Salt in the Baking Powder Can for Easy Measuring

Salt in the Baking Powder Can for Easy Measuring, originally uploaded by HiMalta.

I was flipping through my dad's copy of Cook's Illustrated and saw this great idea to put your salt in an old baking powder container for easier measuring when you are baking.

It is working out great! No more mounds on the top of my measuring spoons that I try and shake level (where I inevitably spill some)!

Week 2 CSA Summary & Review

Here is what I actually did with Week 2's share.

As you recall, week 2 had:

Strawberries (2 quarts) - Cut them up and ate them for dessert

Kale - Made this Bean & Kale Soup

Parsley - Used it in the Bean & Kale Soup above and in the tomato & bean salad pictured above.

Lettuce (2 bags) - Made 2 strawberry salads (we picked the strawberries, they weren't from the CSA) and 2 salads topped with the bean & tomato salad.

Garlic Scapes - Made the bean & scape dip. I also added them to the tomato & bean salads.

It's only been a week, but I've already noticed a couple of changes:

1) I don't default to baking. Normally whenever I had to bring something somewhere, I bake something. Since I had loads of lettuce to use, I brought strawberry salads. It was nice to be bringing something that was healthy and fresh.

2) Diversity at Dinnertime. Normally I cook a main meal and veggie, but since we had all the lettuce, it was nice to have a fresh salad with our meals this week.

Garlic Scapes & White Bean Dip

This week, one of the items we got in our share was garlic scapes.

The farm sent out an email with this article about scapes from the NYT. One of the recipes was for a White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip that I decided to try.

The recipe called for canned beans, but I find the flavor and texture much better when I cook the beans myself. For this reason I got a Pressure Cooker a couple of months ago so I can cook dried beans when I need to without pre-soaking them. If you are wondering about the oil, my Pressure Perfect Cookbook said that beans foam a lot and that you need to stop this by adding oil. So that is what I do. Here are the beans ready to be cooked:

And here they are cooking:

The next step was pretty easy, just put the scapes, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the food processor and blend it up:

Then put the beans in the food processor, add some water and olive oil until you reach a consistency you are happy with and then you have this beautiful and tasty dip:

For lunch I spread the dip on our sandwiches and added a little parlsy, cheese and salami.

For dinner we had it with some Whole Wheat Melba toast crackers.

I think the Melissa Clark, the author of the original recipe, had it right when she descripted the taste of scapes as "a gently spicy undertone and an exquisitely fresh green, mellow taste."

Strawberries

Strawberries, originally uploaded by HiMalta.

The strawberries, all cut up and ready to be eaten for dessert tonight..

We got two quarts in our share today, I prepared one for dessert, but we all liked them so much that I cut the next one up too. Not too worried about going through them all at once because we are going to go Strawberry picking on Friday at another farm.

With all of the strawberries that will be making their way into my house, I've got my eye on two kitchen gadgets (an extreme weakness of mine).

This strawberry slicer & Strawberry huller. Necessary? No. Fun? Yes!!!

2nd Maple Creek Farm CSA Share

Today was my first pickup date for the CSA Share (the 2nd for those who signed up on time).

Above you will see the boxes that we get each week. I bring my own bags, so I put everything in my bag, break down the box and the farm picks it up to reuse it next week.

There is something kind of liberating about picking up my product and then deciding what I will make with it for the week rather than choosing what to make and then going to the grocery store.

Below you can see what was included in the share. There isn't a ton, but the kids will love the strawberries, and my husband and I will eat the lettuce for lunches through the week. You can click through to the picture on Flickr to see the notes I made on the picture. I know from my 2006 membership that the bounty increases as we get further into the season.

One noticable difference that I always notice right away is the smell. The food smells wonderful and fresh!

