Buying Local at a Farmers Market

Last year, a mommy friend introduced us to a local farmers market on Thursday afternoons. We have been going on a pretty regular basis and have loved getting to know the farmers and artisans. The farmers market moves inside a church basement for the winter, so we can still get some items (though limited).

Farmers markets are a great way to buy organic food. I found that the food is fresher and will usually last a little bit longer than store bought organic items. I have also found that the prices for organic produce, grass-fed beef, pasture raised chicken and pasture raised eggs are usually cheaper than purchasing the items at Whole Foods. Plus, a farmers market is an opportunity for my toddler to run around, listen to music, and connect with the community.

Here are some photos from our trip this week.

 

Tweet

Eco-Friendly Resolutions for 2014

At the start of each new year, I like to reflect over the previous year and identify improvements to make in the new year. We have been trying to live in a green and eco-friendly way for a couple of years now. Sustainable living feels like second nature to me. My husband? He's slowly coming around. I must remember not to push, but to set an example. I also must remember to compromise (80/20 rule).

Here is a summary of the 2013 accomplishments and 2014 resolutions.

2013 Accomplishments

1. Switched to non-toxic cleaning products (90% of total collection)
2. Participated in a CSA farm share again
3. Canned apple butter
4. Had a natural pregnancy and gave natural birth
5. Started cloth diapering

2014 Eco-Friendly Resolutions

1. Make my own snacks
2. Use my new bread maker to make homemade organic bread
3. Use my new dehydrator to dry in-season produce
4. Shop at the farmers market every weekend

Blog Resolutions

1. Post more vegetarian and vegan recipes
2. Post more about raising a natural baby

Personal Resolutions

1. Shedding, eliminating, cleansing, and going back to simple.

>> What are your eco-friendly resolutions for 2014??
  

Tweet

Vegan Red Curry Vegetables [Recipe]

My husband and I love Thai food! One Friday night many many years ago, he wanted to make Thai at home. From that moment, we have been trying every single recipe, no matter how intimidating. Red Curry Chicken has become one of our favorite recipes and I have adapted it to scallops and a variety of vegetables. Either way, this dish is delicious no matter what you put in it. Don't be intimated by the curry. You can control the amount of spice and heat.

Today, in the spirit of reducing our footprint and this week's challenge of cooking one (or more) vegan meals, I bring to you Red Curry Vegetables. The vegetables alone are delicious, but if you are inclined to add meat for your non-vegan family members, then add about a pound of diced chicken, pork, or beef right before you add the vegetables and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Red Curry Vegetables with Basil

Total: 25 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or your preferred vegetable-based oil)
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (add more for medium/hot spice level)
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, shaken2 teaspoons soy sauce (optional)
2-3 cups of sliced vegetables: bell peppers, onions, baby corn, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, eggplant, etc.
10 large basil leaves, chopped (can leave out)

Equipment: A large frying pan with tall sides and lid works much better than a wok.

Directions: 
1. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the curry base and simmer for 2 minutes, so that it is dissolved and foaming. Stir frequently so the curry does not burn.
3. Stir in the can of the coconut milk. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the coconut milk begins to bubble and thickens.
4. Add vegetables and stir into sauce. Cook for about 5  minutes.
5. Stir in soy sauce (optional).
6. Turn heat down to Low-Med, close the lid, and simmer for 5-10 minutes until vegetables soften. If you prefer a thicker sauce, keep the lid off.  
7. Add the chopped basil.
8. Serve over brown rice.

Tip: Experiment with the amount of curry and the different types of curry. Our favorites are Panang Curry (sweeter and milder) and Massaman Curry (aromatic and loaded with dry spices). 

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - Leftover Chicken Soup

As part of the "Cleaning Out the Freezer" effort, I present Leftover Chicken Soup.
All ingredients are from the farmer's market and/or CSA.

Tweet

Nesco Digital Food Dehydrator [Giveaway]

Prize:

Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro Food Dehydrator

ARV $170

Hosted by:

A Lucky Ladybug
and 
M.O.O.N.

"New Digitally Controlled" unit! Top mounted fan eliminates liquids dripping into the heater chamber. Expands to a giant 20 trays so you can dry large quantities all at once! 1000 watts of drying power means you can dry more, faster. Patented Converga-Flow® forces heated air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray, converging in the center, for fast, even and nutritious drying. If you are an aspiring gardener or love to visit your local farmers market, then you need a dehydrator.  There is no better and easier way to preserve in-season produce than to dehydrate it.
Fast, Powerful Fan! A quiet, 2,400-RPM motor and specially designed 4-1/2 inch fan mean faster, more nutritious drying.  Adjustable Thermostat!  The adjustable 90-160 degree F digital control gives you the flexibility to get the best results.

