Goodby Old Friend and Task Master

A few days ago I picked the last of my Garden.  I can't complain considering it is the first part of November and I still have kale, collards, carrots, potatoes and parsnips growing in the garden.  We picked the last leaves of the green plants and dug up all the roots. 

I have to admit that I will miss the Garden produce but not so much all the work.  Anyway, now we have snow on the ground and it covers up anything I could possibly feel guilty about, like the rest of the cleanup.  As soon as this round of snow melts, we will have one more push to clean up the rest.

In honor of the death of my wonderful Kale plants, I would like to share a salad recipe (not so much a recipe, as the ingredients for one)

Super Wonderful Kale Salad (as seen at whole foods market)

Add these Ingredients together in amounts that you desire.  I make a huge salad and eat it all week.

Kale, curly leaves pulled off in bite size pieces (no stems)

Napa cabbage leaves chopped in bite size pieces

Some chopped parsley leaves

Carrots, shredded

Cherry tomatoes

Red onion sliced and chopped

Shelled Edamame

Gogi Berries, (dried)

Blueberries

Sunflower seeds

Cashews

Acai Dressing

Mix to your desired taste

I start with the acai juice, about 1/2 a bottle because this is a large salad

Add oil and vinegar to taste

add salt, pepper, garlic powder, dash of cayenne

add agave to taste

Blend well and toss onto salad

Happy Halloween

We have beautiful weather today for all the little trick or treaters.  We don't usually have many, but because the weather is so nice, I better go buy some more candy.

Speaking of candy, I have sworn off eating sugar today.  I started my morning with a Green Juice.  I also made enough for the entire day.  Today, I am fasting from food and drinking just this juice.  Why?  Because it will help set me up for a good week of eating healthy and keep me committed, and keep me from eating sugar. 

Don't let the color fool you, it tastes great.

Green Juice Recipe

12 red, yellow, and green apples, organic and not peeled

1 meyer lemon peeled

a dozen fresh dug carrots from my garden, unpeeled

1 chunk of ginger root, 1 1/2 inch cube

1 bunch of kale

Juice in a juice extractor and enjoy at room temperature

Here are a collection of decorating photos.

Happy Halloween!

My Daughter, Liz grew this pumpkin then carved it like this!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I will leave you with this Fall Casserole that is quick easy, and very yummy.

Polenta Chili Casserole

6 cups water

2 cups corn grit, (or meal - not flour)

1 tsp of salt as desired

Bring water to a boil and slowly stir in corn grit.  Stir frequently to keep from burning as it cooks.  Lower heat and cook till tender.  Grit will take up to 30 minutes, Meal is quicker.  When corn is thick and tender remove from heat and pour into a baking dish, (spray with pam).  Let cool while you prepare the veggies.

1 cup of green  bell pepper, diced

1 cup of sweet onions, diced

1 cup of fresh tomato, diced

2 package of Madras Lentils, or your favorite chili

Shredded cheese to taste

You can use a larger casserole for this recipe.  Here is the polenta grits in a smaller casserole (half)

I added two packages of the Madras lentils on top (Vegan) but you can use any chili or bean from a can.

Add the chopped peppers and onions

Top with the tomatoes and put in the microwave for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the casserole.

Top with shredded cheese if desired and return to microwave to melt.  Serve with a little cilantro and sour cream to garnish.  Yummmmm

Absentee

Sorry for the lack of posts.  I have been busy gardening the last possible harvest of my garden, and planning a baby shower for my daughter-in-law.  Oh, and working hard on fall cleaning. 

I know you don't want to hear the boring report on fall cleaning, but I did discover a tip to remove yucky grout grime.  I bought liquid Oxy Clean for the laundry, but I used it on my tile and grout.  It worked wonders.

My report on the garden:  Dug up all the potatoes, some red, white and blue.  Started pulling out all the old plants.  Still picking kale and chard (the never ending plants).  Rescued the last of my tomatoes.  Oh and did I mention the gopher?  Well he is no more!   (too bad you cannot see the happy dance)

Now to the Baby Shower.  You know how they always say it takes a village to raise a child.  Well, I want to thank my village for coming to the baby shower for Janae.  I have immense gratitude for the support of wonderful friends and neighbors.  Your gifts will help make the new baby warm, comfortable and just amazingly cute!  Thank you all so much for your support and friendship.  I appreciate each of you for taking time from your busy and hectic schedule to spend a little time and lots of love with us.

