden Planning 2012

2012-01-29T11:22:00.000-06:00

image source

We are starting to plan our 2012 garden and I thought the best way to start is to look at what is left of our 2011 harvest. Our goal this year is to produce more food than last year. I think it's important not to get too caught up in using pounds as a measure of success because, it matters more if you are producing what your family actually eats. I think a better judge of how self sufficient you are in your families food production is how often do you still buy vegetables. By looking at what we have left from last year's harvest we can judge what we should plant more or less of to be more self sufficient with our food supply this year, by comparing it to last years garden plan.

MN Swedish Meatballs with Asiago Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2012-01-25T13:40:00.000-06:00

If you're not from MN you might not know that the largest ethnic group to settle MN was of Scandinavian orgin. While I do not have Scandinavian ancestors, it's hard to grow up in MN and to not be influenced by Scandinavian culture. A great place to visit in MN is the American Swedish Institute. I grew up on hot dishes (we're kind of known for them) made of cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and Worcestershire sauce, which is also how my family makes Swedish meatballs. I don't know if this is a MN creation (grown out of a mix of Swedish culture and MN hot dish making), or just my families thing.

Crispy Hash Browns From Scratch In Half The Time

2012-01-24T16:26:00.001-06:00

I love hash browns, and over the years I have developed tips to make the best and quickest hash browns from scratch, so here they are!

How To Make Hash Browns in Half the Time
Sometimes I skip hash browns because they take too long. That was until I had a great idea about how to make them in half the time. Are you ready for it? Use your waffle iron or you could probably use a panini press or George Foreman style grill. I used my Black and Decker waffle iron/ griddle/grill. It turns out crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. No turning or flipping.

from chow

Just grate organic potatoes on the large holes of a box grater.
set your grill to medium temp
Strain water out of the shredded potatoes (see below)
spray grill with grapeseed or safflower oil (because it is non gmo oils that are high heat)
put hash browns on the grill sprinkle with pink salt (or season salt, my secret ingredient) and shredded cheddar cheese if you want and cook for 8-10 min

How To Make Your Hash Browns Crispy
I heard on America's Test Kitchen that you need to squeeze out the water in the potatoes before cooking them. I used a clean dish cloth (only to stain it brown due to the potato liquid) and have been using this method ever since. I did however read on Simply Recipes that a potato ricer works better at squeezing out the water. I will certainly try this next time and post here how it went.

Homeowner Fined $5,200 For Growing Cucumbers; Plans Suit

2012-01-24T15:17:00.004-06:00

Len Gratto in front of his home via the Abbotsford Times

Another person fined for growing veggies? Seriously! This time it's in Mission BC Canada. So why was Len Gratto fined $5,200 for growing cucumbers? Because he was growing it in his basement and they thought he was growing marijuana and the fine is for the grow op inspection fee. According to the Abbotsford Mission Times

Grow-op bylaw programs, which are based on provincial legislation, allow municipal inspectors to enter homes with abnormally high hydro usage - about 93 kilowatts per day or more - and look for evidence of illegal marijuana grow-ops for public safety reasons. Inspectors don't have to find grow-ops, but if they find supposed residual evidence, such as high mould readings, they levy search fees and order repairs. If homeowners don't comply, homes are tagged under the bylaw and effectively condemned as unsafe, and unsellable.

Grato is joining a class-action lawsuit attacking the municipality's grow-op bylaw inspections.
A number of citizens, led by Mission man Stacy Gowanlock, will allege their homes were illegally searched for pot grow-ops and they were slapped with fees and repair orders costing upward of $10,000 - all on questionable evidence.

So what does this mean for urban homesteaders? I know this happened in Canada, but we need to be aware of what happens in other countries because it could happen here next. We need to support gardeners everywhere. While the initial tip that caused these gardeners to be inspected might not have been due to a smart meter, it shows me that smart utility meters could be a potential disaster for the urban homesteader if miss used by local authorities like in Mission BC Canada.

How to Clean Your Oven Without Toxins

2012-01-18T15:36:00.000-06:00

January is my month to clean here on the homestead, since the holidays are over and gardening is a way off I have a lot more time. My goal is to clean the house top to bottom, that way if I don't get around to a lot of cleaning throughout the year done I have at least touched every thing once. In order to accomplish this task I have been doing one extra cleaning chore a day. Today my task was to clean the oven. I clean mine the natural non-toxic way.

5 Quick Healthy Low Sugar Deserts

2012-01-13T11:14:00.003-06:00

fig and ricotta gallete

If you follow my blog you probably know how I'm always on a quest for good desserts that are healthier, cause I'm not about to skip dessert! I came across some great ideas from bon appetite that I wanted to share with you. I narrowed down from their list to what I thought sounded the healthiest and tastiest.

Gardening For A Healthier Cat: Cat Grass, Valerian, and More

2012-01-11T17:50:00.000-06:00

Mr Cat eating grass last winter

In the winter we always plant Mr Cat cat grass, since he loves to eat grass in our backyard (I know he's spoiled). He has been much better about eating his grass this year. He use to destroy all the grass by pulling the roots out, but not this year. Now he just grazes it a little after eating. It's like he's eating his salad with his meal! I started thinking about the health benefits of eating grass and did some research and was impressed with what I found. I thought I'd share my discoveries about cat grass along with other cool plants that might help your kitty.

21 Tips to Increase Your Productivity at Home or Work

2012-01-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

I recently watched the movie "Limitless" which got me to thinking of how I can be more productive in the new year. If you haven't seen the movie it's about a guy who takes a drug that allows you to use 100% of your brain vs 20% (which is a myth by the way), and turns into a super version of himself. Of course there is more to the story, but I don't want to wreck it for you if you haven't seen it.

The movie got me to thinking what little things I could do to increase my productivity at home. Being an urban homesteader does take a lot of time and who doesn't need more time anyway? I started to do some research and think about the subject and here is what I came up with, please post a comment and join in on the discussion if you have any productivity tips you would like to share!

How To Temper White Chocolate

2011-12-28T15:11:00.003-06:00

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Every Christmas I make a huge batch of chocolates and give them to friends and family. I haven't made chocolates for awhile and I just followed the directions for making ganache. I scoured the cream and stirred in the chocolate. The first few turned out great, but the next one turned into a huge blob leaking out cocoa butter and oil. I knew I had lost my emulsion because it was similar to what I had experienced with lotion trying to emulsify with water. I just didn't know how to fix it. I found the answer on
Dr Chocolate. I can't remember what number it was but someone had the same problem, and they said to heat some cream up and slowly incorporate the white chocolate into the cream a little at a time. It worked! Basically I had heated it too high and lost my emulsion as a result. White chocolate has a lower melting point, which I had forgotten. So now you know what to do if you don't temper correctly, let's learn how to avoid that mess to begin with.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

2011-12-17T12:22:00.000-06:00

These chocolate Peanut Butter Bites are perfect for holiday entertaining. They are seriously easy to make and you can make them ahead and freeze them. I made these for thanksgiving and they were a hit. In fact my husband's suggestion about thanksgiving was limiting how many I put out so that everyone isn't full before the meal is served. Because they are addicting and filling. he said he was full before he even ate. Every one commented on how great they were and wanted the recipe. Well here it is!

Make Your Garden Glow With Solar Lights and Glow In The Dark Paint

2011-12-15T00:02:00.002-06:00

DIY Glow in the Dark Stepping Stones From Birds and Blooms

In the winter I dream of next years garden. While dreaming I was thinking of easy ways to use solar to illuminate our yard and garden. This time of year it gets dark at 4:30, and it's so much nicer coming home to a glowing yard. I can only imagine it helps in terms of security too since the police seminar on preventing burglaries said that lighting and a well maintained yard deters crime.

My criteria is it must be easy and solar so it doesn't increase our electric bills. My solution? Solar lights and glow in the dark paints.

Feed the Birds this Winter: Bird Seed Cake Tutorial

2011-12-09T17:10:00.001-06:00

This summer my husband and I went to Le Sueur county, MN to explore my family history. We stopped at a cute restaurant Whiskey River Emporium in St Peter, MN that was my grandparents favorite restaurant. I could see why it was there favorite restaurant in town. The back of the restaurant has a beautiful creek and the windows are lined with every kind of feeder you could imagine. It attract all kinds of wild life. I saw woodpeckers, cardinals, wild turkeys, beavers, and the expected variety of birds and squirrels. I'm not one to usually watch nature, my grandparents were, but boy was this a show. We spent our whole lunch just watching the nature show. I could help but think, why Mr Cat would go crazy if he could see this. It inspired me to think of finding ways to attract wild life to our yard. Now with winter coming I thought it would be a good time to give Mr Cat a good show and make some seed cakes for the birds.

Keep Your Cat Warm This Winter: Cat Hoodie Tutorial

2011-12-09T16:33:00.001-06:00

tutorial for Mr Cat's hoodie at Oh You Crafty Gal

I made Mr Cat a hoodie for winter. I decided to make one last winter when it was actually too cold for Mr Cat and he wanted to come inside. When Mr Cat wants to come inside you know it's cold! We usually have to bring him in kicking and clawing and with the lure of treats. He loves being outside climbing trees and yes the house (that nearly gave me a heart attack). I started on it late in the winter and when it was warming up it seemed kind of point less. I finally finished just in time for winter and I thought I'd share it here. I posted a tutorial for it on my crafty blog Oh You Crafty Gal. I didn't know what he would think of it when I was making it but he actually seems indifferent to it. It's only when he grooms himself that he gets annoyed with it. I think he doesn't seem to mind it since i used velcro closures so it's easy to get on and off of him.

