Crocodile Tears for Paula Deen

I just watched Paula Deen on the Today show, interviewed by Matt Lauer.

I wasn’t looking for the interview, I came upon it by chance, switching channels.

Let me say, first, I don’t really like Paula Deen. I think she and her family (sons) are fake and are very monetarily motivated.

With that said, I don’t fault Paula for past sins. Something she did 30 years ago doesn’t have anything to do with her now. People can change, and as we all age, we grow and sometimes regret our past.

But her actions after the fact have been troubling.

When I start to cry while tying to speak about something that’s difficult or emotional, I immediately tear up. Whether it’s just a few teardrops or an outpouring, there are actual wet tears.

Paula tried like mad to show actual tears, but failed. Yes, her face was scrunched up, and looked like she was deeply upset, but there was not ONE wet tear until the very end when I saw a tiny glistening in the corner of her eye.

It looked like a bid to fix her reputation and had nothing to do with truly being sorry. As they say, Paula, you’re sorry BECAUSE you got caught, not because of your actions.

My advice to Paula is to shut up. Stop talking about it, lay low and make your comeback in a few years. People always forget about stuff like this and allow celebrities to come back bigger than ever.

Library Monday

I was so lucky today! I wanted to re-borrow the JJ Virgin book “The Virgin Diet” so I could read about what I wasn’t ready to deal with a few months ago.

I know the copies at the library have been on hold, but surprisingly, when I checked the online catalog, there was one lone “available” copy at a library a few miles away, so I jumped in the shower, and drove over to see if I could grab it.

Long-story-short, I couldn’t initially find it, but with a little gentle nudging, the wonderful library woman ended up finding it behind the desk on the cart. Yay!

So, that’s #1 on my reading list, I’d like to see how it compares to the Clean Detox.

I’ve also been reading “Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution” by Kris Carr because I need all the help I can get to find clean recipes!

Until next week, Happy Monday to everyone! Keep reading and supporting your local library!

Wilmington Farmers Market

veggies I bought from the wilmington farmers market

Just returned from The Wilmington Farmer’s Market.

I bought from three farms for a total of $14.25. The prices were really reasonable and I’m so happy that the summer season markets are back!

From Nagog farm I spent $4.25 for red cabbage, scallions, and a large white onion (I was thrilled to see so many different vegetables especially the cabbage they told me they started growing them early in the greenhouse)

At Farmer Dave’s I spent $7.50 for six cucumbers, one big lettuce, chioggia beets with greens (For some reason I’ve been craving cucumbers and pickling cucumbers were wonderful to see there.)

At Gaouette farm I spent $2.50 for large bulb scallions (I love this small organic farm, I remember them from last year.)

Starting Detox Cleanse/Elimination Diet

I am So NOT a fan of fad diets, including diets that eliminate foods; I’m an even bigger non-fan of celebrity doctors that make tons of cash promoting a health fad…but I’ve been feeling really crappy lately and I’m desperate to try to figure out if I do indeed have some sort of food sensitivity, or at the very least, to reset my buttons and get my body feeling better again.

Originally, when I lost weight (3 years ago), I felt healthy, vibrant and alive! Slowly, as time moved forward, I began to feel sluggish, foggy, and depressed, probably worst than I felt before the weight loss. I felt like my energy was disappearing and I didn’t feel like “myself” anymore. I blamed being peri-menopausal.

I recently began reading my library copy of the book “Clean Gut: The Breakthrough Plan for Eliminating the Root Cause of Disease and Revolutionizing Your Health” (Dr. Alejandro Junger) and even though I’ve read other gluten/dairy-free and elimination diet books, the timing must have been perfect, because I felt a little hopeful.

I found the My Clean Program web site, with a helpful “welcome letter” and started to read, read, read. (*Note: membership is required (free) to access all the diet documentation.)

