Two Dinners

Sometimes it's amazing for me to realize I've been on this food "journey" for almost six years. I know this because Amazon.com tells me I ordered all of Joel Salatin's "how to" farming books on September 8, 2006. I built my first chicken house around that time, and our first 'animal' - turkeys - were raised and processed that year, from spring until fall. I also got some pigs (and transported them long-distance in my Camry's trunk. Good times) that November.

Sometimes I don't realize all the changes we've made until I think back to something, or run into the "Standard American" meal in some fashion. This actually greatly encourages me (and I hope, you!). What once was a conscious decision, sometimes a sacrifice, is now not even thought of.

Here is an example of a common meal, in two formats. It's the same meal, but it's completely different food.  The menu? Tacos!

Rainbow Salsa?

Around here (and this isn't necessarily 'authentic' Mexican food, but what seems to be fairly normal) it will look like this:

Hamburger, seasoned with 'taco seasoning'
Refried beans
Corn tortillas, semi-fried (and/or flour tortillas)
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, grated
Olives, sliced
Salsa
Sour Cream
Guacamole?

This meal can go two ways. The first is probably more convenient: You get standard ground beef from the store (a high-risk e.coli product from cattle in toxic environments eating corn, soy, chicken feathers/guts, and antibiotics, with a hormone implant) and brown it with a packet of taco seasoning (which includes "modified food starch" and MSG). You warm up canned refried beans (which include 'yeast extract' - which is another name for MSG). You fry your corn tortillas (made from genetically-modified corn, being linked to fertility problems, allergies, organ damage, plus environmental toxicity) in vegetable oil (made from canola, corn, soy, and/or cottonseed oil - every one of which are genetically modified and HIGHLY refined using chemical solvents/deodorizers/etc). Your iceberg head lettuce doesn't offer much in nutrition; whether or not any pesticide residue outweighs its nutrients is debatable. Does anyone wash iceberg lettuce? You sprinkle on the cheese (probably made from cows injected daily with a genetically-modified hormone, rBST to up milk production. It also ups mastitis infections and bacteria/pus in the milk, and shortens the cow's lifespan. If your cheese is pre-grated, it may have sand, starch, and/or mold inhibitors to keep it loose in the bag, and 'fresh.' (?) ) and sour cream (ditto on the rBST issue, and possibly 'thickened' with starch or carageenan). Your olives and salsa are probably canned, and your guacamole might be pre-made in a little plastic container (which I shockingly know very little about) or perhaps you bought avocados and stirred in a little packet of 'seasoning' (see the above commentary on taco seasoning).

This is normal food, believe it or not. Most people consider this 'healthy, homemade' food, not junk or fast food (I did, at one point). We do this day after day, punctuated by learning problems, behavioral challenges, visits to our doctor and routine pharmaceutical helps. [Note; of course not ALL problems can be laid at the feet of what we eat. However, after seeing astonishing changes in our own family based on a shift in diet, I believe it plays a part.]

The good news is that you don't have to pummel your body and your brain with this kind of stuff all day every day. And you can STILL have tacos! :) You just have to come at it a little differently.

You brown your grass-fed beef (which was probably produced not far from your home, includes only ONE set of bovine dna (hehe), has less bacteria, no hormone implants, no antibiotics, and has a lot higher ratio of Omega-3 fats to Omega-6. This is heart-healthy stuff!) with a powdered spice mix (we use Oregon Spice Taco Seasoning, but you can make your own or just check labels when you buy). You toss a ziploc of frozen pinto beans (which you prepared in bulk weeks or months before, soaking 24 hours before cooking to increase mineral availability and improve digestibility) into a pan and cook them down with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and seasoning to taste. You fry your organic corn tortillas (no GMOs allowed in organic products. Periodic testing helps ensure this, though cross-pollination is an issue) in virgin coconut oil (super high in medium-chain fatty acids which are anti-microbial, anti-viral, and increase metabolism in some people. Lauric acid is one of these, which human milk is high in). You use organic romaine lettuce or microgreens or young spinach to add a bit of crunch, and sprinkle on raw cheddar cheese (or perhaps a grass-fed cheese, or at the least a brand that informs "made with milk from cows not treated with rBST). Your sour cream IS cultured (soured) cream and therefore includes beneficial probiotics. Your olives and salsa are as close to 'real food' as you can get (nothing weird in the ingredients) and maybe you even make your own fresh salsa. You mash up a fresh avocado with actual spices, and maybe toss in a little lemon or lime juice to help keep it green.

Not exactly the spice mix for taco seasoning...

Do you see how same - and yet how different - this is? I don't even think about it until we're at a restaurant and I realize that seasoning tastes different, or the guacamole is weird. I didn't go into how it's prepared, but there can be differences there too. Teflon? Aluminum? I don't think teflon is very common in restaurants, but my local restaurant supply sells giant aluminum stock pots, pans, and baking sheets (I actually have baking sheets from them, but I line them with parchment paper or a SILPAT mat for cooking or baking on them). These things can be dangerous in the wrong conditions (teflon at high heat, for instance), and while not technically 'food' or 'additives,' certainly can have an effect on health.

What changes have you made to ensure you're eating what you think you're eating? If you take it one step at a time, what is your next step? Have you been able to keep the changes you've made so far?

Purple Soup!

We've been enjoying some delicious soups this fall.  Homemade chicken and turkey soup, potato soup, beef stew.  All so tasty!  But they're a little unusual looking...

