Positively Natural

New Site

2009-10-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-07-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

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.

And Now For Something A Little Different

2009-07-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Flowers! Here's a snapshot of our front garden in full bloom. It's all perennials - every year we do nothing but weed, and add compost (and by 'we', I mean my husband - I have a talent for killing anything green). The blue flowers are delphiniums. Greg planted them six years ago when I was enormously pregnant with Rebecca, and every summer they multiply and flourish. Several neighbors and family members have asked for transplants - so far we tried it once but it didn't take.

The Soy Dilemma

2009-07-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Since reading John Robbin's book, "The Food Revolution", I've been making an effort to reduce animal protein in the family diet. We haven't gone vegan, but are moving in that direction. I've been preparing meat and egg free meals for the family on my days to cook, while my husband is not (but he is trying to cut it back). That's not so bad. I get it. Meat is bad for us, bad for the planet, and bad for the animals. The livestock industry has spent millions telling us that meat is an essential part of our diet, but even the AMA recently came out on the side of a plant based diet. Factory farms are horrid, filthy places which create misery for the animals forced to exist in them, and disease for the people who eat animals raised under those conditions. The meat industry creates 18% of the greenhouse gases which are putting our planet in peril. 18% - that's more than the entire transportation industry. The grain that goes into a pound of hamburger (as feed for the animal) could feed many more people if it was used for human consumption directly. The biggest offender is beef, followed by pig and poultry products. If people would stop eating meat, the world would be a healthier, cleaner, cooler and more humane (at least in theory).

I'm down with that. But I'm having a little more trouble with the eggs and (especially) dairy products. I do agree that these products carry the same costs as meat, to varying degrees. Here's my problem. The most common dietary replacement for meat, eggs and dairy in is soy based products. Not just tofu, there's soy milk, soy cream cheese, silken tofu, tempah, etc. When I go to the grocery store, I see plastic wrapped soy products everywhere, but I have no idea where they come from. I've read that some soy companies, such as Silk (owned by agribusiness giant Dean Foods), import their soybeans from China, which not only has different organic standards, but completely goes against my 'buy local food' philosophy. I searched for local farms which sell organic soybeans, but couldn't really find much (a few local CSAs list edamame as an item included in their pickups, but you don't really have much control over when you get it or how much you receive). I did find this link, which was helpful for weeding through some of the store brands. Vermont Soy (soy milk) is the only top rated one that is anywhere near where I live. They pledge to buy all their soybeans from Vermont farmers, which I think is great. And the Vermont border is only about an hour from where I live, so they are reasonably local, compared to say, China.

So my question is this: is it better to buy tofu as an egg substitute, made from soybeans imported from another country, or to just buy local, organic eggs? I've cut out egg meals (omelets, quiche, etc.), but I love to bake. On the occasion that I need an egg or two for a recipe, I am still planning to use the real thing, unless I can find an organic, locally produced alternative. Country Hen is an organic, local egg brand that contracts many small, local, and sustainable farmers to house their chickens. They are very expensive, but if you're only using one here or there, it's reasonable. They are so local, I can easily drive to their home base in Hubbardston on a Saturday morning, and buy 30 irregular (slightly different size or color) eggs for $1.50.

Milk is another tough one. We buy Big Y brand milk and dairy products. The packaging says it is produced without hormones by local dairy farmers. When I see this, next to a carton of Silk soy milk, which was made in Colorado with soybeans imported from China, I want to choose the cow milk. I will try Vermont Soy, but I'm not sure how expensive it is. With two small children in our household, we go through a lot of milk. Vermont Soy is not sold around here in supermarkets. I have to go to a specialty store, and with the kids, a full time job, a home, and a blogging addiction, sometimes we just have to run to the Big Y for some milk. And Vermont is close, but there are dairy farms right here in Massachusetts I would like to support too.

Anyway, this is my dilemma. If anyone knows anything about all this, please share your knowledge in the comments section.