The “clean gut” diet led me to the original “cleanse” detox/elimination diet, which then led me to the Dr Oz 30 Day Detox Diet (details: Dr Oz Clean Detox manual)

Diets Compared

I initially liked the idea of Junger’s “clean gut” diet (the one from the book I was reading). It allowed eggs, other lean meats & fish, and tomatoes, but there was some concern, because the diet did eliminate most fruit (except berries), all grains/beans (but quinoa and lentils) and some veggies like yams, sweet potatoes and beets. It suggested a shake for breakfast, and solid meals for lunch and dinner.

The original “cleanse” detox diet eliminates eggs, tomatoes/nightshades, some fruits, but it did allow some gluten-free grains like buckwheat, millet, quinoa, and also allowed chickpeas, beans, etc. It suggested a shake for both breakfast and dinner, and a solid meal for lunch.

The Dr Oz (*gasp*) Detox is more “user-friendly” – of course they have to cater to all his followers, who need an easy diet fix! ha! It was much less structured, without elimination of any vegetables or fruit, and it suggested a shake for breakfast, and solid food for lunch and dinner. They unfortunately promote it as a super easy way to drop some weight, but that’s not really what the cleanse is about.

All programs completely remove all gluten, dairy, peanuts, and processed sweeteners, but the original “clean” allowed sweeteners like dates or figs, to be used sparingly.

I decided that the list of allowed foods in the original cleanse was much more doable, but I didn’t like being forced to “drink” breakfast and dinner meals, so I’m modifying to only one smoothie in the morning. I also do not want to use isolated protein powders, so that is an adjustment as well.

The last modification is that I’m not following their daily supplement advice, at least not right now. I’ll still be taking my usual vit D, Calcium, and fish oil, but I added 200mg magnesium before bedtime. I’m hoping it will help me sleep better. (thanks also to Angela for her magnesium advice, I’ll also be searching her web site for inventive blender breakfasts.)

Here’s the list of Edible Foods For Cleanse:
whole vegetables, leafy greens
brown rice, non-gluten grains
stevia
beans, lentils
green tea, yerba mate
wild fish, organic chicken & turkey
nuts, seeds, & nut butters
avocado & coconut
whole fruits & berries

Here are the exclusions:
dairy, eggs
gluten
processed sugar
soy
coffee, soda, alcohol
beef, pork (I’m still going to occasionally eat beefalo)
corn
tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes
bananas, strawberries, oranges, grapes

There is a lot more detail in the downloadable Clean manual.

The most difficult part is giving up dairy and gluten, ha! Sunday, as I was deciding to try the diet, I had just taken a fresh-baked loaf of bread out of the oven! What a big change this will be for me!

Day 3 Feelings

So here I am, Day Three, of the cleanse.

I’m still trying to feel my way around, and I’m sure I’m not doing things perfectly, but there’s 21 days, so I’ll get better as time moves forward.

I need to get more organized about meal planning, especially making grains/beans ahead of time. I can’t rely on bread-pizza night or fried eggs as a quick go-to dinner anymore. I know I’m not eating enough greens and veggies, especially with dinner. If ONE benefit comes out of this, it’ll be that I learned to better manage my ingredients and create more true-blue healthy vegetarian meals.

It’s also been scary because I realized that I am extremely caught-up in food and it makes me sad that there is a possibility of a dairy or gluten sensitivity. I think that is what stopped me in the past from trying an elimination diet. The fear of finding answers, answers that will be difficult to deal with.

I am keeping a detailed journal, and also keeping an open-mind.

Day one, I was ready to give up! I think it was due to feeling overwhelmed and disorganized. Day two started very dark and depressing, but it worked its way out with a good old fashioned cry. LOL. Nothing like a blast of cleansing tears!

And here, Day 3, I feel good. I’m trying to “rate” my days feelings with a #1-10. Today was a 7. I’d like to believe that my rating system is going to adjust itself, as a “7” in 10 days might feel more like a “10” today. Ha!

Believe me, I’m not fooling myself, thinking that the most difficult part is over. I’ve prepared myself for a lot of doubt and depression bubbling up, which will tempt me to give up…but I trust I’ll have the strength to remain diligent to reach my light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel goals: energy, clarity and happiness.