 As needs grow, this four-tray unit can be expanded with accessory Add-A-Trays®, up to 20 trays (20 sq. ft.) Drying pressure adjusts automatically to the number of trays.  Included  accessories: No-Spill Fruit Roll Sheet, Clean-A-Screen®, Jerky Spice Packet and Cure.

**If you are a company and would like to see your brand advertised in a M.O.O.N. event similar to this please contact MakeOurOwnNetwork@gmail.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway
"Make Our Own Network" solely organized this event and I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are 100% my own and may differ from your own or even those stated in this post. All Natural Katie is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This giveaway is open to the Continental US only (because of shipping costs) and will end on August 29th, 2013

Tweet

Looking For a New CSA Farm

Since our last CSA Farm no longer offers the CSA option, I am on the hunt for a new CSA Farm for 2013 and beyond. Local Harvest is a great resource for farms and CSAs. I love that I can search for a CSA by zip code. I started with Local Harvest and came up with a list of 5 potential CSA farms.

As I was looking at the listed farms, I was surprised by how many of them offered meat. There were even a couple of local farms that were mostly devoted to meat, including chicken, poultry, grass-fed beef, sheep, and goats (all natural, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, pasture fed animals). I strive to buy grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and anything else local, but I never quite known how local the meats are at Whole Foods (yes, I know I could ask the employees, but I haven't). I feel somewhat satisfied and relieved to find out that there are a number of local farms that offer high quality meat. I feel like I am reaching a new level in my eco-friendly living. Eating local, pasture-raised meat is like music to my ears.

Currently, only my husband eats meat in this house. I have started slowly incorporating fish back into my diet because of specific dietary needs in the current chapter of my life, but no meat for me yet. I do eat a local, organic, pasture-raised egg every morning and consume whole fat dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.), which is either local, grass-fed, and/or made from raw milk. I like staying as close to the natural source as possible. The less processing there is, the more nutrients my body gets from the foods I eat. Of course, serving high quality, local, organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed meat to my husband, my family, and my friends is very important to me. I am currently reading a book that talks about the amazing health benefits of eating real meat, real dairy, and real fats (more to come on that in another post).

My goal for 2013 is continue to transition to locally sourced produce, meats, and dairy. Tonight, I felt like I took another baby step in this direction. I am very excited about all of the CSA opportunities.

>> What are your food goals for 2013?
 

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - Final Harvest

Besides the carrots, the rest of the harvest from the final clean-out of the garden was beets and herbs. Well, more like lots of beet greens and one little beet. The carrots were absolutely delicious! They reminded me of childhood visits to my grandma's sisters' farm.

  

Tweet

Top 3 Things NOT to Do At a Farmer's Market

There is something about a farmer's market that make me a little nervous/anxious/ whatever you want to call it. Honestly, I do not feel at ease when I shop at a farmer's market. Maybe I do not go often enough. Maybe I do not feel comfortable with all of the unspoken rules. Maybe I do not like that they are no signs to tell me who grows organically and who does not. I have had my share of mishaps and embarrassing moments farmer's markets. Today, I bring you the top 3 things NOT to do when you are shopping at a farmer's market (from my own experience).

1. Do Not Ask Young "Farmers" to Pick Out Your Produce - when a guy who looks like he is in his mid-20s tells me to pick out which watermelon looks the prettiest, I do not feel confident that he has any idea what he talking about. I know how to pick out a watermelon, but feel weird going around flicking and slapping watermelons to pick out the perfect one.
   
   
2. Do Not Buy From the First Stand - walk around to the other stands; see what others are selling. You might find a better deal or better quality.
   
   
3. Do Not Buy the "Pretty" Produce - I might not be a master gardener, but I know that tomatoes organically grown on a local farm do not look perfectly round. I have grown my own tomatoes and I have picked tomatoes from an organic farm. If anything, ask the farmer what they use to control pests.

>> What mishaps have you experienced at the farmer's market?
  