Rebecca's Hermits

2009-07-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

I promised Rebecca a cookie making session tonight after dinner. She even got to pick the type of cookie, and I was surprised when she went for hermits (over something with chocolate, which I definitely would have picked when I was five). She must have something of her father in her after all (I love him to death, but his favorite non-homemade candy is Necco Wafers. Hello - Milky Way anyone? Three Musketeers? Hasn't he ever heard of a Snickers?). The hermit recipe looked pretty good, so after a brief study and a few substitutions, we went for it. I cut out 1/2 of the 3/4 cup of brown sugar and used 1/4 cup of honey instead. I also cut the 1/2 cup of butter back to 1/4 cup, cut out the egg, and added 1/2 cup of applesauce. I reduced the baking temperature from 375 F to 350 F, and increased the cooking time from 10 to 12 minutes). As you may have guessed, I wanted to make this treat more wholesome - that way I won't feel so guilty when I send her to camp tomorrow with cookies for her snack. The end result was pretty good - the cookies are soft and chewy, even after cooling. They are sweet, but not overpoweringly sugary. The dough was a little dry (as you may have guessed) and crumbly, resulting in the loss of several raisins and walnuts, but the cookie itself was pretty moist. Next time I will try a different egg substitute (maybe silken tofu?), but overall I was very happy with the end result.

Vegetable Art

2009-07-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Rhapsody in Broccoli

Gregory and I dropped Rebecca at camp and hit the Worcester/ Westside farmers' market this morning. For the first time this summer, there was a large assortment of vegetables - you know it's summer when you can get local corn in New England. We did not buy any corn (I never buy it local until the last week of July), but we did get two heads of broccoli from a farm in Groton, some cucumbers, potatoes collected that morning, a bunch of parsley, two really good chocolate chip cookies, a dozen eggs, and a pickling cucumber Gregory decided to lick (yes - he picked it up off the table, licked it, and went to put it back. I offered to buy it but they gave it to us as a freebie).

More for Me

We hit the pool in the afternoon and then I cooked a big pot of potato and corn chowder with steamed broccoli on the side. My kids proceeded to eat none of it (grr!) but I did and it was very yummy. I've never (knowingly) eaten potatoes on the day they were picked until today. Living large!

Baaahs of Soap

2009-07-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Handmade Goat Milk Soap
No, a Revere townee did not make up the name of this post (a little Boston joke). It's a really bad pun about some extremely nice goat milk soap purchased last weekend at the Barre Farmer's Market. Made by Cat in the Shack Soap in Phillipston, MA, it comes in a large variety of yummy scents. I bought five bars for $10 (it's $2.50 for a single bar): tropical (think pina colada), toasted almond, Georgia peach, apple pie, and cherry almond (my favorite). Here's the listed ingredients: Vegetable Coconut Oil Base, Goat Milk, Glycerin, oils for scent. The soap smells so delicious, I'm keeping it out of the reach of my 2 year old - I don't want him to find out if the taste is as good as the aroma. Although the bar has a strong smell, it does not leave a heavy scent on the skin once it's washed away.

Local Food Friday - Strawberry Picking

2009-07-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

The strawberry burglar

Massachusetts finally got over its latest bout of multiple personality disorder and realized it is not part of the Pacific Northwest (it's only supposed to rain here every other day). Seriously, today was the first time I've seen the sun in three weeks. As part of my effort to buy more local food, I'm starting a section called 'Local Food Friday'. I am fortunate to have a four day work schedule, and spend every Friday 'off' (translation, chasing after the kids). This summer, I'm challenging myself to find and purchase a new, local, sustainable food each Friday. Today Gregory and I went strawberry picking at Tougas Family Farm in Northborough. I'm starting with strawberries because somehow we are at the last weekend of the strawberry season (it seems like only yesterday I was blogging about the first strawberries - the season is so fleeting in Massachusetts). Since it has rained for about 3/4 of the Massachusetts strawberry season, this was our first (and only) strawberry picking trip of the year.