Potato Soup

Horrid photo, with the flash, but the creamy soup looks a little strange, do you think?

Chicken Soup

 Another bizarre broth...

Turkey Soup?

What in the world could be making all our soups purple?!?  The kids love it, they taste great, and in fact there isn't any wild ingredient, like beet root powder or anything.  Can you see, in the above photos, where the purple is coming from?

I'll give you a hint:

We grew it in our garden.  We harvested a huge tupperware bowl full of them after frost.  We're about through that bowl (better plant lots more next year!)

Any ideas??

Ok; here you go:

Poker chips?

Yes, our favorite Purple Haze carrots!  We grew them in half of our deep square foot garden.  They tasted much better than the orange ones that filled the other half, though both were tasty.  The kids will certainly be disappointed (me too, to say the truth) to go back to those boring old "orange" grocery store carrots.  The first year I planted them, I remember cooking them and I thought the purple cooked out like purple beans do.  Apparently, the purple leaves the carrot, but stays in the soup.  Put enough in, and you have a decidedly purple soup!  Broth, chicken, even the rice [or whatever] takes on the hue!  Lovely!

*sigh*  I do wonder how I survived the first 25 or so years of life before I ever even knew there were carrots other than orange.  My children truly live a different life than I did!

Well, That's Just Teff!

Oh, this is not a post I ever wanted to write.  It's not a season (I hope it's only a season!) I ever wanted to live.  

But it's good for me, and good for Little Artist, so here we are.

I finally took Little Artist to the Naturopath last week to address some of her digestive issues.  She's always - always - had trouble in that department, and while we finally seemed to have conquered the Fear-Constipation-Fear cycle, there was more going on.  I started to notice a distinct difference in how she looked - like when you look at children who are built differently than your own, and the difference strikes you.  Well, it was like that, but she IS my own, so that made it extra-odd.  At least for me. When I see her upper arms, they are not shaped like her sisters' arms are - more thin, I guess, like those hungry kids you see in photos (not THAT hungry, obviously).  Her backbone sticks out in places like alligator-bumps.  Yet, her profile isn't slim.  Her belly is disproportionately big.  But if you try to 'pinch' a bit of fat, that's all you get - a TINY bit.  Not fat, but round, firm, and big.

The naturopath didn't do anything terribly invasive - no blood tests or anything - but he felt and tapped and listened, and told me that 90% of the time this kind of thing has to do with food allergies.  He wrote down the major ones he wanted us to avoid, and advised the use of a good digestive enzyme with each meal and a capsule of L-Glutamine daily.

The things to avoid:  Yeast, Nuts, Soy, Gluten, and Dairy.  Those last two are the killers.  Heh, well, they may indeed be killers to some extent, but avoiding them is hardest.  The soy we already mostly avoid, and nuts aren't hard to eliminate, but yeast is tricky (not just yeast-breads, but anything with vinegar), and gluten is really hard.  We love wheat around here (too much, probably), and if not wheat, then oats, and if not oats, barley, and... well, you get the idea. :)  Dairy is something I rely on daily as a lunchtime protein, and makes for frequent condiments to meals.  

We've been using other grains lately - rice is one we're fairly used to, and millet I've used on occasion.  I cooked up some amaranth the other evening (cooked like rice, with water) and it was very weird!  Millet puffs up and gets fluffy like rice, but amaranth... doesn't.  You can still see the individual grains, but it develops a clear, gelatinous goo...  It's so strange.  I found the smell to be odd, too, but we ate it, and again for breakfast the next day.  Hubby wondered later if there was any left (there wasn't, after that), and I was surprised that it was enjoyed to the extent it was.  I have read about it, and I believe it would grow well here, so there is a possibility I'd put it in the garden next year (it is known to cross with a certain weed we have, though, and I'm not sure about that!).  I've ordered some teff (another super-tiny grain I've never tried) from Azure, and it will be interesting to see how it cooks up and what else I can use it for.  Coconut flour is highly recommended - highly caloric, highly expensive too - but apparently it's usable in many baked goods as well as a thickener (like white sauce and gravy?).

She misses cheese, though, and I'm not sure what we can do about that.  :]

But it's for a season, and we're already seeing progress.  Her belly is much softer to the touch.  We're hopeful her body will heal, and these foods can at least become part of an occasional meal for her.  If not, we'll be grateful for a way to keep her well!

Blueberry Girl

Isn't there a book called "Strawberry Girl?"  This isn't her.

For some reason the Costco blueberries are... bloodier?  than azure blueberries.

She doesn't do laundry, so this didn't bother her at all.

In fact, I think she liked it.




**I didn't blog about it, but she turned 1!  And I still don't have a blogname for her!  The 15th was her birthday, and we celebrated with an oatmeal cake.  After celebrating my niece's birthday the day before.  After celebrating my friend's daughter's birthday the day before that.  I almost ate enough cake that weekend.  She took her first step at that first birthday party, and is WALKING now!  Yikes!

Starting Harvest

The garden is finally starting to come into production.  And I'm out of town for a wedding!  Ack!  Please, sweet corn, do NOT fully mature today.  Please wait a few more days, please?

Here is a 3 or 4 gallon bucket of Anaheim chiles I harvested last week.  I have 18 plants, with the goal of roasting and freezing enough to keep Hubby happy all year without buying any of those little cans of overpriced "diced green chiles."

It turns out they're expensive, but maybe not overpriced.  Following these instructions takes a good long time to get a little bit put up.

