Sweet smell of summer.

I have been slacking on my blog and I apologize. I get busy, I get tired, I try and survive the heat wave, and I get caught up in the motions of life...and I forget! I have been enjoying the nice summer weather, but not the heat! Our CSA started about 3 weeks ago, so we've been getting lots of fresh vegetables from the local farm that is providing them. So far we've gotten corn, lettuce, potatoes, beets, zucchini, summer squash, Swiss chard, beet greens, and cucumbers (we may have gotten other things, but I can't remember). It's really exciting to use these fresh local vegetables in many of our lunches and dinners, and it also feels great to share with others. Our garden is coming along nicely, too! We've had about 10 cucumbers, a few tomatoes, squash, mint, basil, parsley,etc. Other stuff is still growing, but it is coming along nicely. On the other hand, I am terribly sad, because my sun flower, that I grew from a seed, met it's untimely death a few weeks ago...but that is the way things go :(.  I hope that you are enjoying your garden, local produce stands and farmers markets, crop shares, community gardens or whatever sustainable gardening/harvesting you are doing. I know I always say it, but you can really taste the difference. Speaking of tasting the difference, about a week or two ago, I made homemade blueberry muffins, from scratch. They were delicious, or so people said...but I think that it was the fresh local blueberries that really made them great! I believe it is really important to incorporate in season, ripe, local fruits and vegetables into your dishes...I really can't stress how great it tastes and how good it is for the environment. Do you know how much gas you are saving by buying locally? Do you know how many chemicals are not being used when you buy locally?...the answer to both is A LOT! By buying locally you are helping yourself, your local economy and community, and you are saving your earth and that is something to be proud of. Another thing, especially if you are from NY, there is a great wine country in NY state and it produces delicious and sustainable wine. I have been to Napa Valley and Sonoma and I believe that the wines from NY state are just as delicious as the wines from California's wine country, plus you are supporting your own state, which is a great thing & you can always go pick up your wine at the vineyard or have them ground ship the wine to you, cutting down on the cost, because it is not being driven or flown across the country.

Anyway, I want to share my blueberry muffin recipe with you, so that you too can enjoy these fresh delights.

My blueberry muffins with fresh local blueberries :) . 

Next week I will share a summer vegetable recipe.

Ingredients You will need:

• 3 cups & 2 tablespoons of  flour (all purpose is good, but you can substitute it for a gluten free flour, in which case, you should look to see if other ingredients are gluten free).
• 3 tspns of  baking powder
• 6 tablespoons butter - I used local amish butter, but grocery store butter works well too. Make sure it's at room temperature, and use a little more to grease the pan
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar
• decorative sugar, cane sugar, or crystallized sugar for sprinkling on top
• 1 lg egg
• 2 lg egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• If you want a little extra, put just a small scraping of vanilla bean in there ;-)
• 1 cup milk, but eyeball it, you may need 1 cup and a few more tablespoons of milk to keep it moist.
• 1& 3/4-2 cups of blueberries, or really however many blueberries you want...but I suggest you use the plump, fresh, local, in season blueberries.
• Honey (just a squirt, or even a partial substitute for some of the sugar)

Directions you should follow:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Use the extra butter or nonstick spray to coat the muffin pans
• sift flour
• In a bowl mix baking powder, sifted flour, and salt together (and then set it to the side)
• In another bowl, such as your kitchen aid mixer or electrical mixer bowl, mix in butter and sugar and continue to mix it until it reaches a creamy texture
• Add the 1 egg and 2 egg yolks to the butter and sugar mix, keep the mixer on low speed
• Add the vanilla to the sugar,butter, egg mix
• Add the milk and flour/salt/baking powder simultaneously. You really should begin and end with the flour, but you may need to add a little more milk in, especially if it seems to gummy.
• continue to mix all of the ingredients together until they are smooth.

• Add in a squirt of local honey( but shhh. it's a secret...it just adds a great flavor!!)
• Fold in the blueberries...mix mostly with hands and by hands I mean spoon, it's just to messy to do it with hands!
• Then this is a big no-no, but for about 2-10 seconds turn the electrical mixer on very low speed and continue to mix, it really helps get the juices flowing in the blueberry batter and just makes it tastier!
• Then put the batter into the muffin tins. The recipe should make about 6 really really big muffins or 12 medium size muffins, but again, you can gauge it
• Place in the oven( that is already preheated)
• Sprinkle sugar and drizzle a little bit of honey over each before they really begin to bake
• Let them cook for about 35-45 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Stick a knife in them to see if the batter sticks to the knife, if it does let them bake more...and you can always rotate for more even baking.
• Once done, take them out of the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes, then remove them from pan and let them cool off just a little more.
• Voila and enjoy!!!