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - Today's Harvest

Fresh from my garden today:

• My first acorn squash
• My first carrot (a little small, but I'll take a 3 inch carrot)
• Hungarian Wax Pepper
• First cut of chives

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - Eating Local

Tomato from dad's friend's farm

Basil from our garden

Mozzarella from TFM

Tweet

Crazy Weather Affecting CSA

For those of you who are part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) -- have you been affected by this crazy hot weather? Our CSA has been struggling because the heat has affected pollination, which means that means that we have been getting produce less than expected. However, I know that we accepted the risk along with the farm and we are in this together. Nothing beats local, organic produce, no matter how much of it you get each week. The awesome thing is that the farm also raises chicken and is trying to get members to recommend other ways that the farm can provide for them. It is so good to know that the farm cares about the members just as much as we appreciate all of the fresh, in season, organic produce that they provide us.

>> How has your CSA been this season?

Tweet

Confession: Does Organic Produce Spoil Faster?

I have a confession to make! I do not use organic produce (from the CSA Farm or the grocery store) in a timely manner. I have a habit of letting stuff sit in the fridge for at least one week before I even think about using it. Obviously, produce begins to wilt, soften, and spoils. I composted about 1/3 of the organic cherries yesterday because they were moldy. Organic cherries are expensive. I felt bad that I let 1/3 of them spoil.

Is this left over from my pre-organic days where food would last 2 weeks before it started showing signs of wilting/spoilage? I do not know. Is it because my husband and I have both been working crazy long hours and we do not cook as often anymore? Probably. My head is so full of work, chores, and everything else that I do not have time to craft yummy dishes to utilize the perfectly in-season produce that I buy or pick up from the CSA Farm.

At least I ate a decent breakfast this morning...

Tweet

Freshly Picked From My Garden

A lot of people don't understand why you should know where your food comes from, that they should try to grow their own food, and that sometimes, it can be quite easy to grow food yourself.  Yes, sometimes it is also difficult and frustrating.   I encounter a lot of opposition, push back, and confusion about having a garden and trying to grow my own food.  Sometimes, I even encounter it on a weekly basis.  But, I reminder myself why I grow some of my own food.  I do not do it for others.  I do not do it to get praise from others.  I do it for myself.  I do it because I get satisfaction from growing some of my own food.  Something about it just feels right to me.  Once in a while, sometimes a long while, I come across another person that does it for themselves.  And this person reaffirms that I am doing the right thing.  

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - 100% Local Meal

I finally, FINALLY, can say that I prepared a meat that was 100% local!  Salad from the CSA, local meat bought at Whole Foods!

Tweet

Affecting Change in My Community [#CTWW]

This week's challenge comes from Reduced Footprints.

This week, watch the following video. Then share it in some way ... email it to a friend, share it on a social network, post it to your blog, etc. AND THEN ... consider how you might affect change in your community. Of course ... we want to hear all about it!

This video reminded me of our recent focus on buying local produce and meat. The CSA that we joined is a great way to support an organic and heirloom farm located right in our city! I also realized that I do not have to go to farmers markets to buy local, I can find local produce and meat at Whole Foods. I feel empowered to affect positive change in my community.

>> How are you supporting your local community?
 

Tweet

Scrambled Eggs with Garlic Scapes [Recipe]

One of the treats in our weekly CSA pick-up was garlic scapes. I have never seen garlic scapes, nor have I heard of them. I did a quick search online and found that you can do just about anything with them, from adding chopped scapes to pastas and omelets to making pesto. This morning, I made scrabbled eggs with chopped garlic scapes. They were a little awkward to cut, but the results were delicious.

Raw scapes have a slight garlic taste. Cooked scapes reminded me of asparagus. Here is the simple recipe that I followed. Za'atar was used as a seasoning.

Ingredients
Handful of garlic scapes, chopped
Eggs

Directions
1. On medium heat, sautee garlic scapes in butter for about 5-10 minutes until tender and browned.
2. Add egg mixture and preferred seasonings and cook until eggs are cooked through.

You can also incorporate chopped garlic scapes into an omelet.

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - Going Back to the Start

Tweet

SnapSac Tote Bundle [Giveaway]

In my review of SnapSac totes, you will see that I am addicted to reusable totes. If you are also addicted, enter the giveaway below for a SnapSac Tote Bundle. I am confident that you will love them and use them all the time.

Please use the Rafflecopter entry form below. All entries will be verified.

   
Giveaway

SnapSac Tote Bundle ($12.50 value)

Tweet

Make Your Meals Healthier With Secret Ingredients

I have the honor of being featured on Social Moms! To go along with my recent vegetarian/vegan theme, I wanted to re-post this article for my readers. Source: http://www.socialmoms.com/food/recipes-food/meals-healthier-secret-ingredient/

Getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables can be similar to pulling teeth or even moving mountains. For some reason, kids always shy away from anything that resembles a fruit or a vegetable, but that’s about half of the food they should be eating.

