New Site

I'm moving posts over to a new site with a new design, which is hooked up to my website. From now on, these posts will go to positivelynatural.blogspot.com.

Logee's

Giant leafs at Logee's

With Fall here, I decided it was time to turn over a new leaf (sorry, bad pun) and start our indoor container garden. Where to go for the best indoor plants? After some research on the web, I packed up the kids and drove thirty-five minutes to Logee's greenhouse in Danielson, Connecticut. I so glad we made the trip! It doesn't look like much from the front, just an older house with a small stand of outdoor plants, and a greenhouse out back. Logee's specializes in tropical and exotic plants, which was evident even from the modest front by the enormous palm leaves. After walking through their small storefront, we took some steep stone stairs down into the greenhouse out back and were transported to a gardening wonderland. The greenhouses go on and on, and overflowing with beautiful, exotic plants that it feels like you're wandering around in tunnels. I tried to get some pictures inside, but my camera lens immediately fogged over in the tropical climate.

My probably doomed Logee's plants

We bought three plants, a jasmine, a small citrus medica 'Etrog', and a fluffy, pink flowering Camellia which Rebecca picked out. All three will be fragrant, if they live long enough to flower, and the citrus should produce fruit some day (it's very small and will probably take years), assuming it survives. My track record with indoor plants is not so good. Actually, I've never kept one alive longer than a few months. I've made a resolution not to kill these, but instead of clay and pink pottery, I probably should have shrouded them in black. I'll post new pictures in a month or so to see how they're doing

Pizza Dough

Calzones With Homemade Dough
What to serve the kids on a busy work night? I used to think Boboli Pizza crusts were a great dinner solution on a busy night. Then I read the ingredients. Not awful, but partially hydrogenated soybean oil? You can lose that in the whole wheat version, but you gain artificial color. Why do they do that? I decided to try homemade pizza dough instead. Ingredients: unbleached flour, organic wheat flour, yeast, honey, salt, and vegetable oil. With the help of my best baking friend, the KitchenAid, it was a snap. I made a double batch and made these broccoli and cheese calzones with the first half. I froze the second half, and defrosted it a week later with some of my husband's homemade marinara sauce for completely homemade made pizza (OK, I didn't make the cheese, but everything else was homemade). The dough smelled delicious when cooking, was more versatile, and cost a fraction of the processed version. Here's a good tip. If you use refrigerated or frozen dough, leave it out long enough to get close to room temperature, or your toppings may burn before it's done cooking.

Hooray for the Farmers' Market

Gregory at the Worcester/Westside farmers' market

OK, sorry to do yet another farmers' market post, but this is a dry run for the one I'm going to post to MassMoms.com.

Where do you go to get fresh fruits and vegetables for your kids? My favorite source is the local farmers' markets. In summer, I can find one of these vibrant markets within twenty miles of where I live virtually any day of the week. This includes Holden, Worcester, Barre, Paxton and Sterling. Each has its own unique feel and vendors. Who are these vendors? Mostly local farmers, with a mix of local artists and bakers thrown in. The farmers' market is a place where small, local farmers can sell their goods to the public without giving a major chunk of their revenue to a middleman. This is important for our community, and local food is fresher, often healthier, and better for the environment (the average supermarket produce travels 1500 miles from harvest to shelf giving it a very large carbon footprint). If you are interested in why buying local has a positive impact on pretty much everyone, check out this link.