I was disappointed to have Hubby roast the bucket of peppers, then spend a LONG time wearing rubber gloves to get this measley-in-comparison pile of chiles ready to freeze, but he later informed me he still had up to half the bucket left to roast.  I'm glad 3 gallons wasn't reduced to 1 quart, but still a little daunted at the time it takes.  Now if I could get him to peel and seed them himself....

The green beans are coming on, and the chickens and I race to see who can get to the just-turning tomatoes first.

These beans fed us for a meal, and I trimmed, blanched, and froze the rest on a cookie sheet, and then transferred them to a gallon ziploc bag.  They're semi-loose and will be easy to portion out for cooking, much as I do the ones we usually buy from Costco.

Also, instead of dicing the chiles, or putting them in ziplocs as the link suggested, I "piled" them in portion-sizes on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment) and froze them that way.  They'll go into ziplocs, but in frozen portions, rattling around and sharing a single large bag (or several large bags).

If any tomatoes are left when I get home (doggone chickens are getting in somehow), I'll start freezing them, and might even try some "tomato fruit roll-up" in the dehydrator, for use as 'tomato paste' in recipes.

Egg-citing Times

We're getting there.  We've had the strangest weather; cool, wet, windy, stormy.  It's almost as though spring (the crummy side of its personality) refuses to give way.  Usually we enjoy several warm "summery" days in May - most of them, even, but not so this year.  We've had a scant handful of decent days, weather-wise.

The good side of this is that I can blame my late-as-always gardening on the strange conditions.  The bad side is, well, we're still waiting to get going on summertime.

A light brahma hen in the coop.

We have had egg issues lately.  Some probably stemming from our being out of town for four days (they missed us!), the several dark, cloudy days might've contributed to a slow-down in egg production, and Organique sneaking out to the henhouse many days running certainly affected what we brought into the kitchen.  (No, the ornery hen did NOT toss every egg about the place all by herself.)

We're finally swinging back into things after locking the chickens in (and Organique out) for half a day.  Hubby also found about 18 eggs in a nest - they were not being set upon, and they were still fairly fresh, so they were not lost.  Of course, all this happened the day after I made my last run to town, and couldn't share these with a dear friend who buys from us.  I felt so bad about the broken eggs, and not having any to take her that I put five (all I had!) into an egg carton and delivered them to her at no charge.  Just in case she had some baking to do, you know?  :)  Going back to weak, white eggs with pale yolks would probably be extreme torture to their family at this point!  It would be for me...

This is Big Ed.  He does not lay eggs.  But since I couldn't find my favorite egg photo... :)

Am I Really So Absurd?

I'm privileged to have some great people among my friends and family.  But certainly many of them do not agree with my eating habits.  Not that they disagree, because I don't know of any that have really examined the issues, they just aren't interested.

None of us knows the future, but I'm willing to learn what I can, and choose the best I can for that future.  And from what I keep reading about genetically-modified foods, I'm going to remove myself from that experimental group.  You want to be the human lab-rat?  I'm all for choice and freedom; you go right ahead.  Me, no thanks.

From an article in the Salem-News:

...hamsters fed genetically modified (GM) foods produce grandchildren that are unable to produce fourth generation offspring.


...

Genetically modified foods will feed the hungry. I guess that’s one way of putting it.

You could also call it population control. Technically, the final result would be an end to world hunger. They didn’t lie.

...

Studies showed stunted growth, impaired immune systems, bleeding stomachs, abnormal and potentially pre-cancerous cell growth in the intestines, impaired blood cell development, misshaped cell structures in the liver, pancreas and testicles, altered gene expression and cell metabolism, liver and kidney lesions, partially atrophied livers, inflamed kidneys, less developed organs, reduced digestive enzymes, higher blood sugar, inflamed lung tissue, increased death rates and higher offspring mortality as well.


And I don't know about you, but this is JUST what I needed to attempt another batch of homemade mayonnaise for this pasta salad.  I won't tell you how many batches I've destroyed, but soybean-based mayo?  I think not...

Thoughts on Eating

I was telling my brother about Food, Inc the other night.  He's headed to Afghanistan in a couple days, and stocking up on DVDs and digital books and stuff.  My recommendation probably ensures that he *won't* watch it, but oh well...

He really doesn't care at this point what he eats.  If it "tastes better" then bring on the GMOs!  Of course, they're not genetically-modifying anything based on taste, it's for resistance to poisons, resistance to pests, tolerance of transport, etc.  His 16-month-old daughter gets organic, though!  :)  So even if he doesn't "care," he seems to "know." ;)

One of his comments was, "I have more important things to worry about" and variations thereof, which illustrated how low on the priority list "eating" really was (not that he doesn't think eating is important, just that beyond doing it, he doesn't think about it much).  That stuck with me, even after our conversation, and I've been pondering it.  Is what we eat important?  How we eat, with whom we eat, when and where?  How important are these things?  For the record, I'm not speaking of health and nutrition for once. :)

I think eating, and all the details ARE important.  We usually commemorate a birthday, a holiday, a wedding,  with special food - shared with special people.  The Old Testament devotes thousands of words of instruction regarding what to eat, what not to eat, and how to prepare food.  When the Israelites fled Egypt, they were to prepare a certain feast, make (and eat!) a different bread.  There are various "feasts" celebrated in the bible, also times of fasting.  Gluttony is condemned, and the sluggard goes  hungry.  Jesus Himself illustrated His sacrifice with elements of the Passover feast, and commanded we do  the same in remembrance.  Eating (and not) can (should?) even be an act of worship.

