Kombucha 2

Kombucha might not be a failure after all, I found out after my last panick induced post!  My new BFF, Michael (aka, Bacteria Pimp) told me it was jsut doing it's thing & to let it go a few more days & post more pictures & to taste it for goodness' sake!

The fastest soup ever! Recipe

Ok, so I have NOTHING planned for tonight's dinner & tonight is supposed to be a quick night we run home, eat & go to our Book Club.  So I thought about what I had going bad in my fridge, a giant container of Spinach from over a week ago!  

I had some sauteed onions in the fridge, so I dumped them (about 2 TBSP) with SS&P, about a cup of chicken stock, and a handful of spinach (I just couldn't bring myself to really dig in & pick it over, so just grabbed the really nice looking leaves off the top, SO lazy!)

I gave it a whirl...

Meantime, I have a medium saucepan with about 3 cups of broth (and I tossed in a couple chunks of lemongrass) heating up.  Once it got reasonably warm, I added half a package of Rice Stick Noodles to that.

Added the contents of the blender to the pot, brought it all up to simmer & tasted, kinda good, but boring - added cumin, cayenne & paprika (abut 1 Tsp of - more if you like!).  Hmm... much better!

Once noodles were soft, I turned off the heat & gently stirred in some cream (about 3-4 TBSP) & served.  It might have been nicer to garnish with a little fresh parsley or cilantro, but who has time for that on Book Club night!??

Kombucha 1

Well folks, I think I did it again.  FAILED, that is.  Any ideas?  This doesn't look like normal mold...?  Is there anything that looks like this that is OK?  I'm so loathe to chuck my first batch!   So sad! I was sooo excited...

The Grain Silo

So... my cup runneth over.  Joe looked at me the other day & said "I think I need a project, I need a creative outlet every now & then..."  So I said, "Make me a storage bench."  And so he did.

When we bought the stools for the Bar in the kitchen, I bought 3, but we really only needed 1 or 2... so Joe used that '3rd wheel' as a frame for the bench...

Joe doesn't have a table saw & several other tools necessary, so he took the whole project over to the Chu's & Tony was very helpful!  (Thanks Tony!)

This is what the stool looked like, before he cut it in half! (Pay NO attention please to my filthy dishwasher in the back round!)

Ta- Da!  Here's the finished product! 

Here's Joe, reluctantly posing for a "proud moment" snap.

Here's the back, and the genius of the design:  If we need extra seats at the table, we can pull it away from the wall & use the back as the front (on the bench) so whoever is sitting on it can still put their feet on the bar...but when it's a storage area, it will fit my bread maker & several big sacks of grain!  Perfect timing too!  My big Azure order will come in a week!  I can't wait to fill up my new "grain silo"

Saffron Pearl Barley Risotto Recipe

Can you believe I've never cooked Barley before?  I love the old standard: Beef & Barley Soup, but I've never even made that!  This morning I made a Stewy Crock Pot thing with Lentils (which I'm also pretty sure I've never cooked!) and it was supposed to be served over Barley. Well the stinkin' book assumed I knew how to cook Barley & guess what?!  I don't!  Dang it!  So I googled a few recipes & got some ideas & then this is (approximately) what I did... it's basically a risotto method.

In a small saucepan, heat stock (any flavor you want or have on hand)  I used about 3 1/2 cups

In a med-large spot Sweat 1 med chopped onion (my son Kanan chopped for me & cried buckets! ) in some olive oil for about 5 minutes

add the non-rinsed Barley (1 cup dry)

saute that for a few minutes, add a pinch of saffron, about 1 Tsp of Tumeric & 1/2 Tsp of Cumin

Stir & saute that for about 2 minutes

start adding hot stock, a ladle full at a time (about 1/4-1/3 cup)

stir often

add more stock when the pot is almost dry (no burning or sticking should go on)

keep doing this for a 20 million years until the barley is plump & cooked thru.  (yes you have to taste it,  it'll take about 40 minutes or so)

season with a bit of SS&P (Sea Salt & Pepper, of course!)

Serve with gusto!  

It was yummy all by itself (IMHO) but my plan was to use it a base for the Midas Feast (Lentil Stewy Crock Pot concoction) which also worked out...(:

Found a CSA! oh the J-O-Y ! ! !

Ok, so I've been looking for a great local source for a CSA box, but I've been having TONS of challenges as none seem to be local.  Actually, I take that back (sorta).  I found on in my county, BUT (and boy is it s BIG BUT!) they are not organic!!  Imagine that!  Why bother? ;(

Anyhoo, so my friend, Tami, who's been on this quest with me of late used to have deliveries a long time ago, in her old house, in her old neighborhood, in a different town and in fact, in a different county!!!