I was wondering if anybody else was crazy like me and had made their cats hoodies too, so I did a search online. Apparently i'm not the only one. I found a site with over 50 pictures of cats in hoodies. It was so funny. If anyone else has made a hoodie for their cats I'd love to hear about it.


Check out over 50 pictures of cats in hoodies. I laughed so hard. This one looks like my cat.

Last Garden Update of the Year: Heirloom Carrots and Turnips Harvest

2011-12-06T17:07:00.001-06:00

Mr Cat always is excited to see what we harvest

Even if it's not officially winter yet on the calender. In MN it really feels like winter as soon as the calender turns to Dec. This year is no exception. What we left in the garden is now frozen and the ground almost is too. We have snow and its in the teens and twenties for highs now. Needless to say the garden is officially put to bed now and it's starting to look a lot like Christmas.... I'll still post about gardening only it will be more focused on ideas and planning for next year's garden. Next year we plan to do small expansions, grow all of our own seedlings, beautify our existing garden, and build better structures for our garden.

How to Cook the Perfect Steak and Dry Age: My tips and ATK's Tips

2011-11-29T10:46:00.001-06:00

image credit

I have been pretty confident that my steaks are just as good as most steak houses for years now. My husband tells everyone they're the best. I'm assuming he is genuine and not just coaxing my ego.
I do remember though the last time we went out for steaks at a steak house I thought "Wow mine are actually better, I could have saved a lot of money just making them myself". Now maybe a really high end steakhouse might be better than mine....

Farm to Fork Picnic Raided by Health Officials Organic Food Prepared by a Chef is Ordered to Be Destroyed By Bleach

2011-11-28T21:06:00.001-06:00

The Fork to Farm Event at the Quail Family Farm

So this news is a little old but still worth reporting. I was too busy with the Holidays to post when I first heard it. Basically as I understand it in a nut shell, Quail Hollow Family Farm hosted their first annual "Farm to Fork Dinner Event," which offered guests an opportunity to tour the farm, meet those responsible for growing and raising the food, and of course share a meal from the farm with others. They were told they need a permit so they did only to have the health department come without a warrant at the event with no warning saying their food was "unfit for consumption" and needed to be destroyed by bleach.

Crockpot Spiced Apple Cider from Scratch

2011-11-20T14:13:00.001-06:00

Why did I never think to make apple cider before? I use to use those individual packages for cider until I thought about what was in it....

I'd rather make the real deal. It's so easy, just juice it (or buy organic apple juice) you just put a few spices and the juice in the crock pot and there you go.

My Thanksgiving Menu Recipes, and Plan (and a download of Martha Stewart's Planner)

2011-11-20T12:12:00.001-06:00

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year (for the forth year) for 8 people. I am currently planning my week prepping for Thanksgiving. I do a little every day, so all I have to worry about is the turkey and a few things on the day of Thanksgiving. I lucked out the first year I hosted I found Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving planner (download it here). By looking at her Thanksgiving schedule I realized "Hey you can make things ahead a time?" Wow am I glad I realized that! Thank you Martha Stewart. That has made hosting Thanksgiving so much easier! I have since learned that cooking is really 80% planning. Her 2004 planner is so complete it even has place cards, table arrangements, and leftover recipes. It's also nearly impossible to find on the web. I also found Cook's Illustrated's (of America's Test Kitchen) Thanksgiving planner.

Cranberry Cherry Mint Sauce recipe (yields about 4 cups)

2011-11-15T10:35:00.001-06:00

image from Life's Ambrosia

A favorite at our Thanksgiving table every year is my cranberry cherry mint sauce recipe that I developed through experimentation. My husband loves it he eats it all every year. The mint tea and cherries is an expected twist without going to far from the basic cranberry sauce you would expect at Thanksgiving.

Garlic Asiago Mashed Potatoes Recipe (Yields 8)

2011-11-10T14:41:00.001-06:00

image from Martha Stewart

Every year that I have hosted Thanksgiving I have used this recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Garlic Mashed Potato recipe. This year I plan too add some Asiago cheese to the recipe. This is inspired by the Asiago mashed potatoes at one of my favorite local restaurants. I have tried this before and it's super good. It would be good even without gravy.

Ingredients

8 medium organic potatoes (about 4 pounds)
2 heads peeled garlic cloves
pink salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup organic half and half
4 tablespoons organic unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces
1/2 cup of shredded Asiago cheese

Sweet and Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

2011-11-08T11:51:00.000-06:00

image from one hot dish

I am starting to plan the Thanksgiving menu for this year. I have been hosting Thanksgiving for our family for about 4 yrs now. I take notes every year and learn more every year. I will be sharing my tips and tricks I have learned so far with hosting Thanksgiving in a posts soon. I plan to test out some new recipes in the next few weeks before thanksgiving and of course will share the results, along with my final menu plan. This sweet potato recipe I created and have used for the last few years for Thanksgiving. I always get raves about it. I developed this recipe as an alternative to the super sweet marshmellow traditional sweet potato dish. Are taste buds crave sweet, spice, and salt this dish has it all. Even my mother in-law loves it and she doesn't like spicy foods! I always make this a day ahead and just reheat it in the oven Thanksgiving day.

What Are GMO's Anyways? Learn in less than 1 minute

2011-11-02T19:06:00.004-05:00

I found this really cool GMO Info graphic from Eat Drink Better I wanted to share with everyone. This is a great way to learn about what GMO's are or to explain to friends and family. Find out the latest on GMOs here.

October Harvest Tally and Garden Updates

2011-11-01T14:07:00.001-05:00

Garden B

The garden harvests are winding down. We harvested the last of our tomatoes, peppers, and beans and took them down for the season. I pruned our raspberry bushes back.

We still have Kale, Swiss Chard, broccoli, carrots, turnips, cilantro, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. I found we had cilantro recently. I thought none of the seeds from the second planting I did worked but it was just hiding! I have determined that cilantro should be planted twice just like sugar peas, since it bolts to quickly in heat. The brussel sprouts still haven't matured, hopefully they will soon.

October Harvest Tally
Tomatoes 22 lbs
Beans        1 lb 3 oz
Broccoli     12 oz
Cucumbers   4 oz

Garden A

Kale 1 lb 5 oz

Swiss Chard 1 lb
Peppers 9 oz
Produce Total = 27 lbs 1 oz
Produce Tally for whole season so far 2011= 182 lbs

Tomato Sauce 3 quarts and 1 pint
Cat Nip 1/2 oz

GMO Industry Allowed to Self-regulate: GMO Blue Grass is not regulated by USDA

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

image from Activist Post

Out of all the health issues we face GMO scares me the most. What concerns me most about it is the fact that it can cross pollination with other plants and spread to other crops not planted with GMO and therefore have the potential to change our entire environment.   To contaminate the DNA of plants. Mexico's corn has been verified by tests that it is contaminated by GMO's . It is believed to have been from farmers planting imported corn from the US and spread to other crops through pollination. Think about that for a minute. This is huge. This is where corn originated from if we lose all those varieties where will we be?

Currently almost all corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola are GMO.    Think about all the products soy is in. It's even in chocolate. Now GMO beets, alfalfa, and papayas are approved. So anything with sugar that's not organic or cane could be GMO as well as corn syrup or high fructose. Dairy and beef products will most likely have been fed GMO alfalfa. So now people will be planting GMO grass in their yards which can spread to pastures where grass fed animals are raised. What happens when this experiment goes horribly wrong? When natural plants no longer exists what do we do? Will organic food even be safe when it can cross pollinate with neighboring GMO crops? Will we have a choice even?

The Activist Post questioned the same thing I have found myself wondering, "Why has no one in the ... USDA or even the Supreme Court asked the million dollar question: "How can a mutated germ plasm be so vastly different that a patent can be obtained and, at the same time, be so substantially the same as the germ plasm it was derived from that it should be generally considered safe and unregulated?”   You can read more of our articles about GMO's here.

Welcome to the Age of GMO Industry Self-Regulation. Mother Jones. July 14 2011.

U.S.D.A. Ruling on Bluegrass Stirs Cries of Lax Regulation. NY Times. July 6 2011

GMO’s: Invasive Species Council and USDA ignore environmental infection and contamination. Activist Post. July 24 2011.

Wake up to Breakfast Already Made: Overnight Crock Pot Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe

2011-10-27T11:08:00.000-05:00

From For the Mommas

I am currently reading the cook book "Slow Cooker Winners" by Donna-Marie Pye. In it she had a few recipes for cooking steel cut oats in a slow cooker overnight. I was very excited by this idea but could it work? I was intrigued. How cool would that be if it did? My husband and I both could wake up to a warm healthy breakfast every mourning. I tried cooking steel cut oats for awhile since in terms of GI they are the best, but they took so long to cook and I had plenty of accidents of it boiling over on the stove (not fun to clean up). So I have been using quick cooking oats lately on the stove top.

Simple No Bake Lemon Coconut Macaroons Cookies Recipe

2011-10-26T16:56:00.000-05:00

I can't stop eating these. Thank god they're healthy! I've ate half of my batch already. In fact I'm even eating them as I write this. I've been obsessed lately with raw cookies. They're great to have around for snacks. This is my favorite so far. I guarantee no one would suspect these are healthy! This recipe is adapted from Addicted to Veggies's Coconut Lemon Meltaways.

