Potato-Corn Chowder

So the weather has been being tricky lately. We get a whiff of Spring in the air, and then it snows. One day we are outside working on garden projects, and the next bundled up in the house. So for this snowy Monday, as we are cozy in the house daydreaming of getting the garden growing, I made Rustic Potato-Corn Chowder for dinner. I got the recipe from Paula Deen's Quick and Easy Meals Magazine for May 2009 and modified it slightly to be vegetarian and use items we had on hand.

1/4 cup butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 pounds of red potatoes, but into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
5 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

In a large Dutch oven pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cool for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add potatoes, broth, and corn. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for an additional 20 minutes. Add cheese, stirring until melted.

I served our soup with a loaf of freshly baked bread. The magazine has it served in bread bowls, which would be really nice, but I did not feel like buying any and the day just got too hectic to bake them. The soup did smell really nice while cooking though, and it was really tasty. The recipe states that it can be frozen for up to 1 month. We had about half of our soup left after we finished eating, and so I did freeze it. It should be a nice meal to have on a day when things just get too crazy to cook a good dinner.

Why Go Green?

The latest Green Movement is no new phenomenon. While industry has continued to pollute the Earth and release toxic chemicals into rivers and underground water sources, everyday people like you and me have been deciding to try and make a difference for decades. These efforts manifest themselves in many ways, from buying expensive products marketed to the Green Niche to aspiring to do things simpler and buying local.

Our Green Adventure didn't spark to life over night. Our current mindset was developed as a culmination of worry over what we were really feeding our children, and disgust at the consumerist mentality that has shaped our lives, among so many other sentiments. The road has been long and rough in some spots. We've definitely spent more money than was necessary in some instances, and we've saved a great deal in others.

We've been dismayed at the sight of a garden with watering problems and weeds that seemed to come back with two or three new sprouts for every one we pulled. Then we learned and adapted and came back the next year with a successful crop after rethinking how to manage the rows for water-flow optimization to reduce run-off and pooling and incorporating mulch to prevent the majority of the pesky weeds from sprouting up.

I personally spearheaded a slightly disastrous compost bin project. Tara wasn't too thrilled about it, but I dove right in. Of course, the results were not optimal, mostly since I placed it in a spot that gets more shade than sun. (The north side of a south-facing fence...) And while it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world, it would have worked just fine had it been built in a sunnier location. Yet, I can't just move it since I built it out of cinder blocks, which I cemented together. Another compost fiasco was the black plastic bin we ordered from Costco. What a piece of junk! The plastic was brittle and flimsy and after shelling out 80 bucks, for something plastic, it became apparent that you don't always get what you pay for. It might be cheaply made, but that doesn't always mean it will be cheap for you.

So, yeah... the road has had some bumps and potholes along the way. But it has had some great success as well. Like the time we took the kids out to pick blackberries and then Tara made jam. Or joining the CSA and contributing to local farms while getting a share of the crops. Or snagging a few hours from my hectic work schedule last summer to head to the You-Pick-It farm for fresh off-the-vine produce. And I can't tell you how good it felt to pick tomatoes from our very own garden (one year after a completely failed attempt to grow something edible) and then to can up stewed tomatoes and spaghetti sauce from our very own fresh ingredients.

So, why go green? There are many reasons and the best ones are personal. Some people want to get away from corporate shortcuts and cost reducing methods of producing foodstuffs, a common example being Trans Fat and High Fructose Corn Syrup. Some people are disgusted with the way our nation's top producing companies handle meat production. Maybe you stop to wonder how many pesticides and other chemicals were used to produce that broccoli or lettuce in the produce aisle... For some it is a measure of prestige and being part of the 'In' thing. Whatever the reason, I commend you on your choice. It isn't always easy, but rethinking the way we do 'business-as-usual' is a personal reinvention that brings with it a treasure trove of long term benefits.

We hope to share with you some of our projects we've been working on, so stay tuned! Until then, here is a picture from one of our You-Pick-It farm excursions from last summer. I will always treasure this memory.

Spring is here...sort of

So for our Meatless Monday meal for this week we have Spring Noodle Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Walnuts, which I found in the March 2009 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, with a few changes to accommodate what we had and such.

1/4 c. sesame oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb. snow peas

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp of sesame oil, the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper. In a pot of boiling, salted water, boil pasta until cooked through and then drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer walnuts to a bowl and wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil over high heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and the sesame oil mixture, then for for another 1 minute over high heat. Lower the temperature to medium, add the paste and cook until heated through. Top with the walnuts to serve.

All in all, I really liked this, although it was a bit bland for Brady. Our kiddos reactions were mixed with our son not wanting to eat much, and our oldest daughter quite liking it. The wee one picked at it pretty much like she does everything.

Meatless Monday

In an effort to lessen our carbon footprint, we have decided to join others in enjoying one meatless dinner a week. We do not always eat meat with every meal, but having a planned day for this will make this a more regular event, along with helping with meal planning. The reasons for eating vegetarian are pretty substantial. An article from Cornell University states that it takes an average of 29 kcal (calories) of fossil fuel to produce 1 kcal of protein output. Beef is the worst offender at a ratio of 54:1 and chicken is not really all that bad at 4:1. I have seen quite a few resources that state differing numbers, but they are all fairly close. It may seem weird to think of a ratio of fossil fuel energy to human energy, but it all boils down to the fact that meat is not really efficient as a food source. Vegetables and grains give us a better energy return on our energy investment. There are also issues of antibiotics and added artificial hormones. It is estimated that up to 70% of the antibiotics that are administered to cows are actually given to animals that are perfectly healthy. We all know by now that too many antibiotics just help bad bacteria get stronger. And as far as hormones go, our bodies work to maintain a balance of natural hormones. It would seem like commonsense that throwing unnecessary hormones into the mix is not a good idea. There is debate on whether or not this has contributed to earlier puberty rates.