The service she used to use has merged with SPUD.  When she researched & discovered this, we decided to try it, sounds great & you can control what you get, add extra items, etc...BUT, they do not deliver to my county!!   I think maybe you are beginning to sense my building frustration here!  We live in what is seriously one of the 'farmiest' areas around!  It's ridiculous to me that on the 40 minute drive to visit my folks, who live at the beach, I pass countless farms and NONE of them are organic, and NONE of them do a produce box delivery!  Arrggghhh!

**Deep Cleansing Breath**

So, we actually talked another friend into 'hosting' our SPUD box delivery & agreed to only order every other week (to keep within our budgets & cut down on her 'put-outed-ness' (yes I'm aware that is not really a word!)   So this other friend, although she graciously agreed to host our SPUD boxes, asked around & found a site that helps you locate CSA's in your neighborhood..(I had actually checked this site a while back, but didn't come up with anything in my county..) Anyhoo, this time, I broadened my search & found Tierra Miguel & it is awesome!  The only problem is that the actual farms are about 120 miles from us & they have a strict policy to only deliver within a 100 mile range....ok, I can live with that.  If we order bi-weekly boxes & take turns then I'll only have to pick up once a mont, right?  Not the end of the world, except I already do milk runs twice a month & now I'm adding a quarterly Azure Standard order...so yah, I'm not loving the idea of driving 20 miles to pick up my produce too!

So last night I get an email from Tami saying she found a different CSA & to wait & check this one out.  So last night I stopped by & we looked at it together while my darling husband sat there patiently...the best part is that there is a drop point not only right here IN MY COUNTY, but right here in my town, within about 5 miles of my house & the delivery time is at 1pm on Saturdays!  Awesome, I can totally fit that in my schedule!

OMGosh!  It's amazing!  I am so impressed with what I've seen & signed up last night when I got home & am eagerly awaiting my first box (next Saturday 1/31) - Check back with me for my first impressions... www.abundantharvestorganics.com

It's so nice, when you sign up, you choose a small or large box, each week you can see what will be in your box, you can add on extra items, like raw milk, nuts, chicken beef, lamb, a case of seasonal fruit (you bet I'll be taking advantage of that for making my jam on a seasonal basis)!! Tonight I watched every single video interview with all the farmers, saw how my boxes will be packed & 'met' (virtually) all the folks that are responsible for bringing me & my family & friends the freshest, most seasonal & sustainable produce!!  

I realize I'm not the first blogger to point this concept out, but I sincerely hope my enthusiasm will capture your attention, your curiosity & that you will pursue something like this on your own life!  Drop me a comment & let me know!

A day to brag about!

Well, I had originally taken today off to hang with my boys since they were already off for MLK Jr Day... but Joe got a call to go help a buddy with a house project, and Kanan opted to go with so he could play with Rambo (our friend's baby chihuahua).  So I ended up with a bonus Kitchen day!! Wahoo!

So after brunch (I had thawed a batch of Kelly's Cinnamon rolls & baked them up - they were great hot out of the oven, but both the boys were like "where's the icing??" so I made a quick small batch made with butter, powdered sugar & maple syrup- I wasn't sure the maple & butter alone would do it..), the boys left me all alone....

Yogurt:

I started by finally tackling Yogurt - I've been a bit scared to try it, but I found an easy crock-pot recipe that I felt I could handle... It's incubating (is that the right term??? Eww!) right now! Can't wait!  I'll probably leave half plain & sweeten the rest with Maple Syrup - Trader Joe's has their own brand of Granola, one of the flavors has crystallized ginger in it - I'm seriously in love!! Anyone have any idea how to duplicate that??  Anyhoo, I love to add a scoop to my oatmeal or yogurt, or sometimes I combine all three!  I take oatmeal packets to work currently, but one day I hope to figure out how to make my own & make it easily portable...

Kombucha:

I've had a Kombucha SCOBY for months in my fridge for a few months (I ambitiously bought one when I found Kefir Grains on eBay from the nicest man who goes by the alias of 'Bacteria Pimp' - cute eh?)   Anyhoo, I started making Kefir as soon as my package arrived & my grains seem healthy despite my many attempt to kill them lol...I just didn't ever get around to researching the art of Kombucha & have the time (or so I thought!)  So today I decide that was IT - no more excuses - just DO it!!   It was easy.  I ended up following the recipe in NT, I had some lovely Organic Pastures "Living Tea" - which is my favorite store bought...so I hope mine will come out like theirs!  One thing I am not sure of:  I did not have any organic tea.  And I didn't have access to a car to run to the store... so I used what I had & just hope it's ok... next time!

