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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

It's that time again

We've been really enjoying the strawberries!
Yesterday I was able to get 25 lbs. of organic Bing cherries.  Thanks to a friend who loaned me a cherry pitter, Hannah and I were able to pit them all in a short time.  That was a real blessing.  One year my step mom was here with my dad and we had gotten 40 lbs. of cherries - which she pitted ALL BY HAND!  Took for - ev- er.  Tell me that's not love!  

Our favorite is to eat all this fresh goodness...well, fresh, but we also like to make jam.  Jam adds such nice flavor to homemade, fluffy biscuits.  It also makes nice gifts.  I'm always so tickled when my friend sends me her special jam made from fruit from her little orchard. {If you are reading this, Karen, yes, that's a hint!!!!}

A few years ago, I found this product. 
Pomona's Pectin. 
I have had great results with it.  What I love about it - is that it is flexible.  You can muliply your batches of jam (I often quadruple mine) and use very little (or a lot) of any kind of sweetener you like.  One year we made jam using raw honey.  However, we didn't care for those results.  The honey kind of "muddied" the color of the jam and the flavor overpowered the berries, even though I thought I used it sparingly.

Now, I use organic sugar.  I feel like it's a good choice.  It is a natural sweetener - from the sugar cane that God created and it is minimally processed.  I just don't use a lot of it.  
Yesterday I made strawberry jam (that's my kids' favorite).  I used 16 cups of fruit and only 1-1/2 cups of organic sugar.  That's not even quite 10%. 

My personal favorite flavor of jam is tri-berry. It's a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Since I have to wait for blueberries to come into season - that's when the freezing of berries is most helpful. 

I just flash freeze my fruit.  All you do is place your fruit on cookie sheets and place in the freezer for about an hour.  Then scoop off the fruit and put in marked gallon Ziploc bags for future use.  Be sure to label it well with the contents, date and intended use. For example,
"organic whole strawberries, 2012, use for smoothies" or  
"organic, raspberries, 2012, use for tri-berry jam"

Flash freezing is so helpful since sometimes you might be short on time.  This way it's ready for you when you are ready.  I do try to get to making the jam sooner than later though. Kind of that minset of, "Don't put off to tomorrow, what you can do today."

What's your favorite jam flavor?  Do you have a favorite recipe?  Who taught you how to make jam?

I love this endearing art that anyone can do - city-dwellers and farmers alike!

Link up to Homestead Rivival's Barn Hop 67 for more homesteading ideas.
   



Friday, June 22, 2012

YUM



3 full flats of organic bliss!  Caleb and Hannah picked them for me.  What sweeties they are! - The children and the berries :-)  They were able to pick all these in just a couple of hours...and in the nick of time too...before it started to rain.
We try to go to the same U-Pick farm every year.  I love it because 1) they are a certified organic farm, 2) they are only $1.50/lb. and 3) They are close to ME.  (Yes, me who lives waaaay out in the country!)
Our tradition since forever long ago is that on the night of berry picking we have waffles with whipped cream and our fresh strawberries for dinner. 
This morning, when I reminded Dan of enjoying our strawberries for dinner tonight his reply was, "That's the best dinner ever.  I love this Friday night!".
 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

It's just a better choice

I didn't really intend for this to become a little mini-series, but I did want to touch on the topic of organic meat because I said I would.
If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I have hunters in the home.  We eat what they bring home...deer, bear.  We would eat elk too, if ever they could get one!  I'd consider those "free range", but not organic, since I've no idea what or where they have fed on.  We like all meats and sea foods, but lately I've come to the conclusion that not all are a healthy choice.
You know the age old adage of,  "You are what you eat"?  Well, I think there is a whole lot of truth in that statement. 

Think logically with me for a minute; why are there warnings about mercury in fish, or pesticides in beef, or hormones in chicken?  Because.... drum roll, please.....
they are what they eat too!  It's obvious that those things (mercury, pesticides, and hormones) are absorbed into their meat or there wouldn't be warnings against them.  Ultimately, we eat what they eat. 

With that in mind - you can make educated decisions on what you want to add/subtract from your eating lifestyle.  I say lifestyle as that describes what you eat on a regular basis. 

I have found it fascinating to read in the Bible what God considered to be a clean food.
In all three categories, mammals, birds, and fish - NONE were carnivorous, none were scavengers. 
(Again - it's the "they are what they eat" principle!)  Predators have their function - they keep population explosions of other animals in check.  Scavengers have their function - they are part of the disposal system.  Knowing that, might change your outlook on your meat choices too.