Easy Healthy Banana Shake Recipe

2011-10-26T12:32:00.000-05:00

Healthy Shake? I know that had to go through your mind right? How can a shake be healthy? You ready for my secret? It's frozen bananas in place of ice cream. I am so loving this! If you freeze bananas and place it in a blender or food processor it has the same consistency as ice cream and tastes like it too. I have determined though that I think it is a better fake out for a banana shake then just ice cream. I can tell the difference as ice cream but seriously can't as a shake. I am so excited I can have a shake for breakfast! If your a reader you know I am obsessed with desserts that taste like they have to be bad but are so good for you you can have as much dessert as you want. If your new check out my healthy desserts for more fun recipes.

Is There Wood In Your Food?

2011-10-24T13:25:00.000-05:00

Image credit

With food prices climbing more and more companies are using wood (cellulose) as filler in your food. Cellulose is virgin wood pulp that has been processed and manufactured. Powdered cellulose is made by cooking raw plant fiber—usually wood—in various chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Cellulose is a naturally occurring substance found in the walls of plants, basically it's wood pulp.

What Food Is Wood In?
Cellulose (wood pulp) is in a variety of products you would never guess anywhere from "maple" syrup to fast food, pudding, ice cream, frosting, barbecue sauce, mac and cheese, wheat thins, fruit parfaits, shredded cheese, etc. For a full list of 15 companies that put wood in your food via The Street click here.

Why Do Companies Add Wood to Their Food Products?
They use it to stabilize and thicken foods, replace fat and increase fiber content, and decrease the need for ingredients like oil or flour, which are getting more expensive. Cellulose products allow food manufactures to offer white bread with high fiber content, low-fat ice cream that still feels creamy, and allow cooks to sprinkle cheese over their dinner without taking time to shred it.

Is It Safe to Eat Wood?
The FDA believes it to be safe for human consumption and places no regulation on the amount that can be put into food products, but does set a limit on cheese spreads and jams, and only 3.5 % of meat being cellulose (wood). My thoughts are that while it is at least a naturally occurring substance, I do see problems with having wood pulp in our food.

Obviously wood is not what we were meant to eat and is nutritionally devoid (except for fiber).
Since food products have no limit (regulation) over what percentage of wood pulp is in it, we don't know how much of what we are eating is actually food. This raises consumer issues as well as health. Consumers are paying for something they think they are getting (actual food). If someone is eating large amounts of products that use cellulose they could unknowingly have a large part of their diet consisting of no nutritional value.
The only good thing I can see in using cellulose is that it is at least a naturally occurring substance being used where unnatural additives would be otherwise. I think it would not be too bad if only a small amount was allowed and only used in place of chemical additives. My concern is considering the fact that there is no limit on the amount of wood pulp allowed in food and that it is cheaper to use wood pulp in place of food, we most likely will not get what I believe to be the reasonable amount of cellulose in our food products.

What do you think? Should we be concerned?

Sources

15 Companies That Serve You Food by The Street
Why Wood Pulp Makes Ice Cream Creamier by The Wall Street Journal

Emilio Estevez is an Urban Homesteader

2011-10-20T19:06:00.002-05:00

Emilio Estevez with his chickens

I was watching the Charlie Rose show on PBS today with actor father and son Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez and I learned that Emilio has a vineyard on one acre in his backyard in Malibu, CA. He just started tearing up their lawn and started planting. He also has chickens, bees, a worm farm, and a large vegetable gardens. How cool is that? I love that he is only using 1 acre.

I found a few articles with pics of his place I thought I'd share. Bon Appetit did a story on his farm. It says an acre, in theory, is capable of producing 30 to 40 thousand dollars' worth of food. Looks like I need to make more use out of our yard if that's true!

http://www.bonappetit.com/

You can see his vineyard at the beginning of the episode of the NBC show "Who Do You Think You Are?" (That I love by the way) that features his father Martin Sheen.

Is Your City Putting Chloramines in Your Water? Part 1

2011-10-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

VitaShower Vitamin C Shower Filter

Many cities are switching from using chlorines to chloramines due to cost and EPA regulations. Minneapolis has been using Chloramines to disinfect it's water supply since the 1950's. According to the EPA one in five Americans have chloramines added to their water.

I learned that chloramines are in our water supply while recently researching water filters (to remove flouride and radio active isotopes that will be another article coming soon) only to find out that our filter we currently use has been ineffective in removing chloramines from our water since it is not designed to remove it. I just assumed our water was treated with chlorine.

Dreaming of Concrete Blocks: Raised Beds, Planters, Tables, and Benches Oh My!

2011-10-13T18:55:00.000-05:00

Concrete bench from Better Home and Gardens for less than $30

Now that our garden is winding down I can start to dream about next years garden. My latest obsession so far for next year is all things cinder blocks. I never thought of using cement blocks before. I love it because it's cheap ($1-1.50 each), quick to make things with, and weather proof. Why have I not thought of this before! Think of all the possibilities. My imagination is going crazy.

I am have been pondering a bench/raised bed as walls idea for our patio around a fire, for awhile. Could this be it? I have also been planning on adding raised beds to our driveway. I had planned on making wood raised boxes that I could easily put away for winter but if the cinder blocks could hold up to snow banks this could be a good option too....You could paint or stain the blocks too....hhhmmm...I most likely will ponder this all winter. Here are some of the pics that have started me drooling...

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan and Flourless)

2011-10-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

I have recently become interested in raw food. I can't see myself ever going completely raw (or vegan) but I think increasing my diet with the best raw and vegan recipes out there is a good addition to our diet. I am particularly interested in all the fantastic sounding desserts on raw food blogs along with lots of great dehydration cracker recipes, and smoothies. If you read this blog you know that I love desserts, so I am on a constant quest for simple easy healthy desserts, so I can eat as much desert as I want!

Chocolate Strawberry Yogurt? Yes Please

2011-10-11T17:49:00.000-05:00

My husband and I bought Stoney Field organic yogurt because it was on sale. We bought one of every flavor, except two of vanilla and chocolate. We both agreed that the chocolate and vanilla was awesome. "Why aren't there more chocolate yogurt," I thought. I mean seriously? So I started thinking about how I could make my own. I think I've succeeded and surpassed the original. And it takes only like 2 min to make (as long as you use the microwave). It's great for breakfast, lunch, or as a healthy snack. This could also be great as a parfait. It looks like an ice cream Sunday.

Easy No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

2011-10-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

I made this as a surprise for my husband today who is obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter. It's no bake and took like 5 min to make. I am so making this often. The possibilities are endless. I adapted this recipe from The Cilatropist who appears to have adapted it from someone who adapted it from someone.... It appears the original source was Keep the Faith each time it was changed a little. I also changed the recipe a little based on what my husband likes and what we had on hand in the house. Some ingredients some people have tried that I plan to add in the future is protein powder, sunflower seeds, cooked quinoa. Other ingredients I would like to try are organic raisins and coconut oil. It was super peanut buttery which is fine since my husband loves it but I think I would prefer to replace a little bit of peanut butter with coconut oil.

September Produce Tally and Garden Update

2011-10-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

Our biggest producer by far this month was tomatoes. So far we made 10 quarts of tomato sauce and 3 pints of pizza sauce with about 18 lbs of tomatoes ready for the next batch. Our pole beans have been producing well. We did half pole half bush bean. This year was our first year doing pole beans I love it, they produce so much more and are easier to harvest. I am only planting pole beans from now on. You have to make the most of the space you have!

I was lazy with harvesting our broccoli so some of it went to flower. I also could have harvested more kale and Swiss Chard than I did. Our potato harvest was little but I planted it late and didn't build up the potato bin as often as I should have.

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

2011-09-27T11:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new food obsession caprese salad turned grilled cheese. I've been having this every day. I can't stop it's so easy and good!

Pesto (made with olive oil)
slices of wheat bread
organic butter at room temperature
tomato
fresh mozzarella
salt, pepper and garlic powder

Math teacher Charged With Having A Front Yard Garden In Memphis

2011-09-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

Adam Guerrero's Front Yard Garden

Sounds like the fight for front yard gardens continues. Who would have ever thought that in America it's possible that some citizens would have to appear before a judge due to their front yard gardens. Well over the summer Julie Bass of Oakpark MI was facing 93 days in jail due to her front yard garden, eventually the charges were dropped. And now in Memphis, TN Adam Guerrero faces charges against two city codes for having his garden. Adam is a math teacher who bought a foreclosed property and turned it into a model of self sufficiency to teach local kids about gardening, making soap, beekeeping, biodiesel, and composting. Hmmm...what a blight on the community. I can see why a neighbor complained.

Easy Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies Recipe with No Flour Sugar or Butter

2011-09-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

I've been dreaming of cookies lately and how to make healthy ones so I can have as many as I want. Look for more healthy cookie recipes to come soon. In my quest for finding a GI (Glycemic Index) friendly, low carb cookie I found this recipe from 101 cookbooks it's called Nikki's Healthy Cookies Recipe. It does not use flour, sugar, eggs, or butter. Hmmm could this really work? Since I had 3 bananas I needed to bake with and was feeling like making cookies I figured why not? I subbed flax meal for almond meal only because it's what I had on hand. I also plan to try adding an egg to see if it helps make the texture better. I added 1 1/2 tablespoon of Stevia in the Raw to add sweetness without adding sugar. After making them I decided to call them breakfast cookies because they are healthier than most breakfast and seem like a combination of a muffin and a cookie, rather than a cookie. The texture is quite different. Below is my adapted version of Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe. If you chose to not use an egg this recipe is vegan. I lowered the temp for baking from 350 to 325 degrees because health wise it is better to cook at lower temperatures and your less likely to over bake it.