Dairy:

I had some Raw Cream on hand that was starting to go, so I started a bowl of Sour Cream!  We love this & use it as regularly as I can keep it stocked!  I was inspired by Ann Marie to try the Kefir again.  I don't know where I got this, but I've been using my soured milk to make Kefir... does that make sense to anyone?  I honestly cannot remember if someone told me to, or if I just decided it was a logical thing because you let the milk sit out & 'sour' to an extent anyway...???  Anyone?  One that subject, does anyone have any uses for sour milk?  

Grains:

On Friday night I had started a bunch of grains to soak, so today they were sprouted enough to start drying.  Thankfully, my oven is gas & goes as low as 100 degrees, so it's not hard to let my grains dry overnight or all day while I'm at work.  I tried the 100% Sprouted Wheat Bread recipe from Marilyn Moll last week & we loved it!  It's my favorite so far.  I made a double batch (in the Kitchen Aid, as it was WAY too full for the bread machine) because Joe's boss has offered t buy it from me she liked it a lot!   I added sesame & sunflower seeds for some extra texture & appeal.... it looks gorgeous & tastes pretty good...I think I'll try a bit more next time, but I think I also need to up the liquid a tiny bit...

I also soaked a cup of Almonds on Sat morning, so today I threw them into the VitaMix to make Almond Milk.  I always try to use the left over pulp in a soaked grain muffin recipe, so I have that (about 1 cup) with about 2 cups mixed whole grains soaking to make muffins tomorrow evening....or maybe Wed morning (although it's awfully ambitious of me to think I'll get up early & make them!  But I bought some fresh berries, so it sure would be nice to use them in a muffin.  We'll see...

Meat:

Saturday morning I went for Raw Milk again, as I was short on Milk.  I bought enough this time to (hopefully!) last a month.  I also ran to Costco to stock up of stupid things I like best there like TP & Cat litter...I ran a bunch of other errands & made bread.  On Saturday night I had roasted a chicken.  (Thanks for the inspiration, Erica!  I bought the Coleman's organic ones at Costco for about $12 each!  I'm going to shoot for 1 every other week!) On Saturday we'd eaten an extremely gourmet bowl of cereal early on, so when the chicken was done, we just wanted a snack, so I cut up one of the breast & we just nibbled on that - it was SO yum!  I roasted it breast side down so the white meat would be super moist!

So then the rest went right into the fridge & today I stripped all the meat off & started stock.  It was even easier than usual because I'd been keeping a freezer bag of veg scraps for the last couple weeks...I can't wait to see how this batch turns out!  There were mushrooms, bell peppers, leeks, onion, broccoli bottoms, you name it, it was in there!  It's been smelling so good all day!  Ok, so with the meat I stripped off, I chunked all the dark meat & made Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with them for tonight's dinner.  The remaining breast got cubed & I made a small bowl of Chicken Salad for sandwiches this week.  I added mayo, mustard, cayenne, craisins, chopped celery & chopped pecans - YUM!  I would have added apples too, but I don't have any at the moment...

Freezer Meals:

I ran across a nice easy recipe here for Egg Cups, so I made those, wrapped up 3 for the fridge & the rest are freezing as I type for future To-Go Breakfasts... Yum!

Meal Plan

I keep reading every one's Meal Plans & it seriously seems like such a good idea!  I just haven't felt 'ready' to begin.  Yet.  I think I'm almost there...I have a partial list, but I'm really having some challenges because I already know that we will be out of the house Tues & Thurs nights for Book Clubs at friend's houses.  So I'm trying to think of quick dinners for those nights (don't forget that we've taken on the oh-so-important challenge of "No Eating Out" this month, and normally that would be my solution...  I'm working on it, but I think I'll see how it goes before attempting to join the official "Meal Plan Monday"... 

Well, the boys got home at 6-ish, we had dinner & now I'm all caught up!  Must go strain my stock, now - g'night!

The Quest - Part 2 - ramblings on change....

Ok, so tonight on our drive home, my DH was on the phone with his mom who lives in CO.  She is elderly & has problems getting around, so she's having to be very reliant on others to 'meet her needs'... to bring her groceries, for example.  This has been going on for quite some time & I finally had had enough!  I swear if I have to hear her say she's OUT of TP one more time!...

So as soon as we got home I went to the website of the grocery store that I know is near her house & created an order for her online for delivery tomorrow.   Problem solved. Right? ;)

Well, yes, immediate problem solved.  BUT (you knew there'd be a 'but', right!?)