Am I saying that we don't enjoy ham or bacon?  Nope.  Last year, we raised a hog and had a freezer full of pork.  But, knowing what I know now, I'd rather buy a side of grass fed beef.  See what I mean? It's just a better choice.  We can still enjoy a ham for Christmas.  Same with fish - we chose wild over farmed, but when we take our family vacation to the seaside - you KNOW, we'll enjoy a cup of hot clam chowdah!  We haven't made the switch with chicken yet.  I still buy the two pack of Foster Farms whole chickens at Costco.  We do what we can, a little at a time.   It's a lifestyle of eating that will make a difference, I believe.

Ultimately, God knows the number of my days. (Psalm 139) I can not change that.  Healthy eating will not prolong my days, but it will likely ward off a whole host of diseases that affect quality of life.  I want to live an active, joyful life, playing with my children - and my children's children.

Just a little food for thought.     ;-)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Got good milk?



Proverbs 27:27, " And there will be goats' milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and sustenance for your maidens."

I find it interesting that the Bible mentions goats' milk for your food rather than cows' milk.  The structure of goats' milk is so much more similar to human breast milk than cows' milk. The proteins in goats' milk are much smaller and therefore tolerated easier.   I've heard many people say they don't like the taste of goats' milk.  I have to agree, store bought goats' milk isn't very good.  If you are blessed enough to live near someone who has dairy goats - you should give it another try.  Goats' milk done right tastes like sweet cream! 
That said,  most people don't have access to farm fresh, raw goats' milk.  If you don't have dairy sensitivities cows' milk is fine, but let me share with you some facts so you can see why buying organic milk might be your best option. 

Modern feeding methods that substitute high-protein, soy-based feeds for fresh green grass is one of the problems.  Everything the animal eats comes through in its milk.  it's garbage in - garbage out! 

Breeding methods to produce cows with abnormally large pituitary glands so that they produce three times more milk than the old fashioned scrub cow are common place.   Even if you purchase dairy products labeled that the cows were not feed the rBGH (Bovine growth hormone) you still need to consider that these cows need antibiotics to keep them well. 

Finally, if you are even able to find milk that is labeled hormone and antibiotic free - then you need to consider the handling processes of milk.  Milk is pasteurized so that any harmful bacteria is destroyed, but in the process, it also destroys all valuable enzymes.  The newest procedure is ultra-pasteurization, which literally destroys any and all health benefits of milk!  It is impossible to make cheese with ultra-pasteurized milk because the structure is changed so significantly.  I know that many of you may never make cheese, but the point is - YOU CAN'T.

Organic milk is expensive - twice the cost, in fact. 

I think we ask a lot of bodies and should try to nourish them the best we can.  If you can't afford to make the switch, consider making half your purchase of organic and half regular.  At least you will be cutting your consumption of the not so good choice in half.   :-)

Friday, June 15, 2012

The Dirty Dozen


This post isn't about the movie, The Dirty Dozen {though a great "guy" movie}, but rather this kind of dirty dozen....

Let me apologize beforehand, if this post seems a bit "preachy", but I'm just passionate about healthy food and am easily outraged when the public is misinformed by big corporate food growers! 

For this post, I'll just touch on fruits and vegetables.  I'll talk about meat, dairy and other foods another time.

Going organic can be spendy, but it doesn't have to be if you know what MUST be bought organic and what things are not as critical.  In general, tree fruits, berries, leafy greens dominate the list. Since the USDA tests produce after a typical household preparation, fruits and vegetables with thick skins that are removed before eating (melons, avocado, corn, etc.) tend to have the lowest amounts of pesticide residue.

I thought I'd post the list of the top 12 things that have been found to have the highest pesticide residue. {Hence the name "The Dirty Dozen"} Keep this list with you when you are grocery shopping as a handy little reminder. :-) 

1.  Apples (this also means apple juice and apple sauce)
2.  Celery
3.  Strawberries
4.  Peaches
5.  Spinach
6.  Nectarines
7.  Grapes (this also means raisins, and quite possibly wine)
8.  Sweet bell peppers
9.  Potatoes (sweet potatoes are a good alternative with much less residue)
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale and Collard Greens

One little caveat to this list.  The other enemy is GMO (geneticallly modified organisms).  Avoid GMO foods like the plague! To learn more about this go here and here.  The three most common GMO foods are soybeans, corn, and canola oil. 