How does your garden grow?

Above is a picture of our garden at the house (my mother's house that is, not the apartment). We planted most of it about a week or so ago, and added more within the past few days. We have lettuce, a variety of tomatoes, my one lonesome sunflower, a variety of peppers, zucchini, squash, musk melon, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, parsley, basil, scallions/onions, beans, chives, rosemary, etc. I think we have a pretty decent garden and I am excited for the tasty, fresh, wonderful feeling of eating fruits and vegetables from your own garden! Any friends live within a 1-2 hr (or less) radius, feel free to get some veggies from me :). 

I hope with the warm weather coming up, you are gardening or hitting up your local farmers markets! The weather is nice and you have no excuses as to why you can't support your local economy, even if it's just one thing...my philosophy is: every penny counts :). Also, remember to buy fruits and vegetables that are seasonal, especially if you are buying them from the grocery store, because there are so many issues that go along with buying fruit out of season! A great date or activity would be to hit up your local farmer's market or roadside produce stand and stock up on fresh in-season items...and helping small businesses...or perhaps going strawberry picking (and blueberry & raspberry when they are in season!) ...just an idea. But seriously, even if you have a small space, try and grow just one vegetable...like tomatoes...or lettuce! Trust me, it will not only make you feel better to get vitamin D while planting, you'll also feel accomplished when  you actually see and use the produce :).

I have been thinking...another way to support your local economy is to order stuff that is from local places. The other day, when I was in the southern tier (of NYS) for work, I was about 2 hours from wine country...and I looked at the wine list and saw all the fancy chardonnay's from California, then I saw the semi-local NYS wine and I of course picked that! Boy, I am glad I did! It was delicious! Can you sense my excitement? It also felt good to know I purchased something that was from in-state and didn't use much fuel to get here! So when you are out, look at the wine list and try one of the local ones--if available! I also encourage beer drinkers to do the same!! Try one of the locally brewed beers and support your locally economy...it's really simply. I'm not going to lie, every now and then we pine for something that is not locally grown--California avocados-ahem...and it is totally fine to get them, but I think we should all try our best to support our local farms and local economy. 

I am in the process of reading a book that discusses farming and ancient civilizations, with focus on the farm to table concept...I plan on incorporating it into future blogs! 

If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to post them! I love when I get them! Thanks for reading!

and also, hope you all had a great Memorial day :)

Back to Blogging!

I am sorry I have been absent from the blog scene for a few months, but I got extremely busy with school and just did not have the time or the energy to blog. So anyway, I Promise to blog regularly throughout the spring and summer, especially as I go on new food adventures.

 

So a few interesting things I'd like to catch you  up on...My blog is about being sustainable and supporting our local economy (among many other things), and I believe it is important to support your economy in anyway you can, basically don't go 100 miles out of your way to get some product, when there is a good chance that the product is available in your "own backyard". One sustainable concept I really like is--local restaurants supporting local artists (without charging them to display their artwork or commission free), there are several restaurants around that are following this trend...and what a great way to support your economy and your neighbors...instead of wasting gas to go to an art gallery in a far away land from some over priced, but well known artist. If you think about it we can be sustainable in many ways...not just with food! One restaurant that is following this trend is the Wine n' Diner in Albany! The food is great and the concepts are great...and one day we actually got to talk to the owner and he explained the concept of the restaurant, the featuring of the artists, and his inspiration for the meals. Wine n' Diner also has a featured local cheese of the week and let me tell you they are delicious on their burgers--I had a Black truffle cheese- which had black truffle shavings and oil in and on the cheese--and it was absolutely amazing...one of the best burgers I've ever had. While this restaurant is not a direct farm to table restaurant, it still has a great idea and seems to really believe in supporting the local economy/local home/ sustainability concept, which is great !!! This summer I plan on going to many restaurants that work to support their local economy in one way or another, especially with the farm to table movement. Sustainability is easy and more cost effective, the possibilities are endless, and it will help save our earth, so why not do it? I mean honestly...what is so hard to understand?!

I am also super excited, because I bought a book today that deals with the farm to table concept and agriculture in our country. I will definitely mention it in my blog soon!