Minneapolis is Set To Consider Changing Zoning Codes To Define Urban Agriculture in City Code This Winter

2011-09-19T16:53:00.000-05:00

According to the SW Journal local urban growers could gain a new level of legitimacy if the city council approves zoning ordinances that will erase the gray area that many local growers are currently in. According to the article, the city tolerates to encourages urban gardening unless neighbors complain. Changing the legal framework will give local urban farmers the ability to think and plan more long term.

Catnip Harvest Time: Does Dehydrating Herbs in the Microwave Work?

2011-09-15T16:09:00.004-05:00

As I stated in my last post we had to hastily harvest anything we could due to a possible freeze. I decided to cut down our catnip leaving about 6" of the plant and we brought all the catnip in to dehydrate it. Our cat was beyond excited about our catnip harvest. Especially when we started hydrating! My husband said it reeked of catnip. I think our cat got a contact high because we was running around with the crazies all night. I felt like a dealer hiding the baggy from him and having him trying to figure out if I was "holding". With the baggies piling up in my drawer that looks like pot, I couldn't help but think how funny it would be if the cops tried to come in and bust me only to find out it's catnip.

I have always just dehydrated herbs here and there in our dehydrator, but we had a lot of stuff to dehydrate this time and it was late, so I was wondering if there was a better way or just how to store the herbs until I could finish dehydrating them. So I turned to our book "The Backyard Homestead" by Carleen Madigan, (which I highly recommend it's one of the best homesteading books I've seen so far), to see what she said about drying herbs. She gave one option as dehydrating in the microwave. She said it only takes minutes in the microwave. "Sweet..." I thought and tried it per her instructions dispute the fact that she said to be careful
about not getting them to dry because they could start on fire. Well.. mine actually did catch on fire! After my experience, I think I know how to still utilize the microwave but more safely. Read below for how to utilize the speed of the microwave safely.

How to Cover Your Plants On the Fly: What I Tried With Last Nights Frost

2011-09-15T14:09:00.001-05:00

Our attempt to save our garden

As I said in my last post we were suppose to have a freeze last night which is the day of the first known frost in MN ever. Needless to say I was not prepared for this at all. when I first heard of this on the news I figured it was probably up north they were talking about not the twin cities area (Minneapolis), so I wasn't that concerned. Until I watched the weather for a few days it finally sunk in. Well I was busy all day long yesterday! I harvested any warm weathered vegetables I could (30 lbs of tomatoes, 2lb beans, tons of catnip, soybeans, etc). And of course had to come up with on the fly ways to cover our garden. I always feel like a thief in the night when I am frantically harvesting by our house in the dark with a hoodie on and the street lights are on and the neighborhood is quiet. Not many people garden at night.....

Historic Freeze in MN tonight: When is your First and Last Frost? Looking at the Frost dates USDA chart

2011-09-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

We in Minneapolis are suppose to have a record breaking freeze tonight.
I plan to harvest like crazy today and drape plastic over my PVC pipe trellises and anchor it with left over bricks I have, and of course bring in all my pots outside. And pray.....

In Minneapolis our first known frost is Sept 15th, and we are talking a freeze not a frost. Wow what a short season we are having this year! We had a very late spring (the year before we had an early spring) and now a freeze on Sept 13th. I guess you never know what to expect with the weather when you live here. Thinking about frost and freeze dates I pulled up the USDA frost and freeze chart by zones and thought I'd share it to help everyone plan their fall gardening.

Healthy Ideas for Lunch Storage

2011-09-09T13:22:00.001-05:00

ECOLunch box 3 in one

With back to school season in the air, (my husband is going back to school), I recently purchased a stainless steel lunch box by ECO Lunchbox purely on impulse because I thought it was so cool. I thought my husband might like it. Turns out the sandwich compartment was much smaller than expected and didn't work for him, but would fit a half sandwich just fine. I think this is such a cute idea for kids in school though that I had to share it. The lunch box is stainless steel and is tested lead free and is made in India (I'd prefer mad in USA but at least it's not China) and it stacks together. I love the idea that you don't need to have your food on plastic and it's reusable.

Reflections: Our Garden Year to Date

2011-09-06T20:38:00.000-05:00


our tomatoes have gone wild

I was being really good about posting an update once a week on our garden but I have slacked this month so here are my general comments on our garden for the month of August and year to date. The pictures taken in the third week of August.

What Went Wrong This Year

Our tomatoes were too heavy and prolific for our trellises. The trellises all collapsed under the weight and we couldn't even walk down the aisles making harvest difficult. We Used PVC pipes as a trellis and small foot long stakes for each plant. Next year we plan to make wooden trellises that are taller so we can walk under them but with wood and attached to each other. Like the picture I sketched on top of our tomato picks. We also plan to have individual tall cages for each plant
Our plants grew into our aisles too much because they were planted to close and the trellises were too close to the paths. Next year I plan to plant further away and put the trellises a few inches in.
Spinach never germinated I planted several times but it never took. Therefore we never used 1/16 of our garden. I should have started in the greenhouse to make sure the seeds were still good.

next years trellises

Squirrels ate our June harvest of strawberries and all of our corn harvest. Next year we will have to protect these crops better.
Beans and Peas were planted too late and lost out on crop yield

cilantro was planted too late
Purple Basil grew from seed but was overshadowed by the kale and never really grew even though I kept trimming back the kale by it.
Cucumbers I bought didn't grow any better than what I grew from seed. I think they need lots of light and seem to do well once off the ground. Next year I plan to stake the young seedlings to see if that helps.
I did not harvest our swiss chard and kale enough and will do better next year.
My Tea Garden was off to a rough start thanks to squirrels digging in them after I just planted seeds. I think next year I will start in a greenhouse only. Our stevia plant we bought did well though and so did our lemon balm and cat nip.

Lace Stenciled Cupcakes

2011-09-03T16:52:00.001-05:00

I found this wonderful idea at Sweet Verberia. How cute! Powder sugar and lace I love the simplicity. I know what I'm doing next time I make cupcakes for someone. Makes me want to make cupcakes....

Another Thief Caught in the Act This One Doesn't Have Fur

2011-09-02T16:10:00.002-05:00

While sitting on my couch looking out my front window typing my soon to be published blog post about our garden last month, I saw a person walk up my lawn by our house. I was on guard but figured it's most likely someone distributing our local paper. It was odd though that he rode up on our yard on a bike. They young man on the bike then proceeded to reach over and pick our cantaloupe off the vine and try to ride off with it. I ran out of the house, (just like I do with rabbits and squirrels), and said " What are you doing on my property?" (Only I don't say that to rabbits and squirrels, I feel like a guard dog). The guy said "I don't know" and put the melon down and drove off. Ironically our cantaloupe is about as far away from the sidewalk in front of our house as you can get. So it was a bit more of an obvious and brazen crime than if it was closer to the sidewalk. I like to try to get into people's heads. I wonder what went through the guys mind when he decided to steal our cantaloupe? Was it premeditated or a crime of opportunity?

I bet I scared the crap at of that guy! I bet he didn't think he was being watched. I guess he won't be come onto my lawn again or causing any trouble around my neighborhood any time soon. It's good for people to know that your watching. He probably thought nobody was home because it's a weekday and the afternoon. It's funny my uncle asked "Don't people pick things from your garden since it's in the front yard and by a busy sidewalk?" I hope we don't need to have a plan to protect our garden from people too. That's just sad.

Sweet Potato Pancakes With Peach Butter and Spiced Pecans

2011-09-02T14:27:00.002-05:00

Ezra Pound Cake

Nothing says fall breakfast like sweet potato pancakes! What a great way to get your veggie on in the mourning. This recipe is modified from Tupelo Honey Cafe (I used wheat and flax instead of all purpose flour and less sugar). I also changed the mashing of the sweet potatoes to using a food processor as my came out chunky. I used our home made maple syrup instead of the peach butter even though it sounds soooo good. It seemed silly since we have a nice stock pile of maple syrup. I also did not make the spiced pecans as that would have meant a trip to the store only for pecans and I was feeling lazy. I used walnut pieces instead since it's what I had on hand.
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups organic wheat flour
1/4 cup of ground flax
1 teaspoon pink salt
4 tablespoons sugar (or 1 tablespoon of stevia)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups buttermilk
3 large organic eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large sweet potato, roasted and cooled
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Spiced Pecans, recipe follows
Peach Butter, recipe follows

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter, and then add this to the dry mixture. Put the sweet potato, and honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a food processor and mix well. Add this mixture into the pancake batter. Let the batter stand for 1 hour (or you can make it a day ahead of time).

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add batter by the ladleful and cook the pancakes, in batches, until golden brown on each side. Serve immediately with Spiced Pecans and Peach Butter.

my pancakes, not as pretty as Ezra Pound Cake's but boy were they tasty!

Spiced Pecans:

1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon tupelo honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add all the ingredients and cook until the pecans are lightly brown and caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and store in an airtight container.