The process of doing this REALLY made it clear to me just how much my attitude towards food & grocery shopping has changed over the last 6 months or so... really more in the last 3 months, actually.  Right about when I starting blogging, and finding all these wonderfully informative blogs is when I really began my transformation.  

I used to shop at Costco & Vons primarily, I used to buy soda every time I went!  I would occasionally shop for specific things at Trader Joe's, but that was about the extent of my 'grocery world'.   I used to cook a lot from scratch, being a trained chef, I tend to want to do it myself properly & use good ingredients... but boy, do I have a whole new perspective on that as well!

Now I'm on the verge of canceling my Costco membership, I rarely step in Vons and when I do, it usually involves an organic produce purchase & using the ATM! ;)  After much research, I'm about to place my first order with Azure Standard for grains & other staples (even though I have to drive about 30 minutes on a Tuesday night to pick up my order!  Thus I'm trying to only order quarterly...)   I can't wait until 2/3 when I can pick up my gynormous order of grains, beans, seeds, eggs, raw cheeses, Pectin (for my Jam),  raw honey, organic cane sugar, and seeds for my garden!!!

I buy a few things regularly on Amazon, they carry a huge variety of Organic snack items as well as grains & seeds... I do "Subscribe&Save" so I can get an extra 15% off, can choose how often I want that item, get free shipping on everything & I can still cancel anytime.  The things I usually buy from Amazon are:

• Organic Agave Nectar - Madhava (2-46 oz. jugs for $18)
• Organic Maple Syrup (although I have since discovered that Trader Joe's price is better, although I can't remember if it's Organic) - B Grade is $44 for 2-32 oz. jugs & A Grade is $20 for 1-32 oz. jug
• Scarpetta Pasta Sauces (not organic, but simply the yummiest store bought sauces I've ever tried (they are about $4-5 each (and only come in 4 packs), but the Tuscan Vodka Sauce is mind blowing!)
• Izze Juices in small cans (this is our portable, away from home replacement for soda)
• Organic Coffee, I have tried a couple different ones, but recently stumbled across one that sounds really great!  It's called Larry's Beans Fair Trade Frenchy French Roast, it's Whole Bean of course & is about $40 for 5 pounds, that's about $8/lb.!!  A little less than the Starbucks 2/5 lb. bag I usually buy at Costco, and it's NOT Starbucks!   ;)
• Organic Jerky (Golden Valley Natural) - haven't tried it yet...
• Organic Light-on-the-Sugar Oatmeal (Dr. McDougall's Right Foods)

(Now, before you judge anything on that list, please keep in mind that we both work full-time & my DS is almost 13 and packs a lunch everyday for school, no cafeteria junk for him anymore!)

I've been frantically searching for a CSA delivery or pick up, but so far the best thing I've found is SPUD.  However, I live just on the border of LA County, but IN Ventura County, so SPUD won't deliver all the way to my house.  Of course, being the tenacious & determined gal that I am, I have figured out work-around, but it becomes complicated.  I have to 'use' a friend for her address & then coordinate a meeting or a pick up at her house every 2 weeks.  It's d0-able, but hardly the convenient organic produce delivery I am dreaming of....

Today I discovered Tierra Miguel Farms, the farms itself is 120 miles away, all the way in No. San Diego County, but they have pick up points as close as 30 minutes away from me, so I'm looking into that.  I'd much rather support a local CSA, but the only one I can find is not organic, so it seems like a lot of $$ for not as many nutrients...?

As in my Milk Post, I described that I've completely switched the family to Raw Milk & Cream - Organic Pastures also sells meat & really truly RAW Almonds (did you know that a new law passed that makes all Almonds be Flash Steam Pasteurized??!!!  and did you know that they are still allowed to label them as "raw"??!!! - aren't you horrified?)  Anyway, from the raw milk, I make Kephir, from the cream, I make Sour Cream pretty regularly (it is SO good) & am hoping to get in the habit of making my own butter on a regular basis.

I've been trying some different bread recipes over the past several months, and although a few have been good, I still haven't really found what I'm looking for.  But my hope it to be making bread from Soaked and/or Sprouted rains on a regular basis & giving/selling it to friends & co-workers as well as feeding my own family, of course!  My DH's boss is begging for me to make & sell her bread!  I guess I'd better get started! ;)

The Quest - Part 1 - Minty Fresh?

OK!  I've decided to dramatically cut my food budget, and one step I'm taking that is helping (or I'm very much hoping that it will really help) make this easier for me is:

Mint.com - I added the App to my iPhone (but you can totally use this w/o an iPhone - don't use this as an excuse to not try it if you need help!) & can access it easily from your home computer.  

