I made my first successful pheasant dish of the 2013 hunting season! last year my attempts at cooking that lean, bone-ridden bird were laughable. picture the Christmas turkey in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and you'll be able to understand my plight with this fowl. I had tried roasting it in the oven, which dried it to the point of no return. cue the polite chewing and copious amounts of water.
well, that bird got conquered. by a CrockPot.
I rubbed the plucked and cleaned bird (after removing all little feathers, bird shot, etc.) down with coconut oil (almost 3 Tbsp, I greased him up well), then made my normal chicken rub of thyme, smoked paprika, garlic, sea salt, white pepper and onion powder and rubbed that [dry] over the bird before putting it on a bed of carrots, potatoes, onion and turnips (cut into 1" chunks) in the CrockPot. high for two hours, low for 4, and that bird came out just perfect. Lydia ate some of the breast and a leg, plus veggies, bread with butter, and most of an acorn squash that I baked with butter, a sprinkle of salt, and brown sugar.
in other news, harvest has been kicking our butts this year. I really feel for my husband--when he comes home sore and exhausted from being on the farm all day (5am-12am some days!) all I want is to keep him home and in bed, waited on hand and foot for working so hard for our family. the amount of work he does in a day is incredible--from chopping silage to loading hogs, feeding cattle, making bales, running semi loads of corn to the elevator, etc...he doesn't quit moving for hours on end. makes me feel so...I don't know, like I could never match the amount of energy he puts into a day with what I do on my end. from one camp I suppose balancing two jobs and taking care of the house, Lydia and pets would seem like it requires so much energy (which it does)....but it's not the same. and I certainly wouldn't expect Charlie to get home from work and do anything but take a hot shower and cuddle in with Lydia if she's still awake. but this too shall pass, the corn and beans will come in, the fields will get plowed, the animals sent away, and another season shall start at the farm once this time is over. it's just a lot of hard work and emotional sacrifice right now--hard not seeing my husband in any other mode other than exhausted and sore.
however, it has been so nice to grab up Lydia from daycare, make a quick supper, and bring it out for a ride-along in the truck or tractor with him! I am learning so much from other farm wives as to the best ways to keep in touch with husbands who seemingly marry their tractors for a month. those ride-alongs give us a chance to talk, and it gives Lydia time with her daddy, something I have noticed to be very affective in her little life. she misses her dad, and it becomes readily apparent at times via meltdowns or her simply vocalizing, "I need Daddy." this winter we'll have to make up for lost time and spend more time together doing fun things as a family...looking forward to the Christmas season to do so! I've been Pinteresting some ideas already, but the mature adult in me is petulantly waiting until after Thanksgiving to do any serious Christmas planning. :)
Showing posts with label in the kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in the kitchen. Show all posts
Monday, October 28, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
feeding Lydia
"I can't get my kid to eat anything but junk food!"
"Somedays she'll eat a ton, then nothing for a few days...is that normal?"
"My kid ate my whole bag of kale chips."
"I'm exclusively breastfeeding, when should I start solids?"
"When can I start rice cereal? Do I have to?"
"I feel like my kid eats only peanut butter and bananas."
I hear it all at WIC. in our community. at the grocery store. anywhere there are little ones...
what do we feed our kids?
first off, I'm going to give a list of what Lydia ate/is eating at different stages of her life:
(all items in tables should be assumed eaten in following age stages as well as those listed)
"Somedays she'll eat a ton, then nothing for a few days...is that normal?"
"My kid ate my whole bag of kale chips."
"I'm exclusively breastfeeding, when should I start solids?"
"When can I start rice cereal? Do I have to?"
"I feel like my kid eats only peanut butter and bananas."
I hear it all at WIC. in our community. at the grocery store. anywhere there are little ones...
what do we feed our kids?