So, I think the questions surrounding "eating" are not slight.  I do think that food, and eating, bears thought and careful consideration, both in a health sense and in a spiritual one.  "...know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost..."  Eating is not (or should not be) separate from our relationships with people and with God.  What that looks like probably varies between individuals, but for me, it is raising or eating animals that live and die as close to the way God intended it as is possible.  It's choosing fruit and vegetables that are grown in Real Dirt under Real Sunlight with as few harmful (to my body, to God' earth) interventions as possible.  It's eating these things with the least amount of processing (God made potatoes, but not par-fried in trans-fat, coated with preservatives before freezing).


And these things DO take thought and time, and have importance. :)

Tips and Tricks

I NEVER have tips and tricks on here.  At least, not terribly useful ones.  There's not a lot of people in the market to transform their water heater into a turkey fryer or something.  But the times, they are a-changin'!  I've figured out a couple things that I HAVEN'T yet read on some helpful blog, and I'm feeling all proud of myself, so I'm going to post about it here.

1 - Yogurt can't really go bad.  Of course, I'm talking about new yogurt that hasn't been opened or exposed to any alien bacteria or mold spore, and I'm talking about REAL yogurt, the kind that doesn't come with dyes and corn syrup.  To illustrate:  About a month ago (that would be February) I went out to the garage fridge to grab some yogurt for a recipe (I mostly use it that way), probably soaked-waffles or something.  Now, I keep watch on the weird-food cooler at the grocery store, and when they put the organic/natural stuff on clearance with a bright orange tag, then I often consider buying it.  I keep in decent yogurt this way.  Well, in the back of the fridge I found a rather larger tub of yogurt, with a December expiration date.  I brought it in the house, opened it up, and used some, putting the remainder in the fridge indoors.  Now, some people might freak out at the whole December date being used in February.  It's routine around here, however, and I've never had a problem with it (I am careful to keep the lid untouched, etc, especially if I don't use the entire thing in a few days).  It gets better though.  Or worse, depending on your perspective.  As I thought about it, I knew it had been a long time since I'd bought yogurt in that large a container.  That yogurt was NOT from December 2009.  Wow.  It had lived quite happily (and safely) in my garage fridge (which is obviously used less and stays at a more consistent temperature) for fourteen months.  And we're still here to tell the tale. :)

2 - Olives are expensive.  Ha ha, I know that's  not much of a tip.  But I'm saving the tip for the appropriate moment.  Olives are about $1 can (6oz dry weight), for whole olives, even at Costco.  We like olives in a lot of things; tacos, chef salad, pasta salads, nachos, pizza...  Open up a can each time (spend a dollar), and even if there are a few more than you need, they'll be eaten.  Even if that's once or twice a week, it really adds to your grocery bill, and it's not like you can grow your own (around here)!  I decided the big giant can of sliced olives at Costco was a better buy (about $7 for 55 oz dry weight, saving over $2 for the same in smaller cans).  When I opened it, I'd use it to make (and freeze) a few pizzas, use it the next day for taco salad, whatever.  Still, the jar I put into the fridge would sometimes start to go bad before I'd used them all up, undoing the savings.  So I did an experiment.  After using a bunch, I put a smaller jar of leftovers in the fridge (swimming in brine, if possible), and put another jar into the freezer (make sure these have enough brine to cover).  I waited a couple weeks, and then removed the jar, letting it defrost about a day on the counter.  You know what?  They were fine.  We used them in salads, on pizzas, as usual, with little, if any, noticeable difference in taste or texture.  Hooray!  AND now I don't have to spend time slicing olives (since that's how I used them mostly anyway).  Now, I don't know how this would work with whole olives, or green, or other fancy kinds.  These were standard Black Pearls.

3 - Don't use cookie cutters.  Ok, this definitely needs some clarification.  Do you ever make biscuits or shortcake or other baked goods that require a round cut-out?  I'm sure you've all heard of (and used) a drinking glass for the job, but I'm even lazier than that.  Circles are not very efficient, you know, and you end up with all the little triangles from in-between.  Then what?  You pack them together and make another biscuit or two that's all crazy and dense and tough.  Unless I'm wrong, there's no state law or local ordinance requiring round biscuits.  And in fact, homeschoolers always enjoy the added learning opportunity with different shapes on the dinner table.  I use a pizza cutter, or dough cutter and after rolling out the dough, I just cut across it several times in each direction, and end up with squares, rectangles, trapezoids, triangles...  Toss them on  the baking pan, and you're good to go!  As long as they're uniform thickness they'll cook evenly... And you can even let your littlest kids have their own "whole" biscuit.

I had some more, but have forgotten them.  As it is, this post sat on my computer in an open tab for several days.  It's like yogurt, I hope, and will still work. ;)

A Giveaway!

Have you seen Family Feasts for $75 a Week? It's a new cookbook out by the same author as A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family - which I have and love.

Well, the author is giving some away, and you could win three!

Apricot Jam, Maybe?

This is going to take me FOREVER...





Yes, these are apricots from our tree. *sigh*

Outdoor Kitchen

Have you seen the many posts of different families setting up their 'outdoor' kitchens? Seems like everyone has them, and for once, I succumbed to a fad. :)

It was only about 102 (inside and out) on Saturday, and that didn't get any better by cooking. Did I even cook? I don't remember. That kind of heat melts my brain cells.