Tougas farm is a small, family owned farm about twelve miles as the crow flies from our house. They are not organic, but practice Integrated Pest Management, which is a technique where they regularly inspect their produce, and only treat it for pests when they actually become a problem. Even then, natural remedies are tried first, and pesticides are used sparingly as a last resort. Since strawberries absorb everything they come in contact with, I did ask if they had to spray the crop this year. I was told that early in the season the strawberries were sprayed with a fungicide, but since then it has been too wet to spray.

Gregory and I walked the leisurely ten minutes to the picking area, where I quickly discovered that my two year old enjoys eating strawberries much more than picking them. After picking three berries, he began popping them in his mouth, and it was all over. Half an hour later, I had three pounds of newly picked strawberries, and Gregory had red juice all over his shirt and chin, and sticky hands.

The reward

Before leaving, we headed across the street to the kitchen where the boy picked out some home made cornbread. We also briefly hit the playground and petting zoo behind the kitchen, which was crawling with cabin fever ridden toddlers. Soon we were on our way to pick up Rebecca at camp, with the spoils of my labor. We're going to a cookout Sunday and have been charged with bringing a dessert. Tomorrow I'm going to whip up some biscuits, and we will bring the last native strawberry shortcake of the season.

Banana Bread

2009-07-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

My husband shopped at a large grocery store last week, where the only bananas available were the kind prepackaged in plastic bags. So we ended up with more bananas than usual, and by early this week, there were still five left. Five overripe, slightly brown, mushy bananas. Since we are making an effort not to waste food, I decided to turn those almost unpleasant fruits into something very pleasant - homemade banana bread. I used this banana bread recipe with one substitution. The recipe only called for 3 bananas, and we are trying reduce the amount of animal protein we eat, so I substituted one more banana for the 2 eggs. The result was very good (assuming you like bananas) - extremely moist with lots of banana flavor (plus I had only 1 overripe banana left instead of 2). I think it would have come out better if I left it in the oven 5 more minutes, but my toothpick (in this case - wooden shish-ka-bob skewer) came out clean out it came after only the specified 60 minutes. The result was the consistency of the bottom 1/3 of the loaf was slightly more dense than I would have liked. Other than that it's a tasty treat.

Ceramic Soap Dish

2009-06-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

My amphibian issues aside, I did get a very cute handmade ceramic soap dish sporting some kind of reptile or amphibian, for the kid's bathroom. I got it off a fair trade website, and here's what the accompanying card reads:
Bring the Balinese jungle to life with this beautifully crafted ceramic dishware. Once famous for ceramic tile production, the artisans of Pejaten, Bali spend a full year training to learn their craft. With the assistance of Mitrabali, a local non-profit organization, artisans are able to access larger markets, secure long-term employment & job stability and improve their overall quality of life.

Local Honey

2009-06-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

Honey from a nearby farm

On Sunday morning I drove to a farm in North Brookfield in response to an ad on Craig's List for local honey. The couple living there are lovely people who are living out their dream of a simpler life. The goal which they've been working on for at least 15 years, is to be able to exist solely off their beautiful 150 acre farm. They have their own vegetable garden and fruit trees, grass fed cattle and pigs, and a large shed full of chickens rented to a local organic egg company. And of course, several bee hives.

They started raising bees because their fruit trees were under producing. The simple, natural solution? Start a beehive to increase pollination. Over three years, they've increased that one hive to five, and watched their fruit crop double. As a bonus, they also have an abundance of local, raw honey, of which I bought 6 pounds. Now enthusiastic about these tiny pollinators, they told me how they learned to raise bees at a course taught at UMass Medical School. Some people even believe that local honey can help alleviate pollen allergies (something about the local pollen in the honey acting as antigens). I don't know about that, but I do know that raising bees is good for the environment, and that there is a lot of worry about sick bees and a reduction in honey bee hives. If you do buy raw honey don't worry if it crystallizes. Honey is supposed to crystallize over time. If it doesn't, it's a sign the honey has been processed (boiled down until chemical structure has changed - making it nothing more than a sweetner). If your honey crystallizes, just place it in the sunlight or a pot of warm water when you're ready to use it and it will quickly become smooth again. Either way, it's delicious.