first off, I'm going to give a list of what Lydia ate/is eating at different stages of her life:
(all items in tables should be assumed eaten in following age stages as well as those listed)
0-4.5 months
|
4.5-6 months
|
6-12 months
|
12 months-present
|
Breastmilk
|
Breastmilk
|
Breastmilk
|
Breastmilk (til 20 months)
|
Pizza Ranch Mashed Potatoes. Don't judge! :)
|
Green beans, spinach, celery (gummed it), broccoli, squash, zucchini, peppers, parsnips, turnips, rutabegas, potatoes, cucumbers (and pickles), pumpkin
|
Juice with breakfast, goats milk when my supply started dropping, and whole organic cow milk at 20 months, herbal tea
|
|
Avocado
|
Eggs (yolk and whites), bison, chicken, beef, pork, catfish, panfish
|
Peanut butter toast, bowls of cereal
|
|
Peaches, prunes, pears, applesauce, banana
|
Rice, couscous, hummus, beans, quinoa
|
Cheese-all varieties (favorite so far is goat cheese!), whole-fat yogurts
|
|
Sweet potato, peas, carrots
|
Ground flax, wheat bran, baked goods (muffins, etc.)
|
Tacos/breakfast burritos/wraps, pizza, salads
|
|
Rice cereal, oatmeal, mixed grain baby cereals
|
Cooked pasta, lentils
|
Dried fruit
|
|
Tropical fruits (mango, papaya, pineapple), coconut and coconut milk
|
Nuts in baked goods, millet
|
||
Sherbert and ice cream
|
Candy--loves peanut M&Ms
|
||
Spices--cinnamon, etc.
|
Venison in any form
|
||
Seafood--loves shrimp!
|
this isn't a perfect food schedule. the only thing pretty textbook about it is that Lyd breastfed exclusively for almost 5 months, and she continued to nurse in addition to solids til 20 months old. otherwise feeding her was by the seat of our pants. we rarely followed the "try one and wait a week" method of trying new foods when she was an infant, mainly because we were so excited to feed her solids. side note--with subsequent children I will nurse exclusively much, much longer. starting solids after exclusive breastfeeding does begin the weaning process, no matter how you look at it.
now, the trained WIC breastfeeding counselor in me says, "foods before a year are for fun!" but the parent who has a very very eager and happy-to-try-anything-once baby begs to differ. one of the many cool things about breastfeeding is that babes get the flavors of what you eat through your milk, but in all of the foods listed above, check out the different textures, smells...so much for them to experience!
Feeding a toddler--now here is an experience. Lydia's been able to eat on her own since about 10 months old: scooping with a spoon, using a 'big girl' fork, cutting up soft things with a butter knife, spreading her own peanut butter or jam, pulling the end off a shrimp, drinking from a glass and eating ribs off the bone, etc. are all eating skills acquired in her short girlhood. Sometimes she'll go in jags, where she'll eat like a horse for three days, then literally nothing but water and fruit for one. Sometimes something she liked the day before is "yuckos!" today. There are many tried and true foods we know she'll eat, but we keep pushing the envelope and exposing her to new foods nonetheless.
Here are my family's guidelines for feeding a child at any age:
1. Nutrient-dense foods. A child should eat a rainbow of different foods in a day in order to ingest vital nutrients for optimal growth. We try to have something of each food group on her plate at every meal--good protein, veggies, fruit, and complex carbs. Hotdishes and other one-pot meals are great for this, which is why I love my crockpot so much. One favorite meal here is brown rice cooked in free-range organic chicken broth, with sweet potatoes and seasoned chicken thighs, steamed veggies or mashed cauliflower on the side, fruit salad, and milk. I will do a post later on our favorite family meals but this is just one example. We don't eat a lot of processed or non-nutritive food (think chips, crackers, jello, fruit snacks, etc.) here; obviously we're not exempt and she does get treats, but that's all they are--treats, with undefined guidelines as how to acquire them. Just by the grace of her parents ;)
2. As local and organic as possible. Farmers market. Local butcher. Wild game, preferably shot by Daddy. Buying local is smart economically, nutritionally, and environmentally. There are many reasons to buy organic foods. The USDA Organic label tells you that fruits and veggies weren't raised using manmade chemical pesticides, fossil fuel- or sewage-based fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. On meat, the label indicates that the feeds provided met those same standards, and that the animals weren't administered hormones and antibiotics. Bottom line: "Organic" is more sustainable and healthier -- for the environment and farm workers, certainly, and often for you and your family. How is organic healthier? It's healthier because some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than its conventional counterparts, probably because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings, and healthier because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on conventional produce.