Library Monday (No Love for Gwyneth)

I promised my buddy Angela from Test Kitchen Tues that I’d review the new Gwyneth Paltrow “It’s All Good” cookbook I borrowed from the library.

Well the book was due back to the library, but unfortunately, there is no review.

I tried, I really tried to remain impartial, but there was so much extra “stuff” clouding my judgement of the book, that I thought it best to return it and possibly re-borrow it at a later date.

But here are my initial observations.

The book is full of beautiful photos…. of Gwyneth.

Gwyneth in shorts holding a tray of eggs. Gwyneth snuggled in a blanket. Gwyneth (wearing shorts again) breaking open an avocado. Close-up of Gwyneth eating a frozen dessert pop. Get the picture? It’s all about Gwyneth and how wonderfully billowy and blonde (w/soft-focus lens) she looks after eating all this wonderful food. {{sigh}}

I just couldn’t get passed her ego, so back to the library it went. Maybe in a couple of months, I’ll borrow it again.

What else is happening in the world of books this week?

Well I thought it was going to be a slow Monday, but I ended up at three different libraries! Yes, I know, I have an addiction problem, I can’t help myself!

I picked up the new Sherri Brooks Vinton preserving book “Put ‘Em Up Fruit” – the sequel to her awesome “Put ‘Em Up” book.

I also picked up another book I requested, “Clean Gut” by Alejandro Junger, plus I found Kitchen Gardening For Beginners on the “new” table. I have heard about the author, and I’m curious. He is also Gwyneth’s doctor, but I’m trying not to hold that against him ;)

And a boatload of other books:

“Crazy sexy kitchen” by Kris Carr (I think I borrowed this before, but it caught my eye on the new shelf again)

“Living with less” by Mary Lambert (also on the new shelf, it’s tag line is how to downsize to 100 personal possessions.)

“Canal House Cooks every day” by Hamilton and Hirsheimer (this is one heavy book! And it also looks intimidating, but it promises to be an “everyday” simple cookbook)

“Diet for a small planet” Frances Moore Lappe (I have heard about this book for years, and it was mentioned again in the “China Study Cookbook” so I’m finally gonna check it out)

My father’s daughter by Gwenyth Paltrow (an old fave; what a difference between this book and the new one! I could barely find any photos of her, most were big beautiful colorful plates of food, which, HEL-LO, is what a cookbook should be)

“Cooking in the moment” by Andrea Riesling (I saw this old fave on the shelf and couldn’t resist it again. This book screams spring and summer to me with so many awesome farm-fresh recipes. It’s also the first time I heard the phrase “Friends, Don’t Let Friends Eat Imported Shrimp” and that really stuck with me!)

“Melissa’s everyday cooking” by Cathy Thomas from Melissa’s Produce (I heard about this book from somewhere recently but can’t remember. Glad I found it on the shelf.)

“Glamping with Mary Jane” by Maryjane Butters (this book looks like a hoot. Glamping=Glamor Camping!! It’s got some DIY and a few recipes.)

“Latin d’lite” by Ingrid Hoffman (on the new book shelf, at first glance, the recipes looked yummy)

“The I love Trader Joe’s vegetarian cookbook” (I’ve seen books from “I Love TJ’s” series before, but never read one. With big bold photos, I couldn’t pass it up, also on new shelf.)

“The great vegan bean book” by Kathy Hester (Also found on the new bookshelf, I’m always looking for new bean books, and this one is brand spanking new!)

“The sprouted kitchen” by Sara Forte (another old fave, and another that screams farm-fresh summer to me)

Phew, I could barely carry my book bag into the house! In the next few weeks, I’ll be sure to post some new book reviews.

Garden Diary – It’s Hard Not to be Discouraged

Well my garden is a mess, and I’m feeling discouraged, which makes me not want to plant anymore.

There is a critter eating all my greens. I think it’s a chipmunk(s)

  • My peas are almost stumps, I think in a day or two they will probably be gone.
  • I had such hopes for the Asian greens this year. My husband and I build a little covering with coat hangers, scrap metal, and a roll of fiberglass screen to keep out the white moths (which bring the green worms) but they are clearly being nibbled by the critter.
  • And even my beet greens, which I thought were doing well, now seem to be disappearing to nubs.