I avoid soy.  It is not the health food they would like you to think it is.  For information on soy go here.  You also might have thought you were choosing a healthy oil to use.  Instead of canola oil, use olive oil or coconut oil.

Here are some facts you should know...

100% organic labeled food will not have any pesticides at all - so of course, if your budget allows, that is the most desirable.

Organic means 95% is organic with 5% being approved non organic ingredients.

"Farm Fresh" doesn't always mean organic - so ask your local farmer or farm stand owner!

Until recently, I assumed GMO food could not be called "organic." The U.S. and Canada both prohibit 100% certified organic food from containing GMO ingredients. However, contamination of the crops may cause organic food to contain some percentage of GMO ingredients.  {Monsanto should be STOPPED!! That's another post for another day!}

Also - the peeps (managers) at Trader Joe's have told me that anything with a Trader Joe's label is non-GMO, even products that are not 100% organic. {But I've not seen that in writing.}

I hope this list helps you buy healthy, delicious produce this summer season.
Enjoy that fresh goodness!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Birthday Pook

Look who just turned 6!  I know!  We all say it, "I can't believe she's ..... already!"  "Where does the time go?"  "I remember her arrival like it was just yesterday."   BUT IT'S TRUE!  I can't believe she is 6 already! Where does the time go?! and I do remember her labor and delivery like it was just yesterday!

Here are some fun things to know about our sweet Elisabeth (Ellie).
  •   She just recently lost a front tooth and the next one is quite loose too.
  •   Her hair reaches to the bottom of her back, even though we cut about 9" off last year. 
  •   Her favorite thing to eat is "red nothing soup". {tomato soup}
  •   Her new favorite thing to do is play with Legos.
  •   She loves to be read to and always wants to "do school", but it doesn't come easy for her.
  •   Her favorite color is pink.
  •   She LOVES octopuses.
  •   She is on the small side - only 44" tall and a whopping 38 lbs!!  (At this rate, she'll NEVER get out of a car seat!)
To celebrate birthdays, we usually forego the usual "party" and go on a family outing of their choice instead.  Ellie chose the Reptile Zoo.
The Bunch

She loved the snakes!  I loved the glass between me and the snakes!

A two-headed turtle...really!

Ellie with her souvenier snake she named "Alice".
  Sunday, being her actual birthday, she woke up bright and early (well, she ALWAYS wakes up bright and early!)  She opened gifts before we left for church.  A potluck breakfast was previously planned for that day - that worked out well! 
Abbie, Hannah, and Mary

Fun gifts

So nice to have a big brother to help


This might come in handy



 A sweet friend of the family baked a special cake and brought it to church for her. It was a delicious carrot cake. 


Later that afternoon, Sarah was able to come over and spend some time with us too.

 Hannah also made Ellie a special cake...an octopus cake. Too cute. She loved it.


Not quite in one breath, but almost.
 What a special girl you are, Ellie.  We love you!!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

A cookbook I think you'll love

Have you seen this book? 

I had not until recently.
Kind of a funny story...Julie at Blissfully Content is the neighbor/friend of my friend, Kimberlee.  Anyway, Julie loaned this book to Kimberlee and on my recent visit to see her she shared it with me.  It's such a lovely book that I had to order it from our library so I could drool pour over the pages. 
So far, I love everything about it! 
First of all - I love the look of it.  The photographs are beautiful...lots of farm animals in peaceful settings.  Makes you want to drive to the country (if you don't already live there).  The pictures of the food are so appealing too. 
Then there is the feel of it. The pages are so nice.  They are thick and a matte finish rather than glossy.  I think the pictures are enhanced by the fact that there is no glare from the use of glossy paper.  Each two page spread features a recipe and farm style photos.
The recipes are simple, yet delicious.  So far, I've tried two and both have been really good.  I can't wait to try more. 
The ingredients are basic and the instructions uncomplicated.  The result - food the whole family will like and be nourished by.
Banana Bread...muffins

The topper for me is that this isn't just a book on prairie style food (I was sort of expecting a modern day Little House on the Prairie type of theme by the name of it), but rather, it's a farm book -encouraging us to eat, natural, whole foods grown on local farms.  Not everything featured in this book is "organic", but it is all natural, pesticide free, GMO free.  Local farm food is clean food that doesn't have to travel thousands of miles to your super market.
I also love that she says that gardening, harvesting, baking, cheese making, preserving, pickling and more are all "artisanal practices"!  YES!  Homemaking is so underrated. You know, some may see these things as a way to save money {and they are!}  Some may see these things as old fashioned and time consuming {and they are that too} but I sure have a lot of fun blessing my family with homemade goodness that I know is not only satisfying and delicious, but healthy too.
I encourage you to add this book to your summer reading list. 
Below is the recipe for Vegetable Bread Pudding.  Kimberlee served this to us for lunch when we visited. ALL of my children loved it and so did I - so much so that I'll be making it in a day or two for us to enjoy again.