Apple Berry Relish

2009-06-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here's some apple berry relish I picked up at the Barre Farmers' Market. It has chunks of strawberry and blueberries, on an apple/cinnamon base - very yummy. Most of the varieties also contain chile peppers, but this is the kid friendly version - sans hot stuff. Another bonus: it's lower in sugar than most preserves. Strawberries are something I always associate with early summer, but for some reason, this relish reminded me of Christmas (it must have been the cinnamon).

Fair Trade Bracelet

2009-06-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here's something new for this site. I ordered this handmade glass bracelet from an online fair trade merchant. Here's what the tag says:
Help make artisans' dreams come true, with a bracelet that's as sweet as candy! Handmade by artisans at Tara Projects, a fair trade organization outside Delhi, India, that creates employment and educational opportunities for marginalized workers locally. Tara Projects is also a leading voice in the movement to end child labor. Now that's a sweet story.

Definitely not locally produced, but this handmade bracelet of purple glass is pretty and has a good feel to it. For some reason I thought it would look cool to take a picture of it sitting on my mirror tray, but all it really did was make it look twice as tall.

I believe in the Fair Trade movement, and when not buying local, I try to buy fair trade goods. This isn't always possible for any subset of the following reasons:

An item I need or want to purchase is not available through fair trade. This is mainly the case for electronics and mechanical parts.

The fair trade item is much more expensive than it's non fair trade equivalent. Usually the prices aren't much different, but fair trade items are mostly hand made and shipped from distant parts of the globe, which can sometimes make them pricier.

I don't like the fair trade item. This is mostly the case for shoes - I have not found a fair trade shoe provider who carries anything I want to buy. That doesn't mean there isn't one out there, but I haven't found it yet.

So this is my philosophy. First, is it locally produced by an individual or ethical local company? If not, can I get it through fair trade? If not, I just get it through regular channels, although I avoid notoriously unethical companies if possible (such as Walmart, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.). Also, it is crucial to plan ahead, since I am trying to avoid the need to run down to the local superstore, but if I really, really need it now, I just go get it. For me, the all or nothing attitude doesn't work - I just end up falling off the wagon and giving up.

Here are some resources I use to find fair trade suppliers:

Fair Trade Federation

World Fair Trade Organization (formerly IFAT)

If anyone knows of anymore, let us know in the comments!

Going Granola

2009-06-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

In honor of our effort to make/buy homemade and natural things, Rebecca and I baked our own granola last night. I found a low sugar recipe on the web (not a lot of time spent on research here - I just googled 'low sugar granola recipe' and picked the first one that came up) and put the ingredients on last weekend's shopping list.

It turned out to be super easy and fun to make, and smelled delicious in the oven. I did have to make one improvisation though. My hunch that we already had orange peel was correct, but it was in the furthest back corner of the spice cabinet, and the bottle was covered in dust. After examining it, I realized it was part of the starter spices we had stocked the house with when we bought it. Let's see, that was only, er, eight years ago. After googling the shelf life of spices (less than eight years), we chucked the orange peel and used a smaller amount of lemon peel instead. The granola came out of the oven 5 minutes before the kids bedtime, and I let them each have a sample before brushing their teeth. I have to admit, it was pretty darn good when warm, especially since it contained no sugar or butter. Even my 2 year old ate it.

This morning it was still tasty, although not as good as when it was first pulled out of the oven (what is?). Still, with some blueberries and milk it made a yummy (and somewhat healthy) breakfast.