To my family I want to add, that you are amazing and wonderful.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.  I love you all.

I promise to do a better jog posting, so hang in there with me.

So Corny

The weather is going to change this week and temperatures will drop.  Fruits and Veggies will quit growing soon and that makes me a little sad.  One thing is for sure, I have been preserving lots of food for the winter.  I almost feel like a squirrel.

I didn't get any cobs on my corn in my garden this year.  My corn didn't develop the kernels properly.  I have had this happen before, and I think I will just give up on the corn.  There are so many farms around me that have wonderful corn, it seems silly for me to try to grow it anymore.  So in honor of this new found knowledge, I had my hubby Craig buy me a case of corn.

I shucked the corn and then froze it so it will be  ready to eat all winter.  If you have never frozen corn before, here are some easy directions for freezing corn -off the cob.

Shuck the corn and take as much silk as possible off each cob.  Set it next to the stove, and have a pot of boiling water ready.  (a large pot works great for a large batch)

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 6-8 minutes. 

Then remove quickly and plunge into Ice Cold Water.

I use a screw in a piece of wood to hold the corn cob while I cut it off.  There are other implements to help get the corn off the husk, but this is my favorite. (I use a little piece of rubber shelf mat to keep it from sliding)

This is another tool you can buy to remove the kernels, but it really smashes them, not my favorite way.

I place a large piece of wax paper over the screw so when the corn is cut off, it is easier to gather.  Using an electric knife, I slice down the corn in strips.  Turn the cob and cut another strip all around till all the corn is removed.  Remember to be careful of your fingers if you hold the top of the cob.  You can use a regular sharp knife, but the electric knife makes quick work.

You will have this when you are done. 

If you like creamy corn, then take a butter knife and scrape down the cob to remove all the remaining juice and kernels.

That's all there is to it.  You will have a bowl of corn kernels that you can freeze any way you like.  You can purchase plastic containers, or ziplock freezer bags, or use a foodsaver to vacuum pack your corn.  

If you like, you can spread the corn out on a cookie sheet and freeze it then after it is frozen you can pack it into your chosen container.  This makes it separate into smaller pieces rather than a frozen block.

It's not much work, and think of all that yummy fresh corn this winter.

Protein Does Not Equal Meat.

Most Americans are Obsessed with Protein.

Protein is a nutrient.  It is needed for growth, tissue repair, immune function, preserving lean muscle mass, hormone production and energy when carbohydrates are not available.  Protein is not Meat, it is a nutrient.

Myth:  Protein builds muscles.  Only exercise builds muscles, protein helps repair the damage and provides the nutrition, but does not build the muscle.

Extra protein beyond the daily requirement will not make extra muscle or grow hair faster or protect against diseases. Protein beyond what is needed is either broken down and used for energy, or it is turned into fat and stored in fat cells.

Say that Again!

What happens to all that extra Protein we consume?

It is stored as Fat.

How much Protein should we eat?

Depending on how active we are, age, and  gender, we should eat a diet of approximately 10%-30% of our daily food intake as protein.  For an average woman that is around 46 grams per day.  For a man it is 56 grams per day.  Pregnant women, children, and athletes have a higher requirement.

The average American eats 100-120 grams of protein a day, largely from an animal source.  This animal source will also include a higher level of saturated fat which puts an undue stress on the kidneys. 

Other health conditions that may result from an overabundance of protein include excessive calcium leaching from the bones and causing osteoporosis, acid reflux, obesity, plaque build-up in the arteries, high blood pressure, pain from arthritis, high cholesterol, bad breath from sulfur-containing amino acids, and increased risk of heart disease and cancer, especially colon cancer.

An interesting fact is that the World Health Organization says we require 4.5% to 5% of our daily diet in protein.  That is exactly what human breast milk contains.

Where did we get the Idea that we need to eat large amounts of Protein?