So what can you find at the farmers' market? Well, fresh produce, of course. Many markets open in May and June, with a lonely mix of spring crops (asparagus, greens, and rhubarb). But by August, Massachusetts harvests are in full swing. The booths and tables are a colorful rainbow of produce - peaches, blueberries, tomatoes, corn, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, and many other tasty and healthy treats can be found. But wait, there's more. Grass fed beef, free range chicken, organic eggs, pork, cow dairy products, goat dairy products, gelato, jams, honey, breads and other baked goods are available. In addition, homemade soaps, crafts and candles can be found at many markets. One of the huge benefits of shopping at the farmers' market is the person who actually produced the item is standing right in front of you. You can look them in the eye, and ask them anything you want to know. Worried about pesticides? Many participants are from organic farms. Also, many small farmers use organic methods, but have not been through the expensive and time consuming process of certification. Ask them what kind of pesticide and fertilizer they use. Here's an informative guide to asking questions at the farmers' market which I find very helpful. The local food movement is becoming very popular as consumers become more educated about their food sources. If you live in Mass, chances are there is a summer farmers' market close to where you live. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources publishes a thorough list of markets, with times and locations. I like to bring the kids along. Sterling, for example, has balloons, face painting, and sometimes animals for petting (two alpacas and a goat last time we attended). Not every market has activities for kids, but children are welcome at all of them. The experience gives a face to their food, something they miss out on in the supermarket. By seeing and talking with farmers whose lives are dedicated to producing things we eat, I hope to teach my kids gratitude for their food, and respect for our planet.

Sterling Farmers' Market

The "handsome" alpaca

Friday afternoon the kids and I made the ten minute drive to the center of Sterling to hit their weekly Farmers' Market for our 'local food Friday'. The Market is held every Friday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM in front of the town hall.

We were there once back in early June, when the main attractions were some early strawberries (sold out by the time we got there), baked goods, goat products (cheese, milk, etc.), handmade soap and the promise of things to come in the shape of asparagus and rhubarb. Now that we are entering the bountiful late summer, things are a little different. Fresh blueberries, peaches, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes and onions added a rainbow of color to the other wonderful handmade items. I bought a pint of blueberries and a bag of peaches before sitting in the grass with the kids while they split a Stillman's mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Yes, those are his teeth

The atmosphere was festive and lively, especially for the kiddos. The highlight for the little ones was the two young alpacas and a four month old goat brought from a wool and cheese farm respectively. The alpacas were about as different as alpacas can be (I think). One was tall with a sleek brown coat and big gentle eyes. All the kids were allowed to pet it and feed it hay. The other one had a huge mop of white hair, bucked teeth, and not such a nice temperament (we were told he liked to spit). There was also free face painting and balloons, a guy playing a guitar and singing, and free samples of homemade fudge and soap. We actually spent a pleasant hour there, petting animals, eating ice cream, buying fruit, and watching the bustle of the busy market.

Our first local peaches of the summer

Anyone for Salsa?

My husband made this salsa over the weekend from local tomatoes, green onion, cilantro and olive oil. He's been getting into the whole 'buy local' thing too and is enjoying it as much as me. Surprisingly, my two year old son, who hasn't willingly eaten a vegetable since the first time we gave him pureed sweet potatoes, can't get enough. I see a lot more homemade salsa in our future.

Where I plan to buy eggs for the rest of my life

Today we had Local Food Friday on Saturday. The delay was because I heard a wild rumor that Country Hen sells slightly irregular eggs from their headquarters in Hubbardston on Saturday mornings, at a crazy low price. And by irregular, they mean the egg is slightly smaller, or the shell is a different shade of, well, eggshell. No genetic mutations or anything. For anyone unfamiliar with Country Hen, their organic eggs sell in the supermarket for $3.99 per half dozen. Local farmers all over the area lease sunlit chicken coops to Country Hen, and receive much needed income in return. In a giant step back for our vegan diet goal, but a step forward for our local food goal, I drove fifteen minutes through pouring rain to find out what is really going on.

Two dollars worth of eggs

Happily, the rumor turned out to be true. Even in the torrential downpour, a steady stream of cars drove under the Country Hen sign reading "Our goal is to be the best egg company in the world". The eggs were selling at two dollars for thirty eggs, and this morning there was a two for one sale going on - I ended up with sixty organic eggs for two dollars! I don't even like eggs, but the rest of my family does, and according to my husband, local eggs taste better (eggier?). I don't know if the two for one thing is a regular event, but I guess I'll find out since this is where I plan to buy eggs in the future. I feel very fortunate to have this marvelous egg supply one town over from my home.