So far my plans for this share include:

• Scape Bean Dip. The farm sent a link to a NYT article on garlic scapes, and I am going to try and make this scape bean dip from that article. Can't wait to try it, I'll share the process/results here.
• Cut up the strawberries for dessert and mabye make some strawberry ice cream.
• Salads for lunch for the lettuce
• Bean & Kale soup for the Kale
• I think I should have enough scapes left to make a cold white bean, garlic scales, tomato and caper salad. Probablly would taste good over the lettuce for lunch.
• I've got to figure out what that little bundle of stuff is so I can figure out what to do with it.

Pantry Commentary

Pantry Commentary, originally uploaded by HiMalta.

Here is a photo I took today of my pantry. Click on the picture to go to Flickr and see the tagged/commented area notes.

Why Eat Michigan Organic Food

Today I came across the Eating Oragnically Guide (pdf) from the Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance. It was a nice guide on organic sources of food. Below I have posted a few excepts that I thought provided good summaries on why you should eat organic and how to start eating organic.

Why you should eat Michigan Organic Food:

1. Freshness & Taste. Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased. Local Farmers grow and raise foods for their taste and nutrition, not for durability in harvest, shipping or storage.

2. Nutrition. Nutritional value declines as time passes after harvest. Because locally-grown food is fresh, it is more nutritionally complete. Studies indicate that organically grown produce has more of certain nutrients.

3. Cost. Our globalized food system produces cheap food, but it costs more than you think. We all pay the price when Farmers can’t grow crops at a profit, when water wells are contaminated by agricultural chemicals, and when store-bought foods look good, but are tasteless. When you buy local, organic foods, you get more for your money.

4. Avoid the Unknown. Produce grown with banned pesticides is imported into the United States. Meat may come from animals raised in confinement and fed hormones or antibiotics. Organic foods are produced and processed under special standards. Organically-raised animals have outdoor access and don’t get antibiotics or hormones. Organic crops are grown without the use of toxic chemicals and without GMOs.

5. Regional Food Self-Reliance. Dependence on distant and global food sources leaves us vulnerable to supply disruptions. When you buy foods from local Farmers , you create a relationship of mutual support that enhances a community’s economic vitality, and keeps family farms alive.

6. Protect the Environment and your Health. Farming with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers can cause water pollution, and leave unwanted pesticide residues on the food we feed our families. You can protect our natural resources, your health

I also found their Eater's Pledge to be a good place for most people to start:

• Spend at least 10% or $10 of my weekly food budget on locally grown and made organic foods and/or those carrying the Michigan Farmers Pledge.
• Buy food directly from local farms that are either certified organic or have signed the Michigan Farmers Pledge as often as possible.
• Choose local organic or Farmer’s Pledge foods when possible and other local foods when those are not available.
• Learn to eat seasonally, enjoying fruits and vegetables at their proper time.
• Encourage locally owned food businesses to buy local organic and farmers pledge products and patronize them when they do.\
• Try at least one new locally grown fruit or vegetable each week.
• Preserve fresh seasonal foods to enjoy later in the year (freeze, can, dehydrate).
• Plan at least one meal each week featuring local organic or farmers pledge foods for family, friends or neighbors.
• Choose regionally grown/produced and/or fair trade foods when organic or farmers pledge local foods are not available.

If you are looking to start buying at least a few organic items per week, I found the local harvest website a great place to start when looking for places to get organically grown local food.

Organic CSA Membership Blogging

I am super excited to begin my CSA blogging journey. Today I joined the Maple Creek Farm CSA an Organic Michigan Farm in Yale, Michigan.

My plan over the couse of the next 19 weeks is to share my share with you. I will post what I did with the share for the week, photos of each share and any videos of what I think may be helpful. I hope to document my experience for others who may be wondering what a CSA is all about.

This is not my first time participating in this CSA. I was also a member in 2006. The next two years I considered joining again, but I knew that with expecting a baby ('07) and then having a baby ('08) I wouldn't have the time to devote to using all of my share. Now that my kids are 4 and 2 and life is getting easier, it is time to try it again.