The campaigns by the meat and dairy producing companies have saturated the market and media with  hype such as: "Where's the beef?" and "Milk does a body good".  Protein is a product that has political power and makes big money.  We have been sold the idea, that we need more protein from animal sources, and we need more protein to build strong bones and build muscles. 

The word "Protein" carries a lot of power.  Consumers will buy products that have labels and advertising touting they contain lots of protein to build muscle.  Have you ever seen  a plant product with that kind of power?

We can obtain all the protein we need from plant based sources.  We have not been educated with the facts about protein.  We equate protein with animal. 

Sample of Protein Content from Vegetables

Spinach: 49% protein
Broccoli: 33%
Cauliflower: 26%
Romaine lettuce: 36% (what, I thought lettuce was worthless)

Corn: 11%
Kale: 22%
Cucumber: 24%
Potato: 11%
Carrot: 10%
Cantaloupe: 9%
Grapefruit: 8%
Berries: 7%
Tomato: 16%
Almonds: 13%
Pumpkin seeds: 17%
Brown Rice: 8%
Oats: 15%
Kidney beans: 26%

Why should we eat more Carbohydrates?  

According to the USDA, we should also be consuming 45%-65% of our Diet as Complex Carbohydrate.

WHY?

Because:

• Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel.
• Carbohydrates are easily used by the body for energy.
• All of the tissues and cells in our body can use glucose for energy.
• Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain, the muscles (including the heart) to function properly.
• Carbohydrates can be stored in the muscles and liver and later used for energy.
• Carbohydrates are important in intestinal health and waste elimination.
• Carbohydrates are mainly found in starchy foods (like grain and potatoes), fruits, milk, and yogurt. Other foods like vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and cottage cheese contain carbohydrates, but in lesser amounts.

The Moral to this story:

Eat meat sparingly.

 

Cryyyyinnnng Over You

I am still in full swing preserving my garden.  Today, I chopped up all the onions from my garden and put them in the dehydrator.  Then I promptly put the dehydrator in the garage.  Our cars will smell like onions by morning.  (big snicker on my face).

While I peeled and chopped the onions, I couldn't get the song from Roy Orbison out of my head.  I kept singing  " I've been Cryyyyinnnnng over you."    Again, and again and again I sang that line with tears running down my cheeks.   It's a good thing I only do this once a year.

I won't bore you with all the details, but it has been quite a busy month.  I finished drying my peppers and tomatoes.  Picked and dried all the collards, kale and chard then blended them into a green powder.  I will add this to my smoothies this winter.  Froze green beans, and summer squash.  Picked the Bartlet pears and prepared and froze them.  I also froze my cantaloupe and honeydew.  Did I mention I have a very big garden?

The corn was worthless.  This is the last year I try to get corn.  It just doesn't like me, at least I will have some decent corn stalks for decoration.  My daughter and I picked lots of cucumbers and made dill relish.  We made two different recipes. 

I picked my dry beans and shelled them.  It is so fun to grow dry beans.  I chose 4 varieties this year. 

I have tomatillos waiting for me in the fridge and two large bags of Anjou pears ripening on the table.  I still have carrots, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes and winter squash in the garden.

OK, I said I wasn't going to bore you with all the details, so I will stop now.

Before I leave, I have to share a fun recipe I tried.  Homemade Potato chips made in the microwave.  It was great fun.

Homemade Microwave Potato Chips
Slice a potato into thin slices on a mandolin.  Spray your turntable with Pam and place the potatoes around on the tray.  Lightly spray the top and sprinkle with salt and any seasoning you like.  Then cook for approximately 5 minutes.  This will depend on how thick you sliced your potato.  Don't let them burn, but they can get a touch golden if you like.  We had a great time making and eating homemade chips.

Preservation Has Begun

I found this great chart Here.  It gives you a formula to use your dried tomato powder.  How do you get Dry Tomato Powder, you ask?  You have an abundance of tomatoes in your garden, cut and dry them for 1 to 2 days in a dehydrator, place the very dry tomato slices in your handy dandy blender and Whala!  You have dried tomato powder.  Now you can use the powder in all your winter cooking.