Looking at the positive, the snap peas planted in a large recycling bin are doing quite well, so that should make me happy right?

I’m not. I’m in a garden funk.

My mother-in-law gave us a few of her excess plants, and all I’ve planted were 3 eggplants. I have a couple tomatoes and red peppers to plant, but I just feel sad. I’m not sure what’s wrong exactly, maybe the weather? I’m just feeling discouraged.

Newburyport Farmers Market

For the past couple of years, I’ve been looking forward to experiencing the Newburyport Farmers Market in Newburyport, MA. I am on their e-mailing list and it always seemed like an exciting market with lots of vendors, even in the colder months. Unfortunately, it’s about 35 miles from home, a little too far for a casual Sunday drive.

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to get my chance to visit the market on the way to visit Maine. It was incredible and I wish it was closer, as I’d be dropping by more often!

Heron Pond Farm – 1lb potatoes $2.50 and small lettuce for $2
New Hampshire Mushroom Company – $4.80 for blue oyster mushroom at $16.99lb
Farmer Dave’s – $4.50 for mix-your-own-bag of baby greens for $12/lb
Arrowhead Family Farm – $3 for huge bundle of green onion tops

Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison – Book Review

I first noticed the Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingdom, with over 300 Deliciously Simple Recipes book on the library “new books” shelf and it immediately leaped into my hands.

I opened the book and while flipping through only a few pages, I knew this book was something special!

I should first mention that I am a big fan of the author, Deborah Madison. Long ago, I bought her famous “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” cookbooks and I’ve also borrowed the rest of her publications from the library.

I knew as soon as I saw her name on the binding, before I even opened the book, that “Vegetable Literacy” would be something that I needed to read.

The book itself is stunning. It’s a big heavy book, with well-crafted binding. It’s even got one of those fancy ribbon bookmarks (aah, the little things that thrill me!). The book cover is lovely photo of pretty garlic scapes, curling and knotting themselves into unique shapes.

The photographs inside the book are artistic, yet meaningful. What I dislike are photos that are added to a cookbook just for the sake of art, or the author’s ego.

Vegetable Literacy includes photos that describe each vegetable whether just pulled from the ground, flowering, or showcased in a recipe. There is no wasted space in this book.

One of my favorite photos is her “bolting” rainbow chard.

It’s truly an encyclopedia of edible plants!

The book is divided into twelve chapters, one for each plant “family”, including:

  1. carrot family,
  2. mint family,
  3. sunflower family,
  4. knotweed family,
  5. cabbage family,
  6. nightshade family,
  7. goosefoot & amaranth families,
  8. the (former) Lily family,
  9. cucurbit family,
  10. grass family,
  11. legume family
  12. morning glory family

Each chapter then presents specifics about each plant/vegetable in that particular family, including history, varieties, nutritional benefits, food compatibilities, cooking wisdom, and several intriguing recipes.

The index is extensive so it’s easy to find a recipe ingredient or where a plant is discussed, and I did refer to it when I wanted to read about a specific vegetable.

There are many personal anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book that clearly validate her longtime love and respect for vegetables that she personally grows, or finds at the market. One story that fascinated me was when she forgot garden carrots one fall, they rewarded her with beautiful flowers the next summer.

The only thing missing is detailed growing advice, which she does occasionally offer, but you’re probably better off with a gardening book for that.

She did inspire me to grow grow grow, and to try new things like keeping my carrots in the ground after frost or until January or February! Can you tell I am suddenly obsessed with carrots! ;)

This woman absolutely knows her stuff!

Some Bits of Plant Knowledge

Did you know that the Carrot family includes parley, fennel, and caraway among others. I had never heard of the herb angelica, which looks like parsley, but the flavor is unlike anything familiar.

Chia seeds are part of the mint family and are a compete protein (didn’t know that!) It is sometimes called the “running food” because just a handful sustained Aztec messengers during their extended running bouts.