So another great idea I came across and am doing with my family is doing a shared farm crop. Many local farms are selling shares of their crop in a co-op like fashion, which will give those who buy shares a variety of produce that is grown their. I think this is a great concept...and what is even better is the fact that the crops/shares that aren't sold go to the local food-bank, which is important--especially with obesity rates, unemployment rates, and the high number of people in our own community who don't receive adequate or nutritious meals. I think that everyone should have access to local and affordable produce, regardless of their life circumstances. I think this is also great because it is local and a large portion of the produce is grown organically and because it is local there is no need for pesticides. I also think it is great, because we are reducing our carbon footprints by not buying grocery store(and rather disgusting) produce from California or Florida or Mexico or somewhere in South or Central America. I'd rather get my produce from a local farm, with local roots, supporting a local cause. 

 

I also can't wait to grow our own garden, as we do every year. We always have tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, basil, mint, parsley, lettuce, eggplant, and peppers...I am hoping to grow some scallions/onions this year too...and I can't wait. I encourage you all to grow your own garden or become part of a community share...or do both, like my family and I are doing. Another great way to get fresh produce--especially if you don't have a backyard--is by joining a community garden, which can reap the same benefits of a personal garden...but ask around first!

 

Personally, I am excited for summer! I can't wait to explore more sustainable places and restaurants and also can't wait to share some recipes...I'm so glad I have a break from school, so I can get back to updating this and sharing my ideas and my encounters.

 

Lastly, I have an assignment for you. 

1) Do you know of any sustainable and/or farm to table restaurants in your area...and if so, can you please list them in the comment box? (I'd like to try them, if they are somewhat close by)...

2. Grow your own vegetables, visit a local farmers market, or look into becoming a share holder at a farm or a member of a community gardens...believe me, you'll see the benefits!

 

 

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

It's your life, so choose the path you take carefully...

This is a picture of Rehoboth Beach, DE. I love Rehoboth Beach, and have been going there forever, and I mean forever-i've been going since I was a baby, and my mom and grandma have gone there for summer vacation for over 50 years, so yes it is a wonderful (and might I add favorite) tradition of ours. Rehoboth Beach has amazing restaurants, such as SaltAir, which is a farm to table restaurant...and we all know how I feel about farm to table restaurants...have you tried one yet? You can definitely taste the difference...right? Which brings me to my next point...I am not making this entry so much about food, but more about happiness for our life and how to find it...but I am going to go off on a tangent and just quickly discuss a concept I read about a few weeks ago....so here it goes...

I was reading an op-ed article in the New York times, and the writer's name has escaped my mind as of now, but I will try and find it and link it to here. Anyway, she was discussing the concept of buying locally vs. buying organically and she made great sense!!! She discussed how people think that some organic foods are great for you, but in actuality they are damaged in shipment, don't always taste great, and are ruining the environment. THINK ABOUT IT....you buy a local non-organic tomato (in season of course), that most likely won't have any pesticides or chemicals anyway(because it's local and doesn't need to be preserved), or you buy an organic tomato shipped from california (most likely out of season) and it is packed and shipped via truck or plane, where it will get bruised and waste alot of energy on the way it travels. Having organic products from out-of-state doesn't help our local economy and really doesn't make much of a difference with our bodies. If you can buy products that are cultivated and harvested locally and are organic great, but you will reap the same benefits from a local non-organic piece of produce that is in season and will help your local economy. So when you go to the grocery store look to see where your produce is from and if it is outside of 100 mile radius, don't buy it...why buy produce when it is out of season? it's not even good! Make stuff that follows with the seasons and buy locally as best you can, and remember organic is great, but it's even better when it is local and when it's local , you can get the satisfaction of knowing you are eating great food and not harming the environment :) Great feeling isn't it? I know things are easier said than done, but remember one small change from each of us, can create a big change from all of us!!!