Wednesday is my first delivery. Can't wait.

Mail Order Grass Fed Beef Delivered

Here is my Grass Fed Beef Story.  For a long time I would try and make my mother-in-law's (who lives outside of the US) traditional Maltese dishes.  They would never be bad, but they were never like hers.  In the meantime, I had been reading about the benefits of Grass Fed Beef so I decided to buy some and try it.  I happened to be making one of her dishes, Zucchini stuffed with beef.  I honestly wasn't expecting to taste a difference, I thought I would only notice a change in my health.  Wow! Was all my husband and I could say when we took our first bite of that stuffed zucchini...Finally we had the traditional taste we had been looking for in those recipes.  It hadn't been my cooking that was throwing off the taste of the dish, it was the bland, corn-fed beef.  Using The Grass Fed Beef in my dished not only had health benefits, it also tasted better!

Try Grass Fed Beef Today, Buy Your Grass Fed Beef from Greensbury Market Now.

Why Should You Buy Your Grass Fed Beef from Greensbury Market?

SUPERIOR DIET LEADS TO EXTRAORDINARY TASTE

Greensbury Market works with farmers that raise their livestock and poultry with an emphasis on taste. They do so without growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

These farmers have created innovative and unique diets that consist of a variety of green-growing forage. One of our ranchers admitted he spent more than 15 years fine-tuning the different types of grasses, plants and alfalfas he feeds his cattle to make his meat taste great.

If that sounds like a lot of work - it is. The cattle graze on different pastures and are fed different types of forage. The rich and nutritious combination of fresh plants stimulates the animals’ appetite to eat and they put on a healthy amount of weight. With more weight, the meat marbles and becomes more flavorful and tasty.

More marbling also means the steaks are more tender, but to assure they are as tender as can be, Greensbury Market only sells dry-aged beef.


Don’t just read about how tasty Greensbury Market meats are, try the Greensbury Sampler to taste a variety of our meats.

DRY-AGING FOR 21 DAYS INCREASES TENDERNESS AND FLAVOR

Dry-aging is close to becoming a lost art. Before meat production became ‘industrialized’ and ‘wet aging’ became the norm, this was the way beef was prepared. Wet aging was more cost-effective and consumers got used to the taste. Most consumers forgot what steak really tastes like.

These days, most beef suppliers can’t be bothered because dry-aging involves considerable expense. In organic, grass-fed beef, dry-aging is uncommon.

To dry-age beef, the meat is stored in a controlled refrigerated environment where humidity is kept at 85% and the temperature is between 34° and 36° F. During the dry-aging process water within the meat evaporates, leaving a concentrated rich, natural beef flavor. The meat’s natural enzymes break down tough connective tissue, leading to more tender beef.

Research from major universities indicates dry aging enhances the flavor and tenderness of steak. For this reason, dry-aged steaks are very popular in fine, high-end steakhouses.

Don’t just read about how tasty Greensbury Market meats are, try the Greensbury Sampler to taste a variety of our meats.

ALL GREENSBURY FARMS ARE CERTIFIED USDA ORGANIC…

All Greensbury Market farms are certified United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic. That means each ranch has been visited by a Government-approved inspector to make sure the livestock and poultry is being grown according to all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.

The USDA organic label means a lot of good things. What it doesn’t mean is sustainability. It doesn’t mean a farm can support itself. It doesn’t mean what is produced on that farm isn’t ‘industrialized.’ It doesn’t mean the farm has a positive impact on the environment. And it doesn’t mean the animals raised on the farm are treated humanely.

This is one reason some people have started to say organic agriculture has drifted away from the original intent of the farmers that first rejected the chemical-industrial system.

But Greensbury Market has gone out and found farmers who have taken organic one step further.

Don’t just read about how tasty Greensbury Market meats are, try the Greensbury Sampler to taste a variety of our meats.