We are currently saving a portion of our grocery budget towards the purchase of a quarter of a cow worth of meat during the next slaughtering season at a local ranch that has grass fed, free range cows. Having beef from a local source ensures that it is not factory farmed and will be markedly better for our health and the planet. But until then, we will enjoy at least one night a week without meat. To help us along with this, we need more meat free recipes. Each week I will be posting our recipe trials or things we already know we like. For more ideas and information on Meatless Monday, a quick Google search came up with this site: www.meatlessmonday.com.

Now on to the first recipe!

We tried the Potato and Kale Quiche from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook by Cathe Olsen. (This is a really nice book with lots of good recipes and wonderful food information. While it is focused on nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women, it is a great information resource for everyone.)

1 pre-baked pie crust
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cups peeled, diced potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 cups packed kale (the store did not have any, so I used spinach)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare filling while crust is pre-baking. Warm oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir in kale (or spinach, in our case). Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Kale and potatoes should be tender but not overcooked.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg until frothy. Place 1/2 of the cheese evenly over bottom of crust. Place potato and kale mixture over cheese. Cover with remaining cheese. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese to fill crust. Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

This was my first time making a quiche. It was also the first time I pre-baked a crust. I kind of messed up on that part. The filling was quite nice though and not too "eggy" like I worried about. I think we will try this again, maybe with some small modifications to better suite our family, and also using a larger pie pan.


For dessert we had Black and Blue Cobbler from Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes. I could not find this book listed on either Amazon or Barnes and Noble, so I can not post a link at this time. The woman who contributed the recipe is Martha Creveling from Orlando, Florida. The cobbler was quite good, and smelled really nice while cooking. I can say that I did not include the orange peel, as we did not have any.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. grated orange peel
Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

In a bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Combine eggs, milk, and oil; stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Spread the batter evenly on the the bottom of a greased 5 quart slow cooker. In a sauce pan, combine berries, water, orange peel, and remaining sugar, bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; immediately pour over batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes our clean. Turn cooker off. Uncover and let stand for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Small Steps

So today I was at my kids' school for an evening of math activities. We went to my son's classroom first where there was a project that included cutting out paper pictures, coloring, and gluing. I started cutting duty and was piling my paper scraps next to me when one of the moms also sitting at the table picked up the scraps and put them in the trash. In the trash! The classroom has a recycle basket for paper which the kids take out and empty into the large bin outside. The school gets money for it when the recycling company comes and picks up the paper. I was a bit irritated, but I also understand that her actions were not trying to be mean in any way. She was being helpful in her understanding. And I must say, a few years ago I would not even have noticed where the paper went.

This seems to be one of the irks about trying to live more environmentally friendly. While you are trying hard to strive for something, there are others that do not seem to care. Like the dad who does not turn off his truck while waiting to pick up his kids from school, even though it is a beautiful day out and there is no reason to idle the car for 30 minutes. It makes me upset, but what can I do about it without sounding "preachy." Sounding high and mighty about something never really wins people over. I know if someone who was more environmentally friendly than me gave me a lecture while I was minding my own business, it would not encourage me to see the wrong of my ways. The way I look at it is that being better for the earth is change to be made in small steps. Our family will continue striving to be kinder to the earth because it makes us feel better to do so, and we will hope that maybe our example will help others on their way.

High Fructose Corn Syrup on My Waffles?! No Way!

I decided today that homemade waffles with blueberry topping and whipped cream sounded like a tasty treat for breakfast tomorrow. We don't have any blueberries, of course, so my first idea was to use blueberry pie filling. We hopped in the car and drove to Walmart, but imagine my surprise when every single brand of blueberry pie filling contained, you guessed it, High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Now, we've all seen the commercials telling us, with very bad logic, how High Fructose Corn Syrup is fine in moderation. But one of our goals in the move towards a greener, more natural, and sustainable lifestyle is 'eating closer to the vine' - chemically altered foodstuffs are not an attractive solution for this family's dining dilemma.

If you haven't seen the High Fructose Corn Syrup commercials, please, allow me to enlighten you.



While you're at it, check out some of these funny responses!





The truth is, we're starting to cut back on a lot of things that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. I drink a lot less soda now, replacing the cold beverage with herbal teas that include little to no sweetener. This summer we'll be making a great deal of sun tea and may even spring for a batch or two of homemade root beer. When it seems that the habit of drinking a soda is too strong, there are always real sugar alternatives like Jones Soda. They may cost a little more than the "traditional" options, but what else can you expect with the cost cutting measures of using a chemically altered sweetener? Hands down, sugar is more expensive.

So, what did we decide to do about the blueberry topping? We picked up a package of frozen blueberries and looked up a recipe for blueberry pie filling. Looks like breakfast won't be ruined after all!