Anyways, on Sunday I was looking around trying to decide how to make life a *little* bit simpler in that area, thinking about an outdoor option for cooking. The back of the house gets the shade, but it is also harder to access and I'd be setting up shop in the flower weed bed. That rear door got some rain under it's threshold or something, and it's HARD to open these days. The front has a long, covered porch, but it gets all-day sun, and I could probably cook without any appliances in that area. The "side porch" is fairly small, but it's just outside the dining room and would be handy. If it were level. And the chickens stayed away (yeah, right). And the old barbecuer moved. But there was no outlet.

Ah, but there was one just inside the sliding glass door. I could just run the cords in.

Hubby didn't like that idea, so he went to the hardware store (any excuse!) and bought an outdoor waterproof outlet and other electrical odds and ends so he could cut a hole in the house. He loves doing that kind of thing. Before long, he had it installed and 'heat' on it, jacked up the porch and leveled it, moved the barbecuer, and I set up a card table, plugged in a little electric burner, and my big roaster-thingy.

I browned some sausage, then some onions, on the burner, then made up a watery spaghetti sauce, into which I eventually broke some spinach lasagna noodles. I 'baked' a pan of cornbread muffins in the roaster, followed by 3 bread-pans full of lasagna, followed by the rest of the cornbread muffins.

And stashed a couple of each in the freezer. Yes!

The 'baking' did take longer (I might not be doing it right -- do you remove that liner for baking or not?), but it did the job, and I was so happy to at least have a slight breeze upon me while stirring up dinner.

And a baby gate does a fairly good job of keeping chickens off the porch.

Meat Mutant Breakdown

Well, after finally ridding ourselves of the scourge that is the Meat Mutants, I'm excited to have kept careful records of what it took to get these things to the freezer.  For once.

50 chicks @ $.50/ea (I think we actually came home with 52) = $25.00*

50# chick starter @ $11.30 = $11.30

9 bags (50# ea) chick grower @ $9.60 = $86.40

6 bags (50# ea) chick grower @$9.70 = $58.20

?? of ?? =  $8.00**

Wood shavings @ $10

Light bulbs @ $5

Total investment: $203.90

Total return: 35 birds, ranging from 4 to 7 lbs, totalling 181.25 lbs.