Yield: about 1 cup

Peach Butter:

1/2 cup peaches, peeled and diced
1/2 pound butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch sea salt

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

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Mystery Solved Corn Theif Caught

2011-09-01T10:07:00.002-05:00

the corn thief caught in the act

If you follow this blog you probably read in the results of our seed savers blue jade corn and strawberry popcorn, that we noticed something was eating our corn at the time it was probably 1-2 ears. We were assuming it was birds (crows most likely).

the evidence of the crime on our steps

Since that posting we have noticed lots of evidence and less and less popcorn on our plants. "Darn crows!" I would think every time I looked at our garden. Turns out I was wrong all along. It wasn't crows it was squirrels. My husband was laughing when he came home yesterday. He saw a squirrel crawl over our chicken wire and grab a cob off of our corn and then presiding to eat it in our neighbors yard. I got a picture. I caught you thief! Now at least we can plan better to protect our corn from squirrels next year. "Darn Squirrels!"

August Produce Tally

2011-08-31T22:01:00.001-05:00

Sugar Snap Peas 2.47 lb
Tomatoes 18.6 lbs
Greens 1.38 lb
Cucumbers 1.6 lb
Beans 1.44 lb
Broccoli 1.8 lbs
Potatoes 2.3 oz
Corn 10 oz
Popcorn (the squirrels ate most of it) 4 oz
Red Peppers 10 oz
Jalapeno 1 oz
2-3 small strawberries a day we eat them before we weigh it!
catnip
=28.89 lbs or about 29 lbs of total produce

We could have harvested more kale and swiss chard , and rhubarb than we did. I plan to be better at this is month and actually freeze some.

Click Here to see our July Produce Tally

Click Here for more of our garden updates

How to Make an Easy Inexpensive Wood Planter

2011-08-29T21:08:00.005-05:00

We have very limited space with sun in our backyard that has two huge trees canopying it. One of the few spots that we have sun is our asphalt covered back driveway. I figured we could fit up to 7 of these 3'x10.5"x 2' cedar boxes that I made if we want. I made it just deep enough according to Mel Bartholomew (the creator of the sq ft gardening method). He said raised beds only need to be 6" deep, so I made them 9" deep just to be safe. We put pea gravel on the bottom and then mixed equal part compost to peat moss. We then raised the beds with bricks to drain better (we plan to add 4 more than pictured) and to make them easier to use without using more wood than necessary (to keep costs down) I am just starting with one for fall crops (We planted arugula), and we will make more for spring.

Results of Our Seed Saver's Blue Jade Corn and Strawberry Popcorn

2011-08-26T09:26:00.001-05:00

This is our first year growing corn. We wanted to make sure we grew a heirloom seed and not GMO so we picked blue jade corn and strawberry popcorn from the seed saver's exchange. Blue Jade is a compact (can even be grown in containers) fast growing variety that sounds perfect for an urban garden in MN. Since we need warm weather crops here in zone 4 to grow as fast as possible!

Tips on How To Easily Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Meals

2011-08-22T09:19:00.003-05:00

Pesto on sandwiches and pasta is a great way to add veggies!

After learning about how many chronic diseases are linked to our lack of nutrition in our diets, I have come to the conclusion that fruits and veggies need to be the star of every meal if we truly want to have an ideal diet and ideal nutrition. That doesn't mean you have to go vegan or give up carbs completely (although you should eat unrefined only carbs and as little sugar as possible). Just don't make either the star. For example if you were having pasta I would have a small portion of pasta, use marinara sauce or pesto with extra veggies in it like fresh basil or spinach, garlic, onions, sun dried tomatoes and then I would have a side of vegetables like broccoli. Or if you were having steak, maybe you have a 4 oz portion instead of an 8 oz portion and maybe have a small sweet potato (less carbs than a potato), and a large portion of vegetables. Extra bonus of eating vegetables most nutritionist say it's OK to eat unlimited amount of veggies. That's right you can eat as much as you want if it's veggies. As Oprah once said you don't get fat eating veggies..... So maybe instead of counting calories you should just count servings of veggies.

This has led me to challenge the way I think about preparing meals. It's almost like a contest for me know, how many vegetables and fruit can I fit into this meal...? I have found it's surprisingly easy when you have the right pantry and freezer foods on hand and are just conscious of it. What you don't want to do is to buy a huge amount of fresh fruit and veggies and expect to use it all only to have most of it go bad and unused. This can really add up after awhile! So my first thought was to identify fruits and veggies that keep well and are easy to add into a wide variety of dishes and cook fast. I believe 70% of the work in cooking is planning. The easiest way to come up with a quick healthy meal is to have a well stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry with healthy versatile ingredients.

Baby Bunny Massacre In Our Garden

2011-08-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

One dead baby bunny exposed the rest are buried in the mulch

look closely and you'll see the cat eating the rabbit

Recently we have been seeing a baby bunny on our property. On Saturday I was harvesting catnip (our cat is so spoiled!) in our front planting bed and saw a baby bunny jump out. I was surprised because we did have this bed fenced off with chicken wire. That night we came home to 3 dead baby bunnies in the same planting bed. We think a grey neighborhood cat that I have seen trying to visit my cat by our window (also by the scene of the crime), was trying to say hi to our cat and saw the bunnies and had a feast. My husband assumed the cat would be back to finish it's feast sometime that night. We were hoping the rabbits would be gone by mourning so we wouldn't have to deal with it. I woke up to our cat freaking out by the window by the dead bunnies. The cat came back for his prey just as my husband assumed. I took a picture of the cat below. Our poor cat had to watch another cat eat bunnies right in front of him probably all night and mourning. That must have been torture! What's even worse is it happened right in front of his spot he spends 90 % of his time. Another cat hunting on his turf...

The planting bed we found the dead baby bunnies in

When the cat left we only saw the bunny pictured above so we thought the cat eat the rest, but we found while trying to properly dispose of the carnage that the cat had actually buried the bunnies in the mulch. I thought that was interesting. Was it trying to keep it away from bugs so it could come feast some more or just giving it a proper burial? The cat did come back to check out his prey and saw that it was gone yesterday. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of this cat and less bunnies around are yard....

Tomato and Pepper Experiment Results: How Big Can Tomato and Pepper Plants Grow In Cells

2011-08-14T09:31:00.007-05:00

our transplants August

Our Pepper transplant in August

Our biggest pepper transplant roots

When planting my tomato and peppers in early June I had a few left over with no where to plant them and figured I'd just leave them outside and either keep them as an experiment or transplant them into a container latter. I ended up keeping them as an experiment.

The Experiment:
If we left our transplants we started from seed that had it's second leaves in June in the cells and not transplant them how big could they get? Also how big would the roots be? Would there be more roots then soil? The transplants I started with barely had two roots even. We left it outdoors in a sunny place anchored with a brick for 2 months only watering when it was stressed. We didn't fertilize it or anything special.

one of the small transplants and it's roots

The Results:
Tomato Plants: One tomato transplant grew very big and healthy, I am guessing to it's 5th or 6th leaves, the rest not as big (probably to it's 4th leaves). The small transplants had a much more robust root system then the original transplants. The one large transplant was growing roots out of the container and through our cement steps.

Pepper Plants: Many died but of the few that survived one grew to about 5-6 leaves, the others 4-5 leaves. With decent roots for transplanting. I wonder how big they would have been if I had watered them more then the bear minimum to keep them alive. Next experiment? What has been your experience growing transplants from seed? I'd love to hear from you.

Our Big transplants roots

our big transplants roots

Fall Veggie Planting Schedule Zone 3-4

2011-08-08T15:27:00.001-05:00

Arugula Makes For a Good Fall Vegetable

Time to start planning for those fall crops. In Minneapolis our last frost date is September 15. If you plant directly in the garden make sure you keep the seedlings well watered. You may need to provide some shade during the hottest parts of the day, or provide a layer of mulch to help keep the soil a little cooler. If you live in a cooler climate, (like I do) say zone 6 to zone 4, try using vegetables that have quick maturity rates. A vegetable such as spinach, which is usually ready to pick in 35 to 40 days, would work nicely. I plan to plant more spinach (second time the charm?), arugula, lettuce, and bok choi, turnips, beets, and cilantro. Here is a list from the U of M of how frost hardy some vegetables are and maturity dates.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

2011-08-05T12:41:00.001-05:00

This is the first time I've actually ate our rhubarb, despite the fact it came with our house. I always freeze it intending to use it later only for it to get lost in the freezer. I derived this recipe from America's Test Kitchen's peach crisp recipe. I reduced the sugar content, replaced coconut oil for butter, added flax meal, wheat flour, and oatmeal in place of all purpose flour, and I added flour to the fruit mixture, because I felt it was too watery without it. So not too bad for a dessert!

July Produce Tally

2011-08-01T11:10:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to keep track of how much produce we are growing this year. I have not kept track in the past. This is not an exact tally as some times I got lazy and forgot to record and went back and recorded it based off of my guess from similar eyeballing it weigh ins of harvests this month. So it's a close but not an exact amount. One reason I am even doing this blog is to remind me to record stuff like this. It get's so easy to forget, but I am always wishing I kept better notes while doing my planning in the winter for our garden.

Raspberries 2.8 lbs
Lettuce 1 lb
Peas 12 oz
Kale 1 lb
Broccoli 1.7 lbs
Cilantro 4 oz
Rhubarb 12 oz
Strawberries just a few small berries (4 or 5) ate them before I weighed them!
Total Produce tally=8.25 lbs

I could have also harvested catnip and swiss chard but I have been too busy/ too lazy to harvest anything that doesn't need to be harvested at a specific time. If we had actually been able to plant our garden on time this year we obviously would have had more at this point. So it will be interesting to see what we will have next year at this time. What has you garden produced so far? Feel free to share!