3. Enjoyable. Food should be fun! I make landscapes out of her food, cut sandwiches out with a cookie cutter, let her bake and cook with me, and we always try and sit together as a family to eat. We have picnics, go to potlucks, pancake breakfasts, restaurants, you name it. Making toddlers/children happy with food isn't too difficult. :)
There you have it--the ins and outs of feeding an almost-three year old. I'm excited to see what the future holds for us in terms of growing our own food and raising livestock, chickens, goats...There are so many aspects to a healthy lifestyle, and food is a massive part of what makes up our bodies, minds and hearts. Have fun!
Feeding a toddler--now here is an experience. Lydia's been able to eat on her own since about 10 months old: scooping with a spoon, using a 'big girl' fork, cutting up soft things with a butter knife, spreading her own peanut butter or jam, pulling the end off a shrimp, drinking from a glass and eating ribs off the bone, etc. are all eating skills acquired in her short girlhood. Sometimes she'll go in jags, where she'll eat like a horse for three days, then literally nothing but water and fruit for one. Sometimes something she liked the day before is "yuckos!" today. There are many tried and true foods we know she'll eat, but we keep pushing the envelope and exposing her to new foods nonetheless.
Here are my family's guidelines for feeding a child at any age:
1. Nutrient-dense foods. A child should eat a rainbow of different foods in a day in order to ingest vital nutrients for optimal growth. We try to have something of each food group on her plate at every meal--good protein, veggies, fruit, and complex carbs. Hotdishes and other one-pot meals are great for this, which is why I love my crockpot so much. One favorite meal here is brown rice cooked in free-range organic chicken broth, with sweet potatoes and seasoned chicken thighs, steamed veggies or mashed cauliflower on the side, fruit salad, and milk. I will do a post later on our favorite family meals but this is just one example. We don't eat a lot of processed or non-nutritive food (think chips, crackers, jello, fruit snacks, etc.) here; obviously we're not exempt and she does get treats, but that's all they are--treats, with undefined guidelines as how to acquire them. Just by the grace of her parents ;)
2. As local and organic as possible. Farmers market. Local butcher. Wild game, preferably shot by Daddy. Buying local is smart economically, nutritionally, and environmentally. There are many reasons to buy organic foods. The USDA Organic label tells you that fruits and veggies weren't raised using manmade chemical pesticides, fossil fuel- or sewage-based fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. On meat, the label indicates that the feeds provided met those same standards, and that the animals weren't administered hormones and antibiotics. Bottom line: "Organic" is more sustainable and healthier -- for the environment and farm workers, certainly, and often for you and your family. How is organic healthier? It's healthier because some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than its conventional counterparts, probably because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings, and healthier because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on conventional produce.
3. Enjoyable. Food should be fun! I make landscapes out of her food, cut sandwiches out with a cookie cutter, let her bake and cook with me, and we always try and sit together as a family to eat. We have picnics, go to potlucks, pancake breakfasts, restaurants, you name it. Making toddlers/children happy with food isn't too difficult. :)
There you have it--the ins and outs of feeding an almost-three year old. I'm excited to see what the future holds for us in terms of growing our own food and raising livestock, chickens, goats...There are so many aspects to a healthy lifestyle, and food is a massive part of what makes up our bodies, minds and hearts. Have fun!
Monday, April 15, 2013
kids in the kitchen
this may be a real shocker...
but I really. really. really. like to cook and bake.
it all started when I was but a wee Katie, tagging along behind my mom and dad in the kitchen. my mom with baking bread and buns, my dad with making pancakes, stuffed bell peppers, roasted chicken and potatoes...a large percentage of my upbringing was spent learning the ropes of making meals and goodies. Mom always let me stir in the yeast, and help her knead the dough (with a big spoonful of honey as a treat), and Dad taught to use my eye to watch for just enough bubbles on a pancake before flipping it. over the years, through high school and college, it became more of a hobby, then a controlled and happy obsession once we had a baby. Charlie and I both came to realize that what I was eating greatly affected her, both through breastfeeding and what kind of example we were setting for her as she grew.
enter a Lydia who likes to eat good food, and we have a very fun and purposeful thing that we can do together. cooking with a toddler in the kitchen sounds like a recipe for disaster (now there's a knee slapper!) but I actually enjoy it more than I thought possible. if you know me, you know that my patience level is somewhere between an angry velociraptor and nonexistent, so really...if it works for me, it can work for your kids too. cooking with Lydia is something I am grateful to do, namely because my capacity for putting out good meals for our family has increased tenfold with my career change. I now have time to make a menu, shop according to the ingredients needed, and cook a balanced meal for my family. plus more time for Pinterest and other sites for great recipes!