GREENSBURY MARKET’S ORGANIC FARMS ARE SELF-SUSTAINING

Greensbury’s farmers and ranchers not only receive USDA organic certification on their farms, they take organic to a whole new level. Their farms are completely self-sufficient and sustainable.

Most of the feed is grown on the farms. If grain is brought to the ranch, it is organic and used in minimal amounts to supplement the chickens’ and hogs’ diets. Cattle are only fed forage from the ranch.

Greensbury’s farmers and ranchers treat their animals humanely, allowing them to graze freely. They rotate grazing to allow the grass and soil to replenish naturally.

Organic to them means much more than just avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and unnecessary antibiotics and growth hormones. The meat products produced organically on self-sustaining farms have been called “Beyond Organic.”

We didn’t invent the term but we like the way it describes the way our farmers take care of the land and animals and the beef, chicken and pork products we ship to you.

Farms that practice sustainable agriculture are good for the environment. By reducing their use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and using less fuel (to truck in pesticides, fertilizers and feed), they decrease chemical run-off and the dependence on foreign oil. These farms have a smaller carbon footprint and help replenish and rejuvenate the land for future generations.

The Greensbury Market farms do NOT use synthetic growth hormones nor antibiotics, which are commonly used by factory farms. Growth hormones are used to make cattle grow faster, but are thought to have negative health effects and contaminate surface and groundwater. The widespread overuse of antibiotics in farm animals has contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and make it harder to treat human disease.

Don’t just read about how tasty Greensbury Market meats are, try the Greensbury Sampler to taste a variety of our meats.

GRASS-FED MEATS ARE THE HEALTHIEST MEATS ON THE PLANET

When compared to grain-fed livestock, grass-fed and pasture-raised meats are among the healthiest of protein sources on the planet.

Compared with commercial products, Greensbury Market meats offer more “good” (unsaturated) fats and fewer “bad” (saturated) fats. Grass-fed meats can have up to one third less fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal. Because they are lower in fat than grain-fed animals, grass-fed meat is lower in calories.

Grass-fed meats also have two to four times more omega-3s than meat from grain-fed animals. Omega 3s are heart-friendly, “good” fats that play a vital role in every cell in your body. People with ample amounts of omega-3s in their diets are less likely to have high blood pressure and 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. In addition, omega-3s are essential for proper brain functioning and may reduce the risk of cancer.

Grass-fed meats are also one of the richest sources of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). CLAs may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer. A Finnish researcher showed women with the highest level of CLA in their diets had a 60% lower risk of breast cancer than those with lower levels. Compared to grain-fed cattle, meat from grass-fed cattle contains three to five times more CLA products.

As we mentioned above, Greensbury Markets meats are raised without synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics. That means you or your family are not being exposed to additional hormones and antibiotics in the meat you eat.

So, as you have read animals fed a 100% vegetarian diet produce meat that is good for the environment and good for you.

Want to try the tastiest, healthiest meats in the country? Why not order a Greensbury Sampler today and taste the difference that grass-fed makes on taste.

Don’t just read about how tasty Greensbury Market meats are, try the Greensbury Sampler to taste a variety of our meats.

MASTERFULLY PREPARED AND PACKAGED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

The butchers who prepare for Greensbury Market know when, where and how to cut the meat. They pay attention to details like whether to cut with or against the grain for optimal steaks and chops. All of our meats are hand-trimmed so they are perfectly portioned and are ready to cook.

All Greensbury meats are flash-frozen at the peak of their flavor then cry-vac packaged to preserve freshness, flavor, juiciness and natural vitamins and minerals. Each chicken breast, pork chop or steak is individually sealed so you can stock up and freeze them without having to worry about freezer burn and spoilage. In fact, Greensbury meats are guaranteed to maintain for up to 6 months in your freezer.

Greensbury Market ships your order to your front door via UPS. It will arrive in a recyclable Expanded Polystyrene foam container with dry ice. Inside, you’ll find your beef, chicken or pork packaged in boxes that are suitable for gifting.