Garden Update: July Week 4

2011-07-28T15:44:00.002-05:00

Garden A What is Doing Well:

Blue Jade Corn

Corn! It has been loving our heat. Can't wait to have blue corn and pink colored popcorn (it pops white). We are growing Blue Jade and strawberry popcorn from seed saver's exchange.
Kale: This is a rock star of my garden

broccoli

Broccoli: If I had not bought transplants we would not have already harvested broccoli. Our from seed broccoli has not produced yet.
Sugar Snap Peas: Are finally starting to produce(right when I had given up, yes we planted very late)

Simple Healthy Banana Nut Bread Recipe

2011-07-25T22:20:00.005-05:00

I used America's Test kitchen's recipe for Banana Bread and tweaked it to be a little healthier. I made it for some friends recently and it was so good I wanted to make it again! I used coconut oil in place of some of the butter, because it's healthier and coconut goes well with bananas. I also substituted all purpose flour with wheat and flax. I also reduced the amount of sugar in the original recipe. I did not add yogurt only because I did not have any in the house and did not feel like it was so important to the recipe that it justified a trip to the store. America's Test Kitchen claimed it helped make it moist without masking the banana flavor. They said their key was to also use very ripe bananas and to mash them instead of pureeing them. And to not over mix the batter. Click on read more for my recipe!

July 2011 week 2 Garden Update

2011-07-13T17:35:00.002-05:00

our tomatoes after pruning and trellising

I finally am getting the garden back in order after being busy teaching children sewing. Our tomatoes were so out of control that I had to trellis and prune them before I could even walk through our newly widened paths! It is so hard to imagine how over grown plants can get and creep into your pathways. While we did extend our pathways to just be wide enough to sit on, it's not as wide as author and inventor of the SQ ft method Mel Bartholomew suggested I thought it would be fine given that we didn't need to fit a wheel barrel through the aisles. Perhaps we should have.... maybe next year we will plant the tomatoes further away from the pathways, maybe 1 ft in instead of 6 inches.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Popsicle Recipe

2011-07-12T22:46:00.003-05:00

I finally had a chance to make chocolate peanutbutter popsicles! I think my husband (who's obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter) was more than happy that I plan to make this often. This is modifed from my hot chocolate and peanut butter recipe. Hmm.... what next for my adventures in popsicles? Let me know if you have any great recipes or ideas.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popsicles (makes 6, 2 oz pops)

1 1/2 cups of whole organic milk (not skim)

1/4 cup of organic half and half (or cream)

3 tablespoon of organic peanut butter (we get ours at Seward's co-op they grind the peanuts for you so good...)

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of stevia (to lower the sugar amount naturally, but could substitute with 2 tablespoons of sugar)

1/4 cup of cocoa

1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

heat on medium milk, cream, sugar, stevia, and peanut butter until almost boiling
make sure you have room in the freezer
turn the heat off and wisk in the cocoa slowly until incorporated
stir in chocolate chips until all melted and all ingredients are incorporated
pour in molds leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the top and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours

Here are some great pudding pop recipes (note I would only use trader joes vanilla pudding or organic pudding, many have partially hydrogenated oils and artifical colors and flavors)

Here is my coconut pops recipe

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Women Faces 93 Days in Jail For Planting a Veggie Garden

2011-07-10T10:24:00.002-05:00

Bass Family's Criminal Veggie Garden

I thought I'd post this news story just in case you haven't heard about it yet. This is one of those news stories everybody needs to hear about.

So here's the synopsis: The Bass family of Oak Park, MI had their front yard torn up due to sewer line work, so instead of planting grass again they decided to put in raised beds and grow veggies. One of their neighbors complained about the appearance of their yard and the city warned them to move the veggies to their backyard claiming veggies in the front yard because it is not "suitable" front yard plants. Meaning it is not typical for people to grow veggies in their front yard therefore they cannot. They refused (I would have too), and when they didn't they we're ticketed and now they are charged with a misdemeanor and if found guilty face up to 93 days in jail.

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The Dangers of BPA and Tips on How to Avoid It

2011-07-03T23:15:00.002-05:00

I have already made steps to avoid BPA. I use glass pryex containers with a BPA lid for food storage, and got rid of our plastic glasses, pitcher, strainer, measuring cups, and utensils. Of course we never microwave any food in plastic, only glass. We use filtered water in stainless steel water bottles and avoid buying food containers in plastic when given the option between a brand with glass or plastic. For things that only plastic is the option of course we only buy it if it is BPA free (like my recent purchase of a popsicle mold).
So I felt like we were all ok on the BPA front....until I recently started learning more about BPA and how it is in more items then I ever thought possible.

Chocolate, Strawberry Grilled Sandwich

2011-06-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

I got this idea from Backyard Farming: the urban homestead They had a version with cream cheese, so I thought," What if I use mascarpone cheese, white and dark chocolate and grill it with coconut oil?" So of course I had to try it. And now I am addicted. I often have it for breakfast or lunch. It's surprisingly filling and healthy even though it seems bad. Those are always my favorites! Great for a hot summer day (today has a heat index of over a 100 degrees).

Instructions

spread coconut oil on the bread
place on a medium heat griddle or cast iron skillet
spread Mascarpone cheese on each side
slice 1-2 strawberries and place on one piece of bread along with white and dark chocolate chips
place the other piece of bread on top, turn the heat off and cover, leave for a minute for the chocolate to melt and serve warm. Enjoy!

June Week 4 Garden Update

2011-06-29T12:48:00.001-05:00

Garden A

I have been teaching sewing for kids at a day camp and was not able to play in the garden last week, only to have a ton of weeding structures still to put up and overgrown tomatoes in need of support. It's been a lot of work this week but I think I'm finally caught up.

Strawberries: We would have had a small harvest if the squirrels hadn't got to it first. Plans to protect our strawberries are under way, (wire boarder fence with bird netting on top?). We got like 80% of ours from a neighbor's grandson. I believe it is June bearing, the ones we purchased are everbearing and just starting to flower and start strawberries now, so hopefully we can still save tihat crop. The strawberries we got from our neighbor were diseased but after transplanting them into better soil, they were in clay soil before, they have cleared up on their own, yea! I weeded and moved the runners to where I want it.
Raspberries: Just starting to have a handfull a day harvest

Cheese Bacon and Sun Dried Tomatoes Grits Recipe (Polenta)

2011-06-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

When your so busy you don't have time to cook, it makes you appreciate good food when you finally do have the time to cook! I've been dreaming of cheesy grits with bacon for days and I finally was able to make it. It was worth the wait!

What are Grits or Polenta Anyways?
If you are a northerner like me you have probably asked yourself this at some time. It's actually made from corn meal or hominy. Grits are usually prepared by adding one part grits to two-to-three parts boiling water, sometimes seasoned with salt or sugar. They are usually cooked for 15 – 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the grits become a porridge-like consistency.

Ingredients
(yields 2 servings) adopted from a Martha Stewart's recipe

1/2 cup of organic polenta
2 cups of whole organic milk
1/4 tsp of pink salt
course ground black pepper
1/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon of organic butter
1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes diced
4 slices of nitrate free pasture raised bacon cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tsp of crushed garlic (optional)
green onions to taste (optional)

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan on low and place bacon bits in it. Cook until golden brown and remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. Remove the grease but leave just a little to coat the bottom.
Put in two cups of milk and let it come to a boil and slowly mix in 1/2 cup of polenta. Turn down the heat to medium and add in garlic, butter, salt and peper, and cheese, stir frequently for about 6 min.
once thick turn off of heat and add sun dried tomatoes, green onions, and bacon and serve.

How to Protect Yourself Naturally From The Sun While Gardending

2011-06-28T08:54:00.008-05:00

I went out working on our landscaping project about a month ago on a sunny but cool day, not thinking about sun protection yet only to find myself burned all over. This got me thinking about sun protection in the garden early this year! I use to be one of those people avoiding the sun like a vampire and slathering on sunscreen constantly (I want to look young as long as possible), until I started thinking about what is probably in my sunscreen.....

Coconut Milk Popsicle Recipe

2011-06-24T11:35:00.005-05:00

I have been dreaming of making my own popsicles for the last few weeks. And now my dreams can come true because I purchased the star popsicle mold at Sur La Table that can also be purchased at amazon.com. I love it, especially the fact that it drips into the stick/top of the mold. No more messy popsicles! So much better than store bought pops. My favorite popsicle is coconut and given that I've been obsessed with coconuts after learning about the health benefits of coconuts of course I had to try.....

I first tried just adding coconut milk, stevia, and coconut flakes. That turned out too watery. So I looked at a variety of recipes and noticed a lot used sweetened condensed milk. So I added some to coconut milk and it was so...much better. Here is my version:

1 3/4 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

Mix the above ingredients together in a large measuring cup (2-4 cup size)
Pour into molds yields 2 cups of liquid (six popsicles for my mold), leave an 1/2 inch for expansion when feezing
Freeze for at least 4 hours in your mold and enjoy!

Look for more fun popsicle recipes to come while I play with my new molds!

My Organic Chocolate and Peanutbutter pops recipe

Organic Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe with Toppings Hidden Inside!