So now I am onto the happiness piece of this entry...What makes you happy? What makes you sad? Do the winter months get you down? I know they definately get me down...that is why I like to look at pictures from vacations I go on, especially our vacations to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Soo, I have been going back and forth in my mind about why I have been down, a great majority of it has to do with the winter blues, I find winter to be soooo depressing! But then I also have this, that, and the other little life stressers pop up here and there. I also think things are going in some direction and they end up going in the complete opposite direction, or perhaps not opposite, perhaps they are just sedentary, but either way it gets disappointing and I get discouraged. So what have I been doing to make myself happy? Well I have been writing in my journal (recycled material of course) and penning all of my thoughts and feelings. I have been getting my hair blown dry at my salon, do facials, manicures, and pedicures for myself at home, which is a great relaxation...and something I highly recommend to help cure the winter blues...While I'd love to go on vacation to help make me happy, I know that it is not possible, until we go to Florida in May, which gives me something to look forward to...do you have anything to  look forward to? I think that we can always make ourselves happy, if we find a way to calm our thoughts and just unwind and relax...it is important to remember that we are ultimately responsible for our own happiness, therefore we should always try to do something that makes us happy. We cannot place our hopes, dreams, emotions, and happiness in the hands of another person-for sure we can share with them- but, we are ultimately in charge of how are journey will be and how happy we are. It's also important to remember that if we can't make our own happiness no one can. So as we enter the end of January and end the first month of the new year, we must look to ourselves for guidance on how we can achieve our happiness and how we can hope for the best in 2011. Every day, something may be thrown at you, but know that you are not alone when it comes to that.We all are facing some sort of struggle or another, take comfort in that, because one day (though it may not seem like it), everything will change and you will see that life is full of beauty and eventually all of the bad stuff will begin to diminish and good will shine through, depend on yourself for happiness and hope for a brighter, better tomorrow (metaphorically speaking). And to wrap this into the theme of the blog, eating great food and lots of chocolate will help you to fill some area of happiness and come spring planting and gardening, as well as visiting local produce stands and farmers markets will work wonders. Also taking walks and just being outside. I look forward to spring and even though I have definitely felt down, in this wretched month of January, I am hoping and praying for awesome new experiences and looking to myself to become a better and more fulfilled person and will continue to work on my own happiness each day.

I hope that you will do the same.

If the winter months seem to be too much for you, and everything just seems to be going wrong, don't hesitate to call the suicide prevention life line:

1-800-273-TALK (*Press 1 for veterans)

You can talk to one of the people on the hot line, which can connect you with a local mental health provider and get you to help, because especially in these winter months and as we head into spring the going gets tough, but know that there is help and your life is totally worth living! *I also am trained in a variety of suicide prevention trainings such as QPR, SafeTALK, and ASIST, so if you're reading my blog and feeling distressed, I would be more than happy to connect you with resources that can help!

Hope you enjoyed this post and I hope that you will all find happiness and health and great food and produce in 2011. And remember help your LOCAL economy :)

Support your local economy. Simple as that.

The holidays are fast approaching. What are you doing for the holidays? Are you eating out? going over to a family members house? or are you cooking? Regardless of what you are doing try to go to local farmers markets or farm to table restaurants and support your local economy! The benefits for supporting your local economy are endless, and if people really begin to support their local economy, perhaps we can start to help our community and bring prices down (that don't need to be wasted on gas). Buy only what is in season (that means don't buy summer fruits in the winter!!! Especially because they probably have some chemical on them), buy local beef, pork, chicken, turkey (and try to get one without hormones and by-products), we got an organic turkey from a local farm for Thanksgiving and boy can you taste the difference!!! When you begin to switch your way of thinking and your way of life, that not only sustains you, but sustains the earth too, you will begin to see the benefits. Our earth is suffering, the economy is in shambles, gas prices keep climbing, and the weather is just awful. I can't stress enough, how important it is to treat our Earth with respect, to treat it like our home and treat it like our body... This can be done through small steps like supporting your local economy :)

I also found out that One Caroline Street in Saratoga is a sustainable, farm to table restaurant! I will be eating their on New Years Eve!!! :)

If we could have as many farm to table restaurants as we do chain restaurants, can you imagine what a world that would be? A lot healthier and probably we'd have a better local economy!

As goes with farm to table restaurants, it is also important to support local markets!!! In Troy, NY there is the Pioneer Co-op and the business is not doing that great, but they offer really great products...it would be ashame if it went out of business due to the lack of sales...When the Holidays are over my friends and I plan on becoming members! I urge you, especially if you live in Troy, to go and shop their and support them(even if it's just 30 dollars). If you don't live in Troy or NYS for that matter, go and support your local economy and buy at co-ops and farmers markets (that bring fresh and local ingridients and businesses together). Think of the millions of dollars that these huge super stores are making and think about where the products are coming from...Wouldn't you love the satisfaction of buying locally and contributing to the local economy I know  I do... so we'll leave it at that.

So for the holidays, take this thought and put it into action, help yourself and help your community...SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY!!!

Happy Holidays!

A ripple in the water

  So I am starting to research different farm to table restaurants around the country, but seeing as I am from New York State, I am going to start with a list from there. I just want to clarify that I am in no way, shape, or form  endorsing or advertising these restaurants...I am just giving you healthy and sustainable options. Did you know that the farm to table restaurants cuts down on our carbon foot print, and mostly everything is organic and sustainable...on top of that we are supporting our local economy and local farmers (not the mega farms)

So Anyways here is a beginning list of local restaurants following this movement, or at the very least-using local and sustainable supplies... Many of these websites can be found via google.