also--another post in the making because it's too incredible a subject to only give a paragraph--where our food comes from. Lydia's been such a lucky girl to tap maple trees for syrup, garden with her family, walk over in her jammies to the farmer's market across the street, eat food made with local ingredients at Grandma's cafe and our home. teaching her that real, whole food comes from our hands and hard work instead of a Hamburger Helper box is a set of values we have always wanted to instill in her. another blogger highlighted Farmer Boy as an example of true connection to our food as both nourishment and love, and I strongly agree.
anyway.
so what does Lydia like to do when she's helping?
mostly stir and chop.
this kid know how to:
use a whisk
operate the Kitchen Aid
cut butter into flour with a fork
measure and pour liquid ingredients
measure dry ingredients (and to smooth flour over with a knife before dumping in)
scrape the extra batter out of the bowl
cut soft items with a knife--tiger claws, not duck bills, when we hold the food!
cooking holds so many lessons for children too--think of all the skills they develop while in the kitchen:
math skills--adding and subtracting, dividing batches, multiplying for bigger ones, measuring
names and shapes of ingredients
colors--we cook with a rainbow around here!
social grace--we make food for others, as a gift and offering of love
time together--because licking a beater with your mom is just awesome.
but I really. really. really. like to cook and bake.
it all started when I was but a wee Katie, tagging along behind my mom and dad in the kitchen. my mom with baking bread and buns, my dad with making pancakes, stuffed bell peppers, roasted chicken and potatoes...a large percentage of my upbringing was spent learning the ropes of making meals and goodies. Mom always let me stir in the yeast, and help her knead the dough (with a big spoonful of honey as a treat), and Dad taught to use my eye to watch for just enough bubbles on a pancake before flipping it. over the years, through high school and college, it became more of a hobby, then a controlled and happy obsession once we had a baby. Charlie and I both came to realize that what I was eating greatly affected her, both through breastfeeding and what kind of example we were setting for her as she grew.
 |
| baby trying celery..yum! |
also--another post in the making because it's too incredible a subject to only give a paragraph--where our food comes from. Lydia's been such a lucky girl to tap maple trees for syrup, garden with her family, walk over in her jammies to the farmer's market across the street, eat food made with local ingredients at Grandma's cafe and our home. teaching her that real, whole food comes from our hands and hard work instead of a Hamburger Helper box is a set of values we have always wanted to instill in her. another blogger highlighted Farmer Boy as an example of true connection to our food as both nourishment and love, and I strongly agree.
 |
| tapping trees with Mom and Dad |
 |
| watering our |
anyway.
so what does Lydia like to do when she's helping?
mostly stir and chop.
this kid know how to:
use a whisk
operate the Kitchen Aid
cut butter into flour with a fork
measure and pour liquid ingredients
measure dry ingredients (and to smooth flour over with a knife before dumping in)
scrape the extra batter out of the bowl
cut soft items with a knife--tiger claws, not duck bills, when we hold the food!
cooking holds so many lessons for children too--think of all the skills they develop while in the kitchen:
math skills--adding and subtracting, dividing batches, multiplying for bigger ones, measuring
names and shapes of ingredients
colors--we cook with a rainbow around here!
social grace--we make food for others, as a gift and offering of love
time together--because licking a beater with your mom is just awesome.
 |
| stirring the wet ingredients together |
 |
| excited to get the baked deliciousness! -while eating extra chocolate chips- |
 |
| nom nom noming on sweet potatoes |
Saturday, March 16, 2013
mornings here
lately mornings have been wonderful here. I have time to wake up, write, have a cup of coffee, get laundry going, shower, and get ready for the day before my husband or toddler even stir. I am grateful for this time...as you may have noticed, I am a morning girl. it's always been my favorite time of day for many reasons. I love bedhead, baking, blogging, checking the weather, peeping in on a sleeping Lydia, kissing my husband good morning, staying busy with picking up the house, laundry, playing fetch with a rambunctious black lab, and planning my day. although this does require waking at an hour some may find crazy, it fills my heart to be busy and have time to do good things for my family before we all go our separate ways.
mornings should smell like:
baby's breath (not the flower)
coffee, fresh roasted with a kiss of cinnamon stirred into the grounds
fresh air
laundry (soon it will be time to hang it out!)
baby jammies
and these fresh-baked muffins, warm from the oven:
(I'm really trying to resist the urge to call all of my morning recipes "Sunshine ______" but honestly, there's no better word to describe how these muffins taste and smell. I have a new favorite cookbook, super natural every day by Heidi Swanson, that uses all vegan or vegetarian ingredients; some I have had in my pantry for quite some time, so it's great to use them! she is a breath of fresh air to any recipe with a sweet description and careful attention to her ingredients, time and stunning food photography.)