The Cost Of Bread And Cinnamon French Toast

2009-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

Homemade Bread from the Farmers' Market

My husband and I are really jumping on the homemade, natural, locally produced bandwagon. So when I returned from the Farmers' Market last weekend with a delicious loaf of homemade tomato basil bread, I thought he'd approve. It was very, very good, and with a melted piece of mozzarella cheese on top, my kids gleefully started calling it "Pizza Toast". But then he noticed the price - "Five dollars for a loaf of bread?". I answered, "How much does a loaf of bread cost at The Big Y?". He checked our store bought loaf - $3.99. That made my $5 homemade bread look a little better, but it got us thinking. We have a Kitchen Aid, we have a bread hook, why don't we make our own bread? For me, it's more the natural ingredient thing (the homemade bread had 7 ingredients, none requiring a degree in chemistry to pronounce, my favorite of which was "eggs from my own chickens"). So this weekend was our first bread making attempt

My abused honey oat bread

It was a honey oat bread. I have always naively assumed that when I bought oatmeal bread at the store, it was healthier because all the bleached flour was replaced by, well, oats. Apparently this is not the case. The recipe called for 1 cup of oats for every 6 cups of regular flour. It turned out to be pretty simple to make, although I think I got a little too violent when "punching down the dough", because after that it didn't rise again as much as I had pictured. The flavor of the bread was delicious, but it was a little too dense and compact(translation, I punched the you know what out of it). Still, it's a learning experience and next time I will know to be a bit more gentle. We are already preparing for next time - I grabbed some King Arthur's unbleached whole grain flour at the supermarket today. I don't think we will save to much money this way, but at least we can decide what goes into it. Plus it makes the kitchen smell great.

On a happy note, Greg used it to make some delicious homemade cinnamon french toast this morning for breakfast.

Native Strawberries

2009-05-31T16:02:00.001-07:00

Our first native strawberries of the season
Native strawberries have arrived here in Massachusetts at last!! We found some yesterday at Howe's farm stand in Rutland. In a few weeks, there will be an abundance of large, ripe berries, but now they are small (but good!) and still hard to come by. I had forgotten how sweet ripe, non-preserved strawberries taste. We washed them up and mashed about half with a little sugar for some strawberry shortcake (biscuits, not angel food cake please!). The kids ate the rest, so I was back there today to buy more and we repeated the process.

Homemade Hat

2009-05-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Rebecca's Handmade Hat
We are fortunate to live in a community where the Farmers' Market seems to thrive. As May progresses, more markets are opening their doors. This Saturday, I drove about 25 minutes northwest to the Barre farmers' market, which opened several weeks ago. Since it is the start of growing season here, there has not been any produce available. Several of the local markets don't even open their doors until July. But the markets that are open still offer a variety of wonderful items. There are many seedlings in a wide variety of flower and vegetable lines. There are also hanging plants, baked goods, milk, cheese, eggs, meat, and handmade crafts. We bought some delicious bread, some handmade soap, and a hat for my 5 year old daughter. Not a bad haul for May, and the total for everything was under $15. The ingredients listed for the bread: "eggs from my own chicken, butter, honey, unbleached flour, yeast". The hats came in a wide variety of patterns, in baby, child and adult sizes. I let Rebecca pick out her own.

Farmers' Market Apple Butter

2009-05-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hooray for the Farmers' Market! Several years ago, Holden opened its own Farmers' Market where local farmers and producers are given the opportunity to sell their items independently. I went yesterday and picked up some homemade bread, and delicious homemade apple butter. Apple butter is a sweet preserve made primarily from apples (you probably guessed that!), and usually includes some other goodness such as cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. The hand preserved apple butter I picked up did not include a list of ingredients, but I definitely detected some cinnamon. It was made at a local farm in Barre, MA. After taking pictures, I was lucky enough to get to eat my subject - yum!

If anyone is interested in the origins and history of apple butter, here is a brief description: Apple Butter. In New England, apples are harvested in August, September and October, so the jar I bought was either made in the fall, or used apples imported from somewhere else. Since it was handmade on an orchard, I suspect the first case. Next week, I will ask, but at any rate, it was delicious!