Rhubarb grown in a greenhouse usually have rosy-colored stalks and they’re milder and more tender than stocks grown in the garden or in the field. A common mistake is assuming green rhubarb is not ripe, it’s is! Never eat the leaves, they are poisonous.

Buckwheat is also a compete protein, containing all eight amino acids. Buckwheat flour might need more liquid when using in batters.

The goosefoot and amaranth families include amaranth, beets, chard, lambs-quarters, quinoa, and spinach. For some reason, I thought chard was a crucifer vegetable like kale!

Here’s a recipe from the book I found at Epicurious: Doesn’t Peas with Baked Ricotta & Bread Crumbs sound scrumptious? And the recipe photo is divine!

I admit I didn’t have time to read every single word about every single plant, but I couldn’t believe how much I learned, and how much Deborah inspired me.

Read This Book!

Today, I am sadly returning Vegetable Literacy, admittedly a couple of days overdue, with the promise that I’m going to request a copy again very soon, because I didn’t have enough time with it.

If you find a copy of this book, it’s certainly meant to be cherished, and read over and over.

And that’s my Library Monday!

Disclaimer:
I love reading cookbooks, like some people love reading novels! I am inspired by recipes, and enjoy learning ideas from cookbooks, which means I’d rather put my own spin on a recipe than follow it exactly. Please keep in mind that my opinions might be completely different from the other home cooks.

My Healthy Food Budget: Month of May, 2013

Month of May Healthy Food Budget: $471.52

Wow, yep, way over my $400 budget, but there was surplus of $100 from earlier months, so I’m still under yearly total of $4800 – $5000.

May Food Spending Total $471.52

Dining Out: $79.51
Gardening: $5.78
Groceries: $373.53
Vitamins/Supplements: $12.70

Some specifics:

Whole Foods Market: Pastured step4 chickens were on special at $2.99/lb. I bought a whole chicken and a whole cut-up chicken for a total of about $24. I froze a few of the individual pieces for meals throughout the month, and the whole chicken is still in my freezer.

Tropical Traditions: (2) jars each of coconut oil and coconut cream $38 – that took a big chunk from the budget!

Spent about $27 for farm meat (Open Meadow Farm) but I got many meals from 1lb of ground beefalo and 3lb fresh ham steak, including rendered pork fat.

On the other hand, I spent almost $30 at two farmers markets, with not much to show for it. :(

But NO excuses! I admit spending went overboard, especially the last two weekends, starting with Memorial weekend, wanting to treat ourselves.

The most frustrating part was there was not a lot of produce in the house during most of the month, and since we’re “between seasons” I’m having a difficult time finding decent fruit, without spending a fortune on organic.

June starts a new month, and local produce is becoming more plentiful. My plan is less spontaneity at the farmers markets, and sticking to less expensive local farmstands when possible.

Freezer/Pantry Update

Took inventory of my preserves, and I am still in great shape.

4 -1/2 pint blueberry jam with 2 in the fridge as well (new!)
7 -quarts canned tomatoes
6 -pints canned tomatoes
5 -pints applesauce
4 -pints cranberry apple sauce
2 -pints corn tomato salsa
2 -pints tomato jam (very sweet, not sure what I’m gonna do with this!)
1 -1/2 pint apple cider jelly
2 -1/2 cup grape syrup
4 -1/2 pint grape syrup

Plus, in the freezer, I have a few bags of summer corn, dried summer tomatoes, summer cherry tomatoes, and probably a few other assorted tomatoes. I am out of summer green peppers, but I still have a quart bag of jalapenos.

Where I Spent My Grocery Dollars This Month

Whole Foods 118.29 (32%)
MARKET BASKET 56.49 (15%)
Trader Joe’s 39.29 (11%)
Tropical Traditions 37.95 (10%) (coconut products)
Hannaford 29.66 (8%)
Open Meadow Farm 27.30 (7%) (meat)
Newburyport Farmers Market 16.80 (5%)
Ocean State Job Lot 14.01 (4%)
Amazon.com 13.74 (4%)
Salem NH Farmers Market 12.50 (3%)
Seven Acres Farm 7.50 (2%)
Total: 373.53

About My Healthy Budget

My healthy budget goal is to eat seasonal (local if possible,) home-cooked meals while sticking to a $400 monthly budget for all food including groceries, dining out, entertaining, vitamins/supplements, and gardening.