Cost per lb of dressed bird:  $1.25/lb***

~~~

To tell you the truth, I'm a little surprised by this.  I'm fairly certain I have all my receipts but it sure felt like I was at the feed store every time I turned around, shelling out dollars like crazy.  Of course, I was also buying lay pellets, grain, and dog and cat food, and that adds up too.  

The cost of hardware is not included here, as we bought it in years past, but it would be something to consider; the feeders, waterers, heat lamps and the like.  And obviously it doesn't take into account our work both in feeding/housing them and butchering.  And I don't think you could pay me enough to do that. :)

Considering how many birds died between bringing them home and putting them into the freezer (we even found one Saturday morning before trying out the plucker), I would expect we could get this price tag down considerably if we could keep more of them alive.  We also should have had them dressing out closer to 4 lbs than the 5+ we averaged, and that last pound or more of weight probably cost a whole lot more.  When eviscerating, there was a LOT of fat on these critters, and much of it was tossed.  I don't know how my eviscerating compares with the store (well, yes, mine's FAR more careful and cleaner than mechanical evisceration!), but I usually cut off the tail-feather thingy, and any hanging fat or skin.  These are likely included in the weight at the grocer's.  Also, Hubby keeps the gizzards and hearts (ew), but I didn't count them in the end.  *I* don't really consider them food. :)

Overall, I'm somewhat surprised that these didn't come out more expensive.  Considering our losses, and how long we left them alive, I expected the pricetag to be double a decent grocer's or more, and it's not (Costco had them for 99c/lb last I noticed).

[Don't read the following paragraph if you're eating commercial chicken for dinner tonight.]

And in comparison to the grocer's (other than that they're huge), they enjoyed fresh air and sunshine, green stuff (when they'd eat it), and weren't constantly medicated (the one bag of starter was) or breathing fecal dust.  In death, they were killed more humanely, eviscerated by hand (carefully keeping the poop from the food!), and chilled in a tank of clean water - that didn't have several inches of fecal matter settling at the bottom (how much of that do you think is soaked into the meat?).  Still hungry for chicken?  I am! :)

*This is far less than the 'usual' pricetag of $$1 - 1.50 or so.  But the local farm store was running specials a lot this year, and we ordered during that time.

**The last week when we still had most of the birds to feed, the feed store was out of chick grower.  We bought lay pellets and whole wheat, and they got some of this, in addition to what we had left of the grower.  This cost is an estimation.

***Also, I didn't include sales tax in the costs.  Consider the final price tag to be $1.25/lb "plus tax."

Azure Order

This week is Azure Order week for me.  I find I really enjoying seeing other people's grocery lists and menus, so even though this seems a mite silly to be writing it, perhaps it's just an issue of perspective.

If you don't know what Azure Standard is, click the link in my sidebar.  Even if you live outside their general delivery area (which is actually quite large), you can have things shipped UPS, as long as they're not frozen, refrigerated, or otherwise perishable.

Ok, here you go:

2 25.4 oz jars of Organic Sunflower Oil for $6.65 ea.  I can get this locally, but it's about $8-9/bottle, so I don't.  Last month I was almost out of all our oils.  I bought Safflower oil, Almond oil, Walnut oil, Hemp oil even (more on that later!), sesame oil, toasted sesame oil, six gallons of coconut oil (not from Azure), and forgot all about my trusty sunflower oil.  I buy olive oil from Costco, usually, and each thing is used for different applications, depending on it's heat tolerance and nutritive value.

2 lb of fresh, organic rhubarb for $7.  *choke gasp*  I know.  I grow the stuff, just not really well yet (I brought my transplant here from our last house, where the neighbor claimed it had grown there since 1960 when he moved in, and survived many, many residents trying to destroy it.  I figured that was my kind of rhubarb.  But I planted it in a bad place.  I'll move it. I will.).  I want to keep some frozen, and maybe have an upsidedown cake stashed for post-baby.  Right?

1 bunch of organic celery for $2.60.  Celery is one of those highly-pesticided items and I like to get it when I can. 

14 oz bag of Brown Rice Pasta in cute shapes for $2.85.  Yes, that's over $3/lb.  Which is why I'm not buying a barrel of it.  The girls love homemade macaroni and cheese, and I prefer whole grain, and even non-wheat when possible.  

1 lb box of Organic Vegetable Alphabet Pasta for $3.50.  See above excuse.  It's a splurge.

3 stainless sprouting screens for $1.95/ea.  These are for my neighbor.

2 1-lb packages of Garlic Granules from Oregon Spice for $4.45/ea.  Hubby knows no sense of moderation with this stuff at all.  I'm so glad he sleeps on his left side a lot...

1 lb Onion Granules from Oregon Spice for $3.85.  Ditto the above.

25 lbs Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals for $24.55.  I usually buy the 5 lb packages, but this will save me over $5.  Sugar isn't prone to bugs or infestations, so storing it won't be too hard.

2 90-tablet bottles of Rhino-Vites for $5/ea.  The girls aren't too thrilled with Melaleuca's new vitamin flavor (and Gi-gi and I have cancelled our account anyway), so we're going to try these out.  I don't know if they're a good buy or not, but they're on sale this month, so I hope so. :)

1 lb Organic Sprouted-Grain Penne Pasta for $3.60.  Sprouted grains are by far the best for you, and while the taste can be lacking (in the few places/ways I've tried them), I thought we'd try out this pasta.  It's on sale this month too.

3 quarts of Bragg's Liquid Aminos for $4.70/ea.  IF they come in.  It's a healthy, non-GMO, no MSG version of basically a mild soy sauce.  They're on sale, so I try to stock up.

3 quarts of Organic, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar for $3.35/ea.  Also on sale.  Seeing a trend here?  This is the only vinegar Hubby can have on his diet, and he LOVES vinegar stuff.

1 quart of food grade Vegetable Glycerine for $6.70.  I found a different brand locally for $8/pint, but didn't buy it, even when this didn't come last month when I tried ordering it.  I'd like to try it out in a laundry detergent recipe.

2 2-oz bottles Alcohol-Free Stevia Extract for $8.60/ea.  I like this stuff to sweeten my prenatal tea, and even though I just bought a bottle last month (and it'll last me a while), they're 15% off this month, so I'm stocking up.  The alcohol-version is cheaper, but I like this one.

2 14-oz cans of Organic, Lite Coconut Milk for 1.70/ea.  These go on sale sometimes, but not now.  Hubby enjoys it in some of his meals, and I use it for curries or stir frys (fries?) occasionally.  The un-Lite version hardly can be scooped from the can, and has about as many calories as Obama's deficit, hence our choice here.