1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups fresh spinach, cooked and strained
2 cups ripe Roma tomatoes (or other small plum tomatoes, diced.)
1 baguette, cut into 1 " think slices
2 cups thinly sliced cooked red potatoes
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
sea salt and ground pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a skillet saute the onion in olive oil until tender.  Add the spinach and tomatoes.  Cook 1 minute more and remove from heat.

3.  In a 12" cast iron skillet or ovenproof dish, layer half of each: baguette slices, potatoes, and cheese, in that order.  Top with all the onion, tomatoes, and spinach mixture.  Add the remaining baguette slices, potatoes, and cheese. 

4.  In a bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the milk, Tabasco and salt and pepper, and pour over the layered bread and vegetables in the skillet.

5.  Bake, uncovered for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean.

Serves 4-6


Photobucket

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Lang may yer lum reek

That's an old Scottish saying for "May you live long and stay well".
Scottish? you say.  By the name of our blog, I'm sure you thought we were French...and we are...on my husband's side.  My side is Scottish. 
My children are proud of their family heritage on both sides.  Whenever any family comes to visit, the children love to sit and hear all the old stories and learn all they can about their family history.
My Aunt has done extensive research on our family lineage, tracing all the way back to the Mayflower!  She also owns a family cottage on Deer Isle in Maine.  Deer Isle was the original settling place for my ancestors, the Greenlaws - there and Nova Scotia.
There was a Greenlaw reunion on Nova Scotia a few years ago.  Through letters, my aunt shared extensively with the children, especially Caleb, about the activities, the ceremonies, the games.  A special tartan was even created for the Greenlaw sect. 
Lots of letters are shared between the children and their great aunt.  Caleb expressed on a number of occasions to her that he would very much like to have a kilt in the Greenlaw tartan, but how that seemed a far-off dream!  Because of the many pleats, kilts require a lot of fabric.  In one book, he read that it takes 9-1/2 yards! Our special tartan fabric is rare and quite expensive.  Caleb's goal was to save enough money to be able to buy the yardage needed to have a kilt made.  During the time of the reunion, Aunt Barbara made several contacts and one was with a kilt-maker.  She recently contacted him to find out just how much yardage was needed to make a kilt.  To her happy surprise it required much less than the 9-1/2.  His dream was getting closer.   Caleb had enough money saved for the fabric.  For a graduation gift, Aunt Barbara arranged to get the fabric sent from Deer Isle to Mr. MacIsaac, the kilt maker on Nova Scotia Island and paid for his labor costs to have it made! 

Yesterday, a package arrived for Caleb...from Nova Scotia




 The flashes



   Does he look happy...or what?!

 The Kilt!


The workmanship is amazing.  The MacIsaac's were such a pleasure to work with.  When my aunt first arranged this whole thing, she instructed me to go to their website to see how to measure Caleb and then to call Mac MacIsaac and speak with him about the measurements and how I took them...just to be sure.  I measured, remeasured, and remeasured!  I was so nervous.  There was a lot at stake, but Mr. MacIsaac set all my fears at ease.   You'll have to wait to see Caleb wearing it.  The first time will be to his graduation.  He will wear it with pride.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Day trippin'


Ahh, the bunch is back together again!  It had been a couple of months since they were able to see each other.  One of our goats was on "holiday" at our friends' farm.  It was time to pick her up.  Can you say,  "Road Trip"?  Can you hear the squeals of excitement?
 Hannah brought some piano music to play.  Millie, their youngest plays violin and was able to play Hannah's music by ear.  It really blesses the heart to hear beautiful music played by the children.
 Our Abbie loves to grind the wheat.  Ellie adores to collect the chicken eggs, but I didn't get a picture of that.   :-/
Of course, it just wouldn't be an Anderson-Blanchet visit without a lot of horsin' around!