-Jake Moon, located in Clarksville, NY

-Cella Bistro, located in Schenectady, NY

-New World Bar and Bistro, located in Albany, NY

-Terrapin Restaurant, located in Rhinebeck, NY

-Restaurant North, located in Armank, NY

-Blue Hill at Stone Barns, located in Pocantico Hills, NY

-Applewood, located in Brooklyn, NY

-The Wright at the Guggenheim, located in Manhattan, NY

* I will continue to add to this list for NY and eventually add some for a variety of states and cities in the continental US... Feel free to let me know of other sustainable, organic, and/or farm-to-table restaurants...

In the meantime, check out this website I found... it has a lot of neat and interesting information...

Sustainable Table

We can make the world a better place, by going back to the simpler things in life and supporting our local economy. By using sustainable materials and locally grown food, we will not use as much gas or chemicals, or other toxic products that not only harm the environment, but also harm our bodies.

We need to take time out of our lives and think about the consequences of our actions and strive to make a change every day. If we make a small change, others will be inspired to make a small change, and one small change from everyone can make a big change for us all!



I'm backkkk.

I am back...as obvious as that is. I feel like I am writing to no-one, but maybe, eventually, people will start to catch on to this. Anyways- has anyone been doing anything to save energy or have you gone completely green? Remember unplugging electronics and only using air conditioners on extremely hot days( 90-100 degrees) are good ways to keep down your use of energy. Did you do any gardening this summer? Gardening can relieve stress and anxiety and it also helps the environment! Another great thing about gardening is you can plant your own vegetables and use them throughout the summer months or freeze them for the cold months ahead. We planted tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, mint, basil, sage, thyme, peppers, and greenbeans...We used all of our vegetables for a variety of meals and those meals were so fresh and delicious. I believe you can taste the difference between non-organic store-bought food (especially fruits and vegetables) and stuff that comes from your house or an organic farm...A great way to garden organically is to purchase organic soil, and of course do not use any pesticides or chemicals to help your plants grow...because who really wants the residuals in their bodies? Planting flowers is also a great thing, I find flowers to be relaxing and they really pull houses together in the summer. Flowers also give me hope, they are a happy blossom of hope to me. As we begin to enter into these colder months it is important to harvest any last vegetables and fruits you have and make plenty of homemade dishes. Or you can support locally owned businesses and go to farmers markets and pick up their fresh produce. Another wonderful fall activity to do with your friends or family is apple picking, you are out with people, enjoying fresh air, and getting some physical activity in. Besides all of that great stuff you can make a fresh apple pie (instead of the frozen, processed, grocery store kind) or homemade applesauce, which by the way, is about a thousand times more delicious than store bought apple sauce. I really like buying stuff that you know is local or are able to pick yourself...it is comfort to me. 

If you can't make it to your local farmers markets try to go to a local whole foods store or fresh market, the options are endless and mostly organic. They also have very fresh options and are pretty affordable (almost the same price as a regular grocery store)... I highly recommend it!

Another great way to get fresh and organic food is by going to restaurants that support the farm to table movement! I love this idea and think all restauranteurs should begin using this.

If you ever find yourself in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, you must try SaltAir...they are one of these restaurants and the food is fresh and excellent...

Next blog I will try and make a list of restaurants that follow these concepts, just as an FYI...I hope also to add some homemade recipies in that blog as well.

Happy October and keep going Green! :)

Calm before the storm

I am back!!!! Though it is sad to see no one has been commenting or even viewing this blog. Well to update a little, I became overwhelmed with school and various life happenings and never found the time to write. However it is a new year, and with a new year comes a clean slate and any type of change we set our mind to. Speaking of change, if there are any readers, did you find a way to make a change in your community?


Working towards keeping ourselves and our planet healthy is a constant change I am working towards!
Eating healthier now the holidays are over is a great way to start that change. Supporting local farmers and accessing local farmers markets are the perfect way to eat healthy and help give back to our community. The healthier we eat the healthier our life becomes as we find ourselves making better decisions and very different lifestyle  changes. I vow to make many changes in my lifestyle and I will update you alll every once in a while. The more I learn the more I will write about. Change starts from within, how we use it is how everything will turn out.


So, as I know this is short I promise i will offer helpful tips for a new year, to help us get through these crazy times.