That's it!  My order comes to about $135 this month, not counting the 8% I add to cover shipping/tax and whatnot.  I also order through another gal who runs a 'buy club' so I don't need to worry about extra charges if my order is too small.  I try to keep my monthly order about $100 or so, but there are several 'pantry stockup' items this time, and with Hubby's OT I have some leeway.

I order a lot of herbs/spices through them, especially when they go on sale, and one of my favorites is Oregon Spice's Ranch Dressing Mix (try finding one of those without MSG on your grocery store shelves!  Or one that tastes good from the health food store!).  I also buy organic whole wheat berries from Azure, as well as pearl barley, barley flakes (like oatmeal, only not), rye flakes (ditto), organic corn starch, pasta in bulk (comes in 10-lb boxes), salt, molasses (Hubby loves it), sorghum (Hubby again), frozen strawberries in bulk, produce wash from Biokleen (on sale for $3.50 sometimes, regularly $4.05 or so -- still cheaper than locally)... I've gotten beef gelatin, lecithin granules, seeds for the garden, essential oils, half-gallon canning jars, seasoning mixes, diatomaceous earth (for killing squash bugs, etc), unusual flours (barley, triticale, spelt, garbanzo bean, etc), organic popcorn, rice-, almond-, hazelnut-, oat milks (they're sometimes cheaper locally, though), and more.  Their fresh produce is available in season, and while it's often still quite expensive, organic apples get really cheap in the fall.

They also sell a lot of organic pre-made stuff, like canned vegetables, fruits, soups, boxed dinners, baking mixes, books, meat & dairy items, pet supplies, baby care items, and more.  I don't usually buy those things from them (or anywhere), so I don't know as much about price comparisons in those categories.

A note about sales:  They run for 2 months.  I get a sales catalog with every other order, alerting me to their new and on-sale items.  For example, June and July have the same items on sale, but August/September will have a new catalog.  Stocking up on sale items really helps keep things affordable, and sometimes there's even a treat to splurge on (organic root beer, anyone?)!  Their sales catalogs always include a recipe or two, and a kind of 'editorial' about some nutritional topic, or even political (food politics is something to keep up on!).

Finally, from what I gather, the people 'at the top' of this organization are wonderful, good people.  Christian even, I think.  They started selling their bulk grains off their farm decades ago, and it just grew from there; families requesting this or that item and they became a 'distribution warehouse' of sorts.  They do sell certain products, by request, that they wouldn't personally recommend (soy stuff, for instance), but they depend on their customer's being informed and using their own judgment, which appeals to my libertarian bent.

If you haven't checked them out, I encourage you to do so.  If you're local, contact me and I'd be happy to add your order to mine, and even pick it up!

Maple Syrup Substitute

UPDATE:  I no longer use or recommend this alternative!  Go here for more information.

I used to think maple syrup was made by using 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, bringing almost to a boil and adding a capful or two of 'mapleine.'  As I began to learn more about and understand whole and natural foods, I realized that only GOD can make maple syrup. :)  And while I once scoffed at people who paid a few dollars for a jug of something they could make themselves for cheaper, I began to search for the best deals - which were still several times as expensive as the fake stuff - on REAL maple syrup.  The kind harvested from maple trees.  The kind that was better for you and natural.  I enjoyed our occasional splurge, and was careful not to waste it.

But...

Have you priced maple syrup lately?  It's really gotten out of hand.  A year ago I could buy a half gallon at Costco (sometimes organic) for about $20.  A few months ago it was available in quarts, for about $16-$17.  I choked, but I bought some anyway.  It was still cheaper than Azure, and there weren't any other options, really.  Then, when I needed it again (and oh, I needed it!), Costco was out!  I inquired and they told me the Maple Mafia or whomever were working out their pricing for this year's syrup, and they expected it by mid or late April.

I figured April 16 was time to check, and looked for it again.  Still nothing.  THIS time, my inquiry brought puzzled looks by the gals who searched through their mighty database.  Apparently it 'had been on order last week' but wasn't even listed anymore.

It's that Maple Cartel.  Those thugs priced themselves out of even Costco's market!  Argh!

But I think I've found a way around it...

I occasionally bought Agave Nectar for Hubby to use, and when it went on sale this month from Azure, I bought a 44 oz jug (that's weight... it's about a quart by volume) for $7.25.  I used it this morning on my pancakes and it was... not bad!  Not maple-y, of course, but if I was motivated enough I bet I could mix in a bit of maple flavoring in a pinch.

I think I'll buy a case of 6 jugs next month (it's still on sale in May - $39.55 for the case), and thumb my nose at the Maple overlords.  That would bring my cost down to $6.67/quart.

Oh, and the bulk price for maple syrup from Azure is almost $25!!

So, if you're hurting for something pure, natural, healthy(ish), but can't quite bring yourself to put a dollar's worth (or more) of something on each pancake you eat, I encourage you to give this a try.  And then tell me what YOU think!

No Sense a'Tall

That's what Gi-gi says, often.

Today it definitely applies.

But first; my Saturday.

Saturday was nice.  I had the house (downstairs, anyway) fairly presentable before Saturday began, and we were expecting a houseful for dinner.  Our cousins and their 2 boys - 'best friends' pretty much, but they hadn't been over for a year!  Life has been busy for them - and then the wife's sister and her two kids, and the grandma to those kids...  All had converged upon our cousins for the weekend, and we were happy and excited to have them all over.  Total count was 6 adults and 7 kids.  Awesome.

In any case, I spent the day straightening up those kitchen counters (I think they have a chronic clutter condition) and getting dinner ready.. I browned up 2 lbs of young beef (1 year old) - very tender, maybe not the best option for spaghetti sauce, but oh well - adding organic tomato paste, (not organic) tomato sauce, homegrown (of course organic!) tomatoes, organic italian seasoning, etc etc, and FILLED a 6-qt crockpot to simmer all day.  I mixed up some msg-free ranch dressing mix (that actually tastes good), and minced garlic for the garlic bread.

The kids were on the edge of their seat all day... FINALLY they were on their way, and the girls staked out the driveway in anticipation.  After their arrival, it was an outdoor free-for-all of chasing poultry and running from the dog, piling on the all-safety-features-removed trampoline, and other fun kidstuff.