There’s two of us eating (mostly) 3 meals per day. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

Homemade Blueberry Jam (Lower Sugar)

homemade blueberry jam

Okay someone please tell me why I feel the need to make my own jams and jellies when there are perfectly good store bought products available?

Tell me that it’s totally worth it because I’m controlling the ingredients and sugar content. And it doesn’t matter that I’m melting over a hot stovetop on a 90° day!

Okay enough self-pity.

Late last summer, I decided that I was going to try to create enough canned jams and jellies so there wouldn’t be a need for commercial product.

Since I started so late in the season, all the cool fruits were out of season (like strawberries, blueberries, and stone fruit), so I started with an easy apple cider jelly, then onto batches of Concord grape jams & jellies.

I’m so proud that I made enough to last us through winter! But spring couldn’t come quick enough as I was down to one last jar of sad apple cider jelly, along with a few emergency jars of Concord grape “syrup” that didn’t quite work itself into jam.

So when Whole Foods Market announced that they were offering organic blueberries for $1.99/pint I knew it was time to start making more jam!

I had borrowed “Put ’em up” from the library and I found a “quick blueberry jam” recipe that utilized Pomona’s Pectin without the need for massive amounts of sugar, so along with 4 pints if blueberries, I also purchased a box of Pomona’s.

I used Pomona’s a couple of times last year. I like that I can use a smaller amount if sugar and didn’t have to worry about making the jam thicken on its own.

So this morning, despite the 90° heat wave, I got my ingredients ready and proceeded to make a batch of blueberry jam while a big pot of water and jelly jars came up to boil next to it.

I was doing really well, following the directions, allowing the jam to come to a boil slowly. I then added the lemon juice, calcium water, and sugar pectin mix and stirred stirred stirred waiting for the second boil.

I kept peeking, and it wasn’t quite there yet, until I turned away for a little too long and splurshhhh, blueberry jam erupted all over my gas stove!

Then it was time to remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before ladling into jars for the hot water bath. When I was finished, I had 4 (eight oz) canned jars and 2 for the fridge.

The other good news was the sticky blueberry mess on my stove was thankfully easy to clean!

Here’s the recipe:

Quick blueberry jam

Based on recipe from “Put em up” cookbook by Sherri Brooks Vinton

Makes about 6 cups (original recipe stated 4 cups, I used 4 US dry pints of blueberries. 1 US dry pint = about 2.3 cups, even after losing some to boil-over on the stove)

This jam is full of fresh blueberry flavor. Because these berries are easy to stem and have no hulls or noticeable pips, it’s a quick project too.

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons Pomona’s universal pectin
4 US/dry pints blueberries, stemmed (about 9-10 cups, original recipe stated 8 cups)
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
2 teaspoons calcium water (mix included in the Pomona’s box- I still had a batch in the fridge from last year)

Directions

  1. Whisk the sugar and pectin together in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Rinse blueberries and add them into a (nonreactive) sauce pan (I used my 4qt stainless pot) and slowly bring to a boil over low heat.
  3. Continually stir and crush blueberries with potato masher and/or immersion blender (I used both)
  4. Add the lemon juice and calcium water.
  5. Slowly pour in the sugar pectin mixture and keep stirring to make sure it all dissolves.
  6. Return jam to a boil, and then immediately remove from heat to let the jam rest for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to release air bubbles. Skim off any foam.
  7. Carefully ladle jam into small jelly jars and either store in fridge for 3 weeks or process for 10 minutes using hot water bath method.

Using only 1 cup of sugar, it’s approximately 17 calories and 4g sugar per Tbsp!!!

I couldn’t resist sampling on a slice of my homemade whole wheat bread!

homemade blueberry jam