When you finally cook your Greensbury Market order, the taste will match - or beat - any meat you’ve ever ordered at a high-end restaurant. We guarantee it.

Buy Your Grass Fed Beef Now

Buy Your Grass Fed Beef Now

9 Tips for Shopping the Clearance Section in 2009

If there is one thing I like, it is a deal. Throughout my life I've had varying degrees of disposable income, but no matter what my situation, I have a hard time buying something that isn't a deal even if money isn't a concern at the time. And now that the rest of the country seems to agree with me, I've created a list of tips for those of you making your first trip to the clearance section of your favorite store.

1. Approach the Rack with a Plan. Clearance racks are often overwhelming to people because all they see is a mass of different clothes thrown together without much organization. However, there is a system you can use to get through the rack efficiently. Before approaching the rack know what colors you like and what season you are looking for. If you know you like green and are looking for summer clothes, scan the rack first for short sleeves and then for color. Start scanning the rack...long sleeves, long sleeves, long sleeves, short sleeve. Ohh Short sleeves, check color - orange? Nope? keep going. long sleeves, long sleeves, short sleeves - check color - green? Yes, check price? Yes - ok, lets try it on. Use this method to quickly get through a rack of clearance items.

2. Shop off season - really off season
Most people know that you can get good deals on summer stuff at the end of August/Beginning of September. But you can REALLY get a good deal on summer stuff in November and December. So be patient and wait.

3. Don't forget online stores. Often people think that clearance deals can only be found offline, but if you buy off season at places like Amazon.com you can find some really good deals. Look for boots in June, swimsuits in November, you get the picture. Do a search for "[store name] coupons" and find some coupons for an additional amount off or free shipping. Check Craig's List for items you want. Just make sure to use the keywords "new" or "NWT." Try a service that can watch Craig's List for you this is a great way to find new items for a fraction of what you would pay in the stores.

4. Pick a few stores and track. There are some stores that you know you like. Visit these stores, sign-up for their email newsletters and take the time to learn how and when they mark things down. If you get to know the employees, ask them to shoot you an email when things go on sale.

5. Don't stick to your usual size. I usually wear a size 6 pant and medium top. However, I will scan the clearance racks one size up and one size down. There are two reasons to do this. 1. Items that are your size easily get misplaced in these areas and 2. clothes don't always run true to size. I recently bought an extra small sweatshirt (for $4 at Target) and a size 4 pants (for $5 at Gap). Not because I'd lost weight but because the manufacturer had obviously messed up the sizing of the item and made them too big for people who usually wear the size.

6. Don't be afraid to get your clothes altered. Pants especially. If you find a pair of pants that you like in your size, but they are too long. Buy them and pay the $7 - $10 it costs to get them hemmed. Most dry cleaners can do it for you.

7. Shop often. This may be too big of a temptation for some, but shop often and only buy when your deal fits that bargain. I have a general rule when shopping at my my kids I don't pay more than $5 per item (dresses excluded). My kids wear mostly brand-name clothing and this limit has served me well. If they offer good deals and exclusive offers sign-up for their brand credit card. If there is no annual fee and you pay off the balance every month you will save additional money.

8. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Don't rule out pricey stores because you think they won't have deals. I often find that "discount" retailers have less deals than department and name brand stores. I often find shirts, jackets, skirts, etc have higher clearance prices at Target than at Gap or Macy's.

9. Know the management. Many local and even national stores have flexibility in setting their sale prices. Find out which locations close to you are more generous in their markdown pricing strategies.

Recently, I was shopping at Gap (not the outlet) and for $5 I got a bikini for myself ($1 for each piece), a pair of shoes for my daughter ($1), a halter top for myself ($1) and a sweater camisole ($1). 5 Name brand items for $5, not bad! Bargain shopping is anything but boring.

Please add any tips you have.