It was so nice to have everyone over, and though they left shortly after 8, it was really just right.  I headed to bed about 9, and let me tell you:  I didn't notice until just then, but I think I overdid it.  My whole body was hollering, "hey!  Don't you know there's gestation going on here?!?  It takes effort!  It takes energy!  Slow it down, wouldya?"  Of course, at that point, the only option was full-stop, and thankyouJesus for my bed.

That was 2 days ago.  You'd think I'd have learned something.

Apparently not.

Today I got up to my soaking-bread-dough and my soaking-breakfast-cookie-dough (don't know what soaking is about?  That's cause I'm a crummy blogger.  It's awesome, and good for you).  I added the last of the breakfast cookie ingredients, and baked them.  I warmed the bread dough, and finished that recipe, and over the course of a few hours baked 4 loaves of bread, plus one lower-gluten loaf for Organique, plus let the girls each make a 'bread bear' for tomorrow's breakfast.  That was all a lot of work.  But then I decided to try out some casserole recipes and freeze a few things 'for later.'  So I browned 5 pounds of beef, and defrosted a package of organic genoa salami that I got on clearance (no nitrates!).  I've had a 5 lb bag of mozzarella languishing in the spare fridge for too long, and thought that would be good to use.  I made a batch of pizza pockets.  Interesting, but tedious.  We had a couple for lunch, and they were delicious.  Oh, yes, I made pizza sauce, obviously.  Then I boiled some noodles and made a 'pizza casserole' with the sauce, some noodles, some beef, some of that salami, mozzarella... I think that's it.  Then I boiled more noodles and made a 'lasagna casserole.'  It looks tasty.  Then I broke out another giant can of tomato sauce and some corn tortillas and made an 'enchilada casserole.'  With mozzarella, of course, not cheddar.

I thought I could quit then.  But I couldn't.  I had to wrap the casseroles in plastic, label them, and put the rest of the mozzarella, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and ground beef into ziploc bags to freeze for later use.

And then I threw it all into a box for Hubby to lug to a freezer when he comes home, because I can't.

I think I'm dead.

:)

Progress

While back and hip pain continue to be a ... pain, I've been able to make some progress in this house, and I'm SOOOOOO grateful for that.  

A couple weeks ago I REALLY cleaned/organized the laundry room/pantry.  That's not amazing in and of itself, but get this:  It's STILL in good shape.  THAT'S pretty incredible.

I decluttered 5 sets of lower cupboards in the kitchen.  I have pictures which I'll post in... say, six months, once I hook the camera up to the computer again. :)  Some of them are so empty the kids hide in them, and now my baking stuff is a little more central to where I need it.

I still have at least one upper cabinet which is a shambles; the one with the really long lasagna in it.  It's the only one I've taken a 'before' picture of... Well, it's not really a 'before' photo, it's more of a 'currently' photo.  Hopefully it'll become 'before.'

I've managed to keep the hallway clear (thank you laundry-organization!) and swept each day, also the kitchen and dining room.  Organique takes to pitching handfuls of rice or whatever when she gets antsy in her booster seat. Sometimes I sweep more often in that area.

I found some great recipes online (I'll share, eventually!), printed them out, and updated my recipe index for my personalized cookbook.  Maybe I should share about that someday, too?

It's not all cleanliness and organization around here.  The family room is in need of serious attention by someone over the age of 7 (it's obviously had too much attention from those 7 and under!), and the girls' bedroom is utterly dangerous.  It looks like a SWAT team had to complete a mission there, and I'm not sure who won.

How are you doing?  Are you 'spring cleaning'? Or, like me, are you cleaning to keep the spring fever at bay? :)

Thanksgiving Cookin'

Who's tired of my fall-themed photos?  Who thinks I should get with the program and transfer pictures a little more often?  I know, I know.  I'm sorry.  I haven't been running on all cylinders (or neurons) this winter.

But I just really enjoy those late-fall, early-winter festivities (by March, obviously, the cold and dreariness is a little old), and if I don't share them here, they won't be shared at all.  So there you go.

I did some baking for Thanksgiving, some pies to auction at church, some to share at the in-laws, and some to keep at home.

Defrosting peaches for a pie... or ten.

I made a huge batch of pie crust, and baked them all wrongly:See?

The chickens didn't mind.

And I think I made enough stuffing...

Nothin' like a 'feathered' friend for dinner:

After packing up some pies for the church auction, these were still hanging around.  Pumpkin, peach, and pecan.  Mmmm...

Pies and ponies.

Found It

I just took a brief, rare walk outdoors and scattered some grain to the chickens, with Organique in one arm helping toss the corn.  It's barely 40 degrees, but direct sunlight makes all the difference in the world.

As I walked along the edge of the grass, near what was once a wood pile (is currently where we grow thistles and toss the 'chicken bucket'), I happened to notice within the chicken-scratchings something dull and silvery.  I looked again and was thrilled to find my favorite vegetable peeler!  Which, no doubt, took the outdoor journey with carrot or potato peelings many, many months ago.  Perhaps a year or more.

I haven't tried it out, so I don't know if it's sabbatical did any damage to it or not, but I'm very excited.  Perhaps I'll make mashed potatoes tonight.

You can't buy this one.  I've tried; twice.  The 'new' versions take about a quarter inch of 'good stuff' along with the peel, and that irks me to no end.  I don't mind them if I'm working with a particularly huge and warty tater or something, but generally speaking I'd like to have some carrot left after peeling it.  Too, I peel forwards, which makes my mom as crazy as her backwards-version makes me (at least I'm excused from peeling potatoes while visiting).  Which, in fact, is how I acquired this great peeler; I grew up using it and she never cared for it, so I nabbed it a few years back.  In the interim, I was forced to steal from the motor home a very antique version, which, while not very sharp or forward-friendly, was at least better than the obnoxious new kind.

Should I attach it to a retractable cable in it's drawer, so this doesn't happen again?  I really don't know if I could bear it.

My New Dishes

These are my new dishes:

Ok, so like my "new" sewing machine, the adjective is relative.  They are a (fairly old) set of Corelle plates (several), bowls (lots of bowls!), tiny bowls (a few), tiny plates, medium plates (a few), and I think I gave away a few mugs.  These were my grandpa's, and he died in early November.  Technically, they were his late wife's, I think, and she passed away over 10 years ago.  I'm not sure how 'new' these are after all. :)

But I love them.  They sit so snugly on the shelf, with such a nice, low profile.  There is no gold edging to entertain the kids when Daddy puts them in the microwave.  We *have* broken one already (in many, many tiny and oddly-shaped pieces!), but there are plenty left.  We are blessed to have these.  Plus, the price was right. :)