2011-06-15T10:42:00.001-05:00

How can you have a homemade pizza tonight and still have 2 in the freezer?
Just follow my pizza dough and sauce recipe. I know making things from scratch takes time, so why not make extra and freeze the rest for later? There is nothing better then having home cooked frozen meals fill your freezer instead of tasteless processed foods filled with GMO products and chemicals.

I posted my wheat and flax pizza dough recipe awhile ago, while making pizza yesterday I realized I should post my pizza sauce recipe too. If you look at my pizza dough recipe you will see that I usually make enough dough for at least 3 pizzas (depending on how large you make your pizza). We make one pizza and then freeze the dough. When I want to make pizza I take it out of the freezer the night before into the fridge or leave it on the counter the mourning of the day I want to make pizza. I also make enough sauce for 2-3 pizzas when I make the dough, use what I need for the pizza that night and freeze the rest in half pint jars (that are freezable). Just put the sauce in the fridge to defrost the night before you want to make pizza. The cool part about the sauce is I add the veggie toppings I like in the sauce, so all I have to do is put sauce on the dough, shred cheese and put on the pizza and bake. By following my methods you will have at least 2-3 homemade pizzas ready to go anytime you want. Who needs frozen pizzas? And forget takeout it takes less time to make it then for it to be delivered.

How to Build a Simple Build as you Grow Potato Bin

2011-06-14T10:33:00.007-05:00

I finally finished my build as you grow potato bin. Better late then never I hope. If you have been following my blog or are a gardener in MN you know we have had a late season and boy am I behind this year. This is our first time growing potatoes and I know it's very late in the season, but I figure it's still worth trying. It was so easy and inexpensive!

Simple Hummus Tahini Recipe

2011-06-07T14:42:00.002-05:00

When it's 100 degrees for a high, all you feel like eating is a snack. Why not make it a healthy snack?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of cooked chick peas (garbanza beans)
1/4 cup of tahini paste
1/2 cup of filtered water
5 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp pink salt
1 tablespoon garlic puree
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 dashes of hot sauce

Instructions
Place in a food processor until blended, and serve with veggies for a super healthy snack!

Freezing Tip How to Avoid Having to use Canned Chick Peas: I cook a lot of chick peas at once (since they take an 1hr and a half to cook) and then place the extra in half pint canning jars that are freezable leave a bit of room for it to expand and freeze it. Just place in the fridge the night before you want to use it to defrost.

Click Here to view more healthy snack recipes

Garden Update: June 2011 week 2

2011-06-07T12:23:00.002-05:00

Garden B
Broccoli
We purchased the broccoli plants since all but two of our transplants we started from seed died (pictured at the left in the middle). Every yr we plant broccoli directly with no problems but this year we started to late due to the weather and our huge landscaping project of expanding our garden.
Cucumbers
All but one of our cucumber transplants died so I bought some cucumber plants (but haven't planted yet since it has been so hot) I guess I should have waited because now some of the cucumber seeds I planted is starting to sprout (pictured at the left) Happy surprise! I hope they live. I so want lots of cucumbers so I can make lots of my cucumber drink this summer! Last two years I haven't been able to grow cucumbers, but the previous year (our first yr gardening) cucumbers were all that grew! The only question is where should I plant the cucumber plants I just bought if my new cucumber plants survive?

Digging up our Lawn and building a SQF Garden: Part 3 we're done!

2011-06-07T10:08:00.001-05:00

Our finished SFG garden June 2011

I've been so busy these last two weeks! I've been working my butt off in the garden. I have a serios farmer's tan to prove it! We finished our new garden! I love it. So worth the work.

We have two garden plots of 4 3X5 feet squares. I'm calling one Garden A and the other Garden B. I am loving our new wider paths! I can actually sit down now while I garden, and it's just wide enough to fit a step stool to help pound in the trellises with a mallet. Due to the odd shape of our garden plot and to maximize the planting space we had we used 4 bricks for the vertical path and 5 bricks for the horizontal path. We used landscaping fabric under the paths to discourage weeds and we used course sand in between the brick pavers. We chose to use brick pavers with a brick mow row to make our garden so that it would be easy maintenace. We can easily mow up to the garden (no weed wacking) and it won't rot so we shouldn't need to ever replace. Plus I think it looks better.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is Back on again My Favorite Clips from the Show this season and last

2011-06-03T13:29:00.003-05:00

I am not a big reality TV fan, but I am if you can learn a lot of great info. I started watching this show last season and it really was one of the reasons along with watching the movie Food Inc. that I started opening the Pandora's box of what is really in our food. Last season he sat a family down and showed them all the ingredients of what was in their food. The ingredients had little recognizable foods and many test tubes.....

Refreshing Sugar Free Strawberries and Iced Tea Drink Recipe

2011-06-02T07:54:00.006-05:00

I am trying to cut out as much sugar as possible from my diet and limit my grains to only unrefined grains. The most important and easiest way to cut out sugar from your diet is to avoid sugar beverages and processed foods. I mostly drink water, coffee (with organic half and half and sweetened with stevia), and tea. We only drink natural sodas once in a while as a treat and we split the bottle, and we juice organic apples, ginger, and carrots in our juicer, and have a small amount of organic OJ. That's about all we typically drink. Which is fine in the winter but in the summer I crave sweet drinks more often.

What do you Get When You Don't Touch Your Compost Pile for 3 years?

2011-05-31T12:18:00.004-05:00

Our 3X3X3 chicken wire outdoor compost bin 2011

We started composting about 3 years ago with an open outdoor chicken wire compost pile. We put our leaves, shredded paper, and kitchen scraps (no meat or animal products) faithfully into it but neglected to turn it hardly ever. I'm embarrassed to say we probably only turned it 2 times a year. And we have never used our own compost. Well this year we were excited to harvest our black gold thinking we wouldn't need to buy any compost this year.

Why Should You Feed You Cat a Grain Free Diet?

2011-05-30T17:36:00.004-05:00


An Option we are considering for Mr Cat's Dry food

This weekend we decided to go shopping and researching at Chuck and Don's for better food for Mr Cat. I know what we currently feed him isn't the best, but I didn't know what else to get him. While I haven't done a lot of research on grain free pet foods, but I was thinking that it probably would be best to go grain free since logically cats would never eat grains in the wild it can't be good for them. I think it only makes sense to feed them as close to a meat only diet as possible. Also what do we feed livestock to

Morroccan Beef Pot Roast with Honey Glaze Crockpot Recipe

2011-05-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

MN is known for their crockpot or slow cooker recipes. I'm so Minnesotan cause I love crockpot recipes because they're so easy. In these days when making a home cooked meal is so important and time is so limited in most peoples lives, crockpots are awesome. The only drawback to using crockpot recipes is they can be boring after awhile. I have a few recipes that are completely different for the crockpot that are so good...and not your typical crockpot recipe. This is one of them!

Are You Feeding Your Cat Petroleum Products? You might be...

2011-05-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

I found the need to get a kitty laxative/hairball relief, don't ask it's a long story, and was horrified at the ingredients listed under the typical hairball elimination paste. Thank god I read ingredients! The main ingredients you ask? Mineral oil and Petroleum Jelly, which are by products of oil production. Yuck! I'm sure that's great for them. Lets feed them oil to eliminate fur balls....hmmm....?

Thank goodness I found a natural version! No petroleum products for Mr Cat! The one I purchased is pictured on the left. It basically has cooking oils and flax and cod oil, with soy lechitin and beeswax. Much better!

Digging up our Yard and Turning it into a SQ Ft Garden: Part 2

2011-05-24T10:08:00.003-05:00

Oh the weather this year in MN...... Has not been conductive for a gardener that plans to do major landscaping before planting! We are approaching the last frost day here (May 25) with our landscaping/ creation of our garden still not done. Ekk! It just keeps raining. I feel bad for our farmers, an consumers....food prices are going to go up as a result of late planting here in the Midwest.

Documentary Trading On Thin Air: Review And Link To Watch

2011-05-22T19:40:00.002-05:00

This movie does a good job of arguing the cost of following through with the proposed carbon tax. I did think some of the editing could have been better and some of the conversations between the film makers could have been cut out, but other then that a very good and important documentary to watch.

How to Make Annie's Mac and Cheese Creamier and Easily add More Veggies

2011-05-20T09:19:00.001-05:00

If you read my blog you know that I am trying to eliminate as much processed foods as possible. But I do have the occasional processed food product here do and there like Mac and Cheese. I do at least get Annie's Organic Mac and Cheese.

How To Make Annie's Mac and Cheese Rich and Creamy
I have found that by following the instructions on Annie's Mac and Cheese, (not adding anything to the cooked pasta except the powdered mix) it does not turn out very good. It' s not very creamy and cheesy. Here is what I did to make it more creamy:

add 1 tablespoon of organic 1/2 and 1/2 (or you could do 1/4 cup of organic whole milk),
1 tablespoon of organic butter or olive oil
sprinkle some shreaded extra sharp cheddar cheese on top (could mix some in and sprinkle on top too if you want to be extra cheesy

By being more aware of the nutritional, filling, and low cal miracles of veggies I have been trying to add as much to every meal as I can. Just think you can eat as many vegteables as you want no limits. No one ever became over weight from eating vegetables! And just think if you had a variety of vegetables in every meal what kind of variety of nutrition you would get. The hard part is how do you have a variety of vegetables around without going to the market every few days? I have found the easiest vegtables to work into a variety of dishes that keep for a long time are sun dried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and frozen organic spinach.