I also have an abundance of Kale in my garden.  I decided to grow it for the first time, and I planted several rows.  What I didn't know is that Kale is a plant that keeps on giving.  You pick the bottom leaves and more leaves grow on the top, so you don't need to have two rows, just a few plants.   This explains the abundance of Kale. 

Many soup recipes call for 2 cups of Kale, so I decided to freeze the Kale in 2 cup packages.  First I picked and washed lots of my Russian red kale.  I snapped off the long stems and put them on a towel to drain.

Now take a leaf and fold it in half and lay it on the cutting board

Draw your knife down the edge, cutting out the largest portion of the stem.  Since I will be making this for soup, I chose not to have the woodier stem.  It is perfectly fine to eat the stems in stir fry type dishes.

Chop into slices.  I did a single leaf so you could see the slices, but you can stack a great big pile and slice them all at once.

Big bowl of sliced Kale waiting for blanching.

Heat a large pot of boiling water.  I used two pots to make it faster.  When the water boils, throw the kale in and set the timer for 2 minutes.  As soon as the timer rings, drain the kale quickly in a colander and then plunge it into an ice water bath.

Swish around until the kale is very cool.   Drain and squeeze the kale gently to release most of the water.  If you want you can let it drain on a kitchen towel to remove the majority of the water.

Now it is ready to freeze.  You can put it into freezer bags, or containers.  Try to get as much air out of the packaging as possible.  I will use the frozen kale in my soup recipes, so I placed it into two cup measures and vacuum packed it with my foodsaver.  Now it is ready for the freezer.

That huge bowl of chopped Kale made 4 two cup servings.  Kale Potato Soup here I come.  (recipe coming soon)



More From the Garden and a TLT Sandwich

Here is what I picked out of the Garden on my Birthday.  You can see the cute table decoration that Craig put on the table for me.  I have the best Husband!  Now what should I make from this harvest? 

Ok, I blanched all the summer squash and vacuum packed and froze them.  Same with the green beans.  I shared some of the bowl of cherry tomatoes and regular tomatoes.  The collard greens made the wrap for our bean and pepper spread with cucumber, carrots, peppers, radish, sunflower seeds, and salsa.  It was yummy.  The peppers are sitting on the counter with the rest of the tomatoes they will be chopped and made into salsa.  That leaves me the cucumbers to devour on Sunday.  Yummmm   Oh, I almost forgot the melon that you can see right by the basket.  I thought it was a cantaloupe, but it was a honeydew and very ripe.  It was fine one day, and the next day it was bright yellow and ripe. 

Now for the TLT Sandwich recipe

Start with two slices of Great Harvest Bread (mmmm my favorite)  Add a gigantic slice of homegrown tomato on one side and lettuce on the other.  Add whatever dressing you would like for the bread.  We used a no fat ranch dressing. 

Slice some firm smoked tofu in thin slices and sprinkle with real maple syrup and a dash of smokey paprika.  Grill in a pan (Tiny bit of spray oil) and turn several times till firm and browned.  Place on paper towel until cool.

Add several Tofu slices on top of your Giant Tomato Slice and put the top on your sandwich and dig in.  Yummmmmm  Best Tofu Lettuce Tomato Sandwich around.  What does the tofu taste like (not chicken) it substitutes for Bacon.  It is yummy.

Hot and Sweaty? Try Drinking Healthy Homemade Beverages

Did you know that Caffeine and Sugar pull the water out of your cells and make you more thirsty and dehydrated.  Carbonated drinks reduce the minerals in your bones.  Why not try some alternative homemade refreshing drinks.

Barley Water is an ancient refreshing drink.  The Greeks used it in their celebrations and  many cultures use it for the ill and infirmed.  The British drink it as a refreshing drink.  Barley Water is used also for ill babies, children and adults and it provides excellent health benefits.  Check out the healing power of Barley Water.

Refreshing Barley Water

2 quarts water

1 cup hulled barley

2 lemons

1/4 cup honey

Place the water and barley into a medium saucepan; cover, set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once the barley comes to a boil, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.  While the liquid is cooking, peel the lemons, being careful not to cut into the white pith.  Juice the lemons and place the juice along with the peel into a 3-quart pitcher and set aside.