Sunshine Muffins
adapted from super natural every day, by Heidi Swanson
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. raw millet
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 c. plain yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. unsalted butter, barely melted
1/2 c. honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
grated zest and 2 tbsp. juice from one lemon
3/4 c. chopped fresh strawberries
preheat the oven to 375F--rack right in the middle
line muffin tins with paper or grease with butter (I used large tins, 6 muffins apiece)
whisk together flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl
whisk together yogurt, eggs, butter, honey, and lemon zest/juice till smooth in a smaller bowl
add wet ingredients to dry and stir till dry ingredients are just incorporated with the wet
divide batter among muffin cups--spoon batter in, it will be thick
bake for about 15 minutes, until muffin tops are browned and just barely beginning to crack
let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out on a rack to cool completely.
mmmmm.
mornings should smell like:
baby's breath (not the flower)
coffee, fresh roasted with a kiss of cinnamon stirred into the grounds
fresh air
laundry (soon it will be time to hang it out!)
baby jammies
and these fresh-baked muffins, warm from the oven:
(I'm really trying to resist the urge to call all of my morning recipes "Sunshine ______" but honestly, there's no better word to describe how these muffins taste and smell. I have a new favorite cookbook, super natural every day by Heidi Swanson, that uses all vegan or vegetarian ingredients; some I have had in my pantry for quite some time, so it's great to use them! she is a breath of fresh air to any recipe with a sweet description and careful attention to her ingredients, time and stunning food photography.)
Sunshine Muffins
adapted from super natural every day, by Heidi Swanson
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. raw millet
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 c. plain yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. unsalted butter, barely melted
1/2 c. honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
grated zest and 2 tbsp. juice from one lemon
3/4 c. chopped fresh strawberries
preheat the oven to 375F--rack right in the middle
line muffin tins with paper or grease with butter (I used large tins, 6 muffins apiece)
whisk together flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl
whisk together yogurt, eggs, butter, honey, and lemon zest/juice till smooth in a smaller bowl
add wet ingredients to dry and stir till dry ingredients are just incorporated with the wet
divide batter among muffin cups--spoon batter in, it will be thick
bake for about 15 minutes, until muffin tops are browned and just barely beginning to crack
let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out on a rack to cool completely.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
banana bread
here's the recipe for the not-too-sweet, healthy, nutrient-rich banana bread that Lydia and I created this afternoon. the end result was chewy, brown, and very bready--not like a cake texture that 'nana bed' usually turns out to be. I'll post the actual recipe, then tell you how I adapted it underneath. From Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon:
banana bread
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. buttermilk, kefir, or yogurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4-1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. melted butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. chopped nuts optional
sweet spices to taste: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, chai spice, etc.
Soak flour in buttermilk/kefir/yogurt in a warm place for 12-24 hours--bread will rise better if soaked the full 24 hrs. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan, bake at 350 till a knife comes out clean (about 40 min. in the two loaves we made).
how easy is that? I've never soaked my flour before baking, but now I believe I'm a convert. I only let it soak for 4.5 hours and the bread came out the way I love it--thick crust with a chewy inside. I used a combination of 1 c. coco-kefir (available at our local health food store) and 1 c. vanilla non-fat yogurt for the liquid to soak the flour. instead of 1/4 c. melted butter, I substituted 1/2 c. applesauce, and instead of the maple syrup, I used 1/4 c. of local honey. I think Lydia threw in another banana as well, which was delicious.
additions that could be tasty, but that I have yet to try:
chia seeds. ground flax. dried fruit. fresh fruit. hulled hempseed. soaked wheat berries. coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour. any other brilliant ideas?
banana bread
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. buttermilk, kefir, or yogurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4-1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. melted butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. chopped nuts optional
sweet spices to taste: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, chai spice, etc.