It sets up your budget, you load in ALL your credit cards, all your checking accounts, even saving accounts & investments and it tracks everything for you & gathers updates on activity & transactions directly from your banks, so there's almost NO lame, time-sucking data entry!  

I LOVE it!  It sends email alerts warning you of large purchases & deposits, and when bills are due, but the BEST thing so far (for me in the quest of lowering my grocery budget) is it warns you when you are over your set budget amount!!!   It even tells you what you normally spend! 

Isn't that great!  I really thing this is going to help me stay on track with my spending.  

So far, this month I've only spent $23 on Groceries, my budget is set at $350....if you've met me, you KNOW this is nothing short of a miracle!  The old me was notorious for WAY overspending on groceries (and then letting at least half of the produce rot in the fridge while we ate out every other night!)  

This month after the first week (that was still 'the Holidays' & we lived it up!), we set a "no eating out" rule & my DS/DH have been pretty darn supportive.  We've been tempted, but have stayed the course, which makes me so proud, it's SO empowering to think we are actually capable of this!  Woo Hoo!

Sourcing & Blogging

Okay, I'll admit it!  I'm completely addicted to Blogging, making Bloggy friends & exploring this new world of Blog-dom.  I LOVE it!  I can't get enough!  And, the best part:  I'm learning SO much!  I'm like a sponge!  I'm soaking it all in.... and loving every word!

I'm so inspired by all the Blogs I've been following & some I just stumble upon!  

• Inspired to live more frugally (which is a BIG one for me! Anyone reading this: you should ALL be SO PROUD!) 
  
• Inspired to get & stay more organized (in the kitchen for now, perhaps someday it will spread to other areas... wouldn't that be cool?!)  
• Inspired to be a more Godly wife & mother - seems like a no-brainer, but we can all improve, right?!
• Inspired to source out the BEST priced, most nutritious ingredients & the BEST, affordable ways to procure them!
• Inspired to share what I learn (stay tuned)...

I see a lot of other Bloggers committing to a weekly series on one specific Theme or other, which is awesome and is definitely something I, personally, look forward to... but I don't know yet if I'm ready or able to commit to such a thing.  I hate to disappoint, so instead of setting myself up for failure (and you, for sadness) what I will do is just Post randomly whenever I learn something that really blows my mind, or really works for me in my quest.  Fair?

Raw Milk

I had been mulling over in my mind a post to share with my fellow So Cal nourished bloggy friends how, where & when they could obtain a 'deal' on fresh RAW MILK straight from the company....but Cheeseslave beat me to it.  Please check out her wonderfully informative post & go show Sean & the good folks at Organic Pastures some love & support, they deserve it!  (Do you know how hard they are fighting, on a constant basis, to keep Raw Milk legal...?)

Anyway, I asked if I could mix & match my 10 Dairy items to earn a freebie & he so graciously allowed it!  So cool!  I know I can freeze it, but I didn't really have a lot of space in my freezer to stock up, so I got 2 milks for me, 2 for a friend, & 7 Creams!  (2 for mom & 1 for a friend at work who's trying the Maker's Diet & was curious)  Next time I'll stock up on Milk, and maybe instead of making the trip every 2 weeks, I can aim for once a month.  

I shared the concept of "raw milk" with a friend at work & I am really hoping she tries it so I can share a true life success story!  She has Lactose Intolerance (newly, as an adult) and her daughter is always sick & has allergies... Also, another friend's little boy was born allergic to SO many things, so I brought her some from my 'run' on Saturday & am anxious to hear how it treats him!...

In the meantime, instead of biting your nails waiting for updates on these stories, please take moment to check out this site & voice your God-given freedoms to vote for the legalization of Raw Milk!!  Thanks

**update**
My friend's little boy had raw milk yesterday & NO allergic reactions!!! I'm so stoked!

My Fridge

Well, in the spirit of New Year's resolutions and all that, I could decided this morning that I simply could not start 2009 with my fridge the way it was.  I had been reading lots of blogs where folks were brave enough to show the contents of their refrigerators, and they were always clean, neatly organized & filled with only "good" ingredients :)  

I realized there was no way I could let ANYONE see mine until I cleaned it up & got rid of some of the yuckies growing inside!  ;)  Gross!  I also went ahead & threw out those yucky salad dressings that I never ate anyway & were filled with so many things on my "bad" list: Corn Syrup,  Canola Oil & MSG!  

Ok, so it took a couple of hours because I also inventoried every last little thing and it was amazing how much tupperware & how many jars I freed up to store new "good stuff" in!

More later on the inventory & how I plan to use it...