After 30 minutes, strain the barley water through a fine mesh strainer into the pitcher. Discard the barley (save and add to your homemade soup, bread, or cereal). Add the honey and stir to combine. Refrigerate until chilled.

For other refreshing barley flavored drinks visit this site.

And to know more about the Health benefits of Barley Water go here and here.

Electrolyte Drinks from the grocery store are full of artificial colors, harmful sweeteners and chemicals.  Here is a recipe to make your own.  Add some citrus or fruit juice and ice and you have a duplicate of the fancy sport drinks.  Drink after long effects of the sun, illness, or you just can't quench your thirst (sign of dehydration). 

If you are on a sodium restricted diet, or medications, check with your doctor before consuming as the baking soda and salt can interact with medications.

From Bob Harper

 Electrolyte Drink

Ingredients:

1 liter of water
1/2 tsp of baking soda
2 tbsp of agave nectar
1/2 tbsp of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in water bottle and sip as needed

Simple Refreshing Electrolyte Drink

 1 cup coconut water (not milk, you can find this easily at a health food store)

1 cup pure water

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt (contains the minerals, essential to rehydrate- do not substitute)

Mix together and add sweetener and flavors as desired.

optional items:  stevia, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, pomegranate or other berry juice

Vitamin C Drinks.  Why not try some refreshing citrus drinks to cool off in summer heat.

6-8 Lemons, Limes, Oranges, or Grapefruits - fresh squeezed.

Water to dilute to taste

Agave, Stevia, or Honey to taste

Heat 1 cup water and add sweetener till dissolved.  Mix into juice and add ice to dilute to your favorite tartness.

Optional:  Add crushed mint leaves, fresh smashed raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries.

Refreshing Fruit Drinks are a summer must.  Here are a few recipes to get started.

Green Cooler

4 Kiwi fruit
2 cucumbers
2 Celery sticks

1/2 inch piece Ginger
crushed pepper to taste
salt to taste
2 scoops crushed ice
1 cup water

 Peel fruits and cut all ingredients in little pieces. Blend in a high power Blender add water as needed and ice to cool.  Don't over blend.  Optional additions:  Parsley, alfalfa sprouts, or mint.

Melon Cooler

2 cups cubed watermelon (no rind)

2 large stalks of celery

1/2 cup ice cubes

Blend in powerful blender

Watermelon Heaven

2 ¼ cups watermelon flesh, de-seeded and roughly chopped

2/3 cup cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped

4-5 teaspoons lime juice

1 cup coconut water

12 fresh mint leaves, rinsed

A pinch of paprika

Unrefined sweetener such as stevia, agave, coconut/palm sugar or maple syrup to taste (optional)

 Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until mint leaves are thoroughly incorporated.Strain and serve over ice. Add sweetener to taste.

Fruit Waters are very light and refreshing.  There are endless possibilities.

1 gallon of pure water

1 orange (organic because we are using the peel) scrub and wash

Cut the orange in half and cut off a small sliver at each end.  Squeeze into the water dropping the whole orange and peel into the water. Do not let the seeds into the mixture. Steep in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.  Strain if desired and enjoy.  Optional: add small amount of stevia or agave.

Substitute any citrus fruit, cucumber, celery, or berry and continue as directed.  (chop any veggies into small pieces to maximize flavor).

Also try mint, ginger, basil  or herbs like rose hips, hibiscus, spearmint, catnip, lavender, lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon verbena, rosemary, thyme or parsley to add a vitamin kick. Try other fruits such as apples, grapes (halved), pineapple, peach, plum, cranberries... you get the idea.  Also, a few spices can be added sparingly: cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole nutmeg, etc. 

Wrap herbs and spices in cheesecloth if desired.  If you are really brave you can try evergreen pine, spruce, and fir sprigs, juniper berries, and edible flowers - rose, nasturtium, pansy (make sure they are edible) 

To add more flavor you can add caffeine free herbal tea bags, Honeybush and  Rooibos red tea. (Rooibos and Honeybush are  actually a bush, not a leaf.  They do not contain caffeine or tannin)