How To Add More Veggies to Mac and Cheese In No Extra Time

While boiling the pasta, put the diced onions, and frozen spinach into a small saute pan on medium to low heat remove from heat once spinach is no longer frozen and onions are cooked.
When pasta is done (about 10 min) drain the pasta (reserve a little of the pasta water in case you need to add a little to the pasta to thin out the sauce.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil, 1 tablespoon of organic 1/2 and 1/2 or 1/4 cup of organic whole milk, sun dried tomatoes, garlic,and cheese sauce and combine.
Add spinach and onions once cooked,(your spinach and onions should be done by the time your pasta is ready).
sprinkle some extra sharp cheddar cheese on top and bread crumbs or ground flax seed (for ALA Omega 3, fiber, and protein) (optional)

FDA Year long Sting Opperation on the Amish For Selling Raw Milk

2011-05-13T18:12:00.009-05:00

Rainbow Acres Amish farm in Pennsylvania were subjected to a year long sting operation on Amish farmers for selling raw milk by the FDA. Really? Better get those Amish you know how much trouble they make. They're a danger to our heath. Really? The agent purposely took the milk across state lines so it would qualify as interstate commerce. Did they really need to do a sting? They make it sound like it's a drug operation. It's the Amish selling milk....I just don't get it.

Inexpensive Idea On Storing Your Bulk Goods

2011-05-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

I have realized when I go grocery shopping I basically avoid the middle aisles. Shopping is so much easier now. Fresh fruits and veggies, meat , dairy and the bulk aisle. The only problem I have encountered with my new healthier shopping patterns is what to do with all the bulk items I am now buying? Where do I put them? My pantry is looking a mess. We refuse to use any plastic containers for food storage and try to avoid having plastic by our food as much as possible. I thought about going to IKEA to get some glass containers to store everything in until I had a thought, "What about using wide mouth canning jars?" I tried it and for most smaller items it worked great! I used it for items like yeast, nuts, beans, and grains like barley. We used large glass containers from IKEA for items like flour, pasta, and sugar.

Breaking News: Mr Cat Breaks Into Our Greenhouse and Kills Some Seedlings

2011-05-05T17:56:00.002-05:00

I was horrified and laughing at the same time this mourning to find my cat yet again breaking into our greenhouse that we hoped would be cat proof. Obviously our plan failed....

We have plenty of plants that should have been transplanted a while ago, but due to our late season, and constant rain interfering with expanding our garden. Hopefully we can transplant the before Mr Cat gets to them again!

We Over Wintered Our Carrots By Accident: Happy Spring Surprise!

2011-04-28T20:28:00.001-05:00

Our Garden April 2011

Digging up or garden we found a happy surprise. Carrots! I thought it was a weed at first and tried to pull it out. I totally forgot about. In the fall we went from 70 degrees one week to a major snow storm the next week. And the snow never melted all season! Needless to say lats of fall cleanup was neglected. Harvesting carrots was one of them.

The carrot I pulled up thinking it was a weed

I had read in "Gardening Month by Month in MN" that you could overwinter your carrots. So I was hoping it would work. It did! I am so going to do this again. I plan to plant enough to last in the pantry for winter and to over winter too. I guess you just have to make sure to mulch well. Luckily we did anyway. Good thing I read this article because it said to take it out in early spring before it starts to bloom because it will be inedible.

New Breakthrough on Alzheimers It's Really Diabieties of the Brain

2011-04-28T07:39:00.003-05:00

On the Dr Oz Show they discussed a new medical breakthrough in Alzheimers. Apparently it is actually diabieties of the brain. This is huge! My grandmother had Alzheimers and I never got a chance to know her. So I've seen the devastating effects of this disease first hand. I've also had to have in the back of my mind the question, "Will this happen to me too one day?".

If you have been reading my blog you know that I am very interested in learning how to have a healthier diet and lifestyle. I like to share what I learn from my research and how I am using this knowledge in my own life. While researching nutrition I have often come across many claims of eating a certain way reducing the risk of Heart Disease, Diabities, Alzheimers, and sometimes Cancer is mentioned. I wondered if there is some kind of link between these diseases. It would just make sense based on my research.

Forks Over Knifes Documentary: Adresses The Question Why Are We All So Sick?

2011-04-27T16:39:00.002-05:00

I can't wait to watch this documentary. It addresses the question why are we all getting sick and dying despite our medical advancements? This is the very question I had that led me to changing my lifestyle and inspiration for starting this blog. Although I have been fortunate to have a family not nearly affected by Diabetes, Cancer, and Heart Disease as most, I still feel like I hear about someone I know having all of the above mentioned diseases far too often. It made me wonder why? I don't buy the it's just your genes argument. I think something else is going on. I am hoping to come to my own answer to this question and will share with you what I read or watch to find these answers. I encourage you to form your own opinions and answer this question for yourself. What makes sense to you? I'd love to hear your comments on this movie or subject!

Why is it that Chinese people rarely have any of the major diseases (Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc.), until they started having a more western diet? This question spurred the China Study. The documentary talks about the China Study. Perhaps I'll read the book about the China Study before seeing the movie. The China Study refers to a 20 year research project on diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan by Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. The Study encompassed over 100 villages across China. The findings were that a diet high in animal-based foods is associated with chronic disease, while those eating primarily a plant-based diet were the healthiest. They argue that we must avoid meat, dairy and processed foods.

Could this movie turn me into a vegetarian? Probably not, but I am trying to limit my animal products (tonight I'll have half the steak portion I usually have for example). And I am so in love with coconut right now, (luckily I've always loved the taste of it), that I am trying to replace cow's milk with coconut milk (you can find it next to the soy, rice, and almond milk). I like how Dr Oz says to think of meat as your side dish not the main course. Baby steps...

http://www.forksoverknives.com/
The movie opens on May 6 See ya there!

Digging up Our Lawn and Turning it Into a Square Foot Garden with a Brick Mow Row

2011-04-23T09:26:00.005-05:00

Our Current Garden

We've had such a late spring here in MN our garden expansion plans have been delayed. It even snowed 3 days ago and has been raining almost ever day! Finally I was able to start on this massive project. We are expanding our current garden to make room for wider paths (1 ft paths what were we thinking?! That was a nightmare last season). Which means removing sod and completely relaying most of the current bricks we have.

Digging up our Lawn to create a sq ft Garden

We plan to duplicate our current expanded garden across our pathway in order to double our current garden size along with other expanded beds that we will do after this project, hopefully tripling the size of last years garden.

The Best Healthy Fudge Brownies Recipe

2011-04-19T16:56:00.011-05:00

My Goal? Healthy brownies that actually taste really good. I gotta say these are the best brownies I think I've ever had! MMMMM...I had it with Breyer's Dulce de Leche ice cream.

Why Is This Recipe Healthy?
I altered an America's Test Kitchen recipe to have a little less fat (and a healthier fat) and a little less sugar. I also increased the nutrition in this recipe by using coconut oil instead of butter, which is an amazingly good oil for you. It's high in miracle agent lauric acid and can help stimulate weight loss. I replaced the all purpose flour with organic wheat pastry flour for higher nutrition and a more tender texture. I also added 1 tablespoon of flax meal for some ALA Omega 3's and added fiber and protein. And of course I used organic eggs for added vitamin E and D and Omega 3's DHA. And I used pink salt for added trace minerals (and no chemicals).

Grass Fed Animal Products Have Higher Omega and Cancer and Heart Disease Fighting Vitamins and Help You Lose Weight Too!

2011-04-11T18:50:00.004-05:00

Grass fed animals products, actually have less bad fat, more good fat (omega 3),more vitamins, and less calories. Who knew?

Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten different ways, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date. The 2009 study was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:

Lower in total fat
Higher in beta-carotene
Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
Higher in total omega-3s
A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
Higher in CLA (the good fat), reduces weight, and prevents heart disease and cancer. In animal studies, very small amounts of CLA have blocked all three stages of cancer: 1) initiation, 2) promotion, and 3) metastasis. Most anti-cancer agents block only one of these stages. What's more, CLA has slowed the growth of an unusually wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast, prostate, and colon. Ip, C., J. A. Scimeca, et al. (1994). "Conjugated linoleic acid. A powerful anticarcinogen from animal fat sources." Cancer 74(3 Suppl): 1050-4.
Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

S.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”

Eggs from Pastured Hens are far Richer in Vitamin D

Eggs from hens raised outdoors on pasture have from three to six times more vitamin D than eggs from hens raised in confinement. Pastured hens are exposed to direct sunlight, which their bodies convert to vitamin D and then pass on to the eggs.

Vitamin D is best known for its role in building strong bones. New research shows that it can also enhance the immune system, improve mood, reduce blood pressure, combat cancer, and reduce the risk of some autoimmune disorders.

This latest good news about eggs comes from a study just released by Mother Earth News. The editors found that eating just two eggs will give you from 63-126% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.

This benefit comes only from hens that are free to graze fresh greens, eat bugs, and bask in the sun. Most of the eggs sold in the supermarket do not meet this criterion. Even though the label says that the eggs are “certified organic” or come from “uncaged” or “free-range” hens or from hens fed an “all-vegetarian” diet, this is no guarantee that the hens had access to the outdoors or pasture.

Look for eggs from “pastured” hens. You are most likely to find these superior eggs at farmer’s markets or natural food stores.

Find eggs grass fed products in your Area at eatwild.com (article info originated from eatwild)
Watch a video clip on CLA's (the good fat) on the Dr Oz Show

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