Soak flour in buttermilk/kefir/yogurt in a warm place for 12-24 hours--bread will rise better if soaked the full 24 hrs. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan, bake at 350 till a knife comes out clean (about 40 min. in the two loaves we made).
how easy is that? I've never soaked my flour before baking, but now I believe I'm a convert. I only let it soak for 4.5 hours and the bread came out the way I love it--thick crust with a chewy inside. I used a combination of 1 c. coco-kefir (available at our local health food store) and 1 c. vanilla non-fat yogurt for the liquid to soak the flour. instead of 1/4 c. melted butter, I substituted 1/2 c. applesauce, and instead of the maple syrup, I used 1/4 c. of local honey. I think Lydia threw in another banana as well, which was delicious.
additions that could be tasty, but that I have yet to try:
chia seeds. ground flax. dried fruit. fresh fruit. hulled hempseed. soaked wheat berries. coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour. any other brilliant ideas?
Friday, May 25, 2012
working in the weed patch
 |
| weeding the strawberries |
been trying to be in the garden more lately, but it seems to have taken the proverbial spot on the back burner with everything else going on this week. on Monday I dug out over 200 thistles that had grown in, and after the deluge of rain we had, I can't wait to see what other weeds have congregated the bare patch that is our garden.
we have a plot out at the community garden; at the group meeting about a month ago it was addressed that some gardens (i.e. mine and a few others, no names were said but oh man I felt the burn!) looked less than acceptable. people were wondering if they should send a friendly (uh-huh) email/phone call to the offending gardener to get their act together, and I was quick to nix the idea. in speaking up, I just vocalized that I have four--now three--part time jobs and a toddler and a wedding to plan, and I more than likely already know my garden looks like crap thankyouverymuch, and that I would welcome a call not as a reminder, but an offering for help (if someone was hellbent on calling me about my weed patch). got some support on that and I have noticed that when I've been out there, other gardeners stop by, help pull some weeds, and if nothing else talk to me for a while...sharing in community in our....community garden!
I had high hopes for canning and putting up more food this summer, but like with all my 'plans' I get hit with a shot of reality and am now recognizing that we'll probably do less than intended. it still feels good to work out there, and we have a little list of what we'll be growing come the first week of June:
herbs: chives, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, mint (lots of mint, I love the stuff)
tomatoes
green beans
sunflowers
strawberries
kale, chard, maybe spinach
peppers-green and banana
what do you have growing? and do you have time to come garden with me? :)
Monday, February 20, 2012
mmm
today I had an urge to make something I'd never tackled before in the kitchen: pickled veggies. sounds simple...and it was. the recipe I used was from a cookbook I bought in Jamaica in 2007. down there they call them escoveitch vegetables, and I remember drooling over their zesty, tangy presence at every meal. I plan on pairing them tomorrow night with curried lentils and chicken.
for this first time I stuck to the recipe offered in the cookbook. now that I've done a little research online and found that people make these refrigerator goodies with varied veggies like beets and celery, I'll diversify my following ventures.
escoveitch veggies
from Eat Caribbean, by Virginia Burke
2 1/2 c. vinegar (I used distilled white, but look forward to trying others, especially Mrs. Bragg's apple cider vinegar)
2 carrots, cut julienne
1 med. yellow onion, cut in thin slices
1-3 hot peppers (I used 1/4 c. sliced pickled hot peppers per batch)
2 tbsp. allspice berries
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of salt
heat all ingredients on medium heat in a non-reactive saucepan on the stove until veggies are just wilted. take off heat, spoon veggies into quart Mason jars, and pour vinegar/spices over them. you can either seal them in a hot water bath and officially can them, or you can seal them with a ring/lid, let them cool, and put them in the fridge!
 |
| my big helper |
 |
| voila |
tomorrow holds another morning serving the southwest MN pregnant/breastfeeding community at work, then coming home to my darlings for an afternoon of creative organizing and thoughtful food preparation. we are learning how to take time on the things that matter most. streamlining my home, getting rid of our non-necessities and organizing our must-haves, has helped so much. there is a new consignment store downtown, and it now holds a big bag of Lydia's gently used clothing and shoes. I've been getting ridiculously good at letting go of possessions that held no purpose, only status, in our home. with each closet organized, each shelf relieved of a stack of books or knickknacks, my heart soars a little more...this simplifying is so freeing!
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