Ohio State University conducted a study in 2009 that showed only 22% of kids get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet. Furthermore, the number of kids that eat the recommended amount decreases as the kids become older. How is a busy mom supposed to get her kids to eat more fruits and vegetables? By adding one or two secret ingredients into her meals. Here are five practical tips for sneaking fruits, vegetables, and beans into the meals you cook on a regular basis.

1. Substitute eggs with fruit. For each egg in baked sweet breads, pie fillings, and other baked goods, substitute 1/4 banana or 1/4 cup applesauce. You might need to do some taste tests to determine the right proportions or whether a banana or applesauce works better for your particular dish. 
2. Puree soft vegetables. Add a layer of a pureed soft vegetables like cooked cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, or root vegetables to your macaroni and cheeses, lasagnas, casseroles, or quesadillas. The dishes will be creamier and healthier. 
3. Make a bean paste. Mash cooked beans to create a paste to hold a sandwich or quesadilla together. Black beans and pinto beans work very well. Add a few spices and your family will not suspect a thing.
4. Use bean flour to chicken soups and sauces. You can make bean flour at home by grinding dried beans to replace regular flour. Use the freshly ground flour within a few days to retain all of the nutrients. 
5. Mash avocados for creaminess. Use mashed avocados in sauces and creamy dishes to take the dishes to the next level. Mashed avocados can also be hidden in smoothies, but be aware of the suggested serving size for avocados. 

Whether your kids love vegetables or hate vegetables, these five practical tips will take all of your meals to the next level by incorporating healthy, fresh ingredients. While you are preparing your dinner menu for the coming weeks, identify ingredients that you can substitute or add to make your meals even healthier with these five secret ingredients. Happy healthy eating!

Tweet

Smart, Stylish Shopping with SnapSac Totes [Review]

I think I am become a reusable bag addict! I have bags of different sizes, colors, and styles. I decided to stop accumulated more reusable bags, but when I had an opportunity to review SnapSac Totes, I said, “yes” I had to add SnapSac totes to my collection!

SnapSac Totes are responsibly made by 1 Bag at a Time with a focus on style and sustainability. The new line of SnapSac Totes includes totes of different sizes and fun colors that fold up and snap in different areas so that you can take them anywhere and put just about anything in them.

Features:
• more durable fabric (35% thicker than average grocery bags): 110 gsm NWPP
• inside pocket 
• foldable with a snap in three places: at folding, at the top, and at the pocket
• machine wash cold, line dry

Petite Tote: Pop                                         $3.50 $2.99
Super Tote: Pop                                         $4.50
Mega Tote: Pop                                          $7.50
SnapSac Tote Bundle: Pop                       $12.50

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

Promotion Code: Use ALLNATRALKATIE20 to save 20% (expires January 26, 2012, cannot be combined with other offers, one code per customer)

The Good	The Not So Good
Holds a lot of stuff	Synthetic fabric
Durable NWPP fabric	No base liner/support
Adorable color and style
Longer straps to fit over your shoulder
Easy to fold
Great price

My Review: I received the SnapSac Petite, Super, and Mega Totes in the Pop color. I love the colors and the style. I actually WANT to use these bags because they are so adorable and fun! I took the Petite Tote with me to the grocery store because I planned only buying 2-3 items. I ended up buying 10 items. Nonetheless, all items fit into bag and there was room to spare. I especially love that the straps are long enough to put the bag over my shoulder.

SnapSac Totes fold up in almost the size of a piece of paper (a little bigger for the Mega Tote). I never had any troubles folding up the totes as I do with some of the other reusable bags where you basically have to do origami to get it back into the pocket size bag.

Since the SnapSac Totes are so light, yet durable, I could see myself taking a tote instead of my purse during a long shopping trip.

Uses: I used SnapSac Totes on two occasions: grocery store and birthday party. Yes, the Super Tote actually held two big present bags with 3 books each! Instead of carrying each present separately and using two hands, I put them in the SnapSac Super Tote and threw it over my shoulder. My hands were free! SnapSac Totes would also be great to throw in your luggage in case you need an extra bag to carry souvenirs home.

Overall Review: Although I prefer reusable bags made out of a natural fabric like cotton/jute/canvas, I do admit that SnapSac’s synthetic fabric makes the bag lightweight, durable, and machine washable. The three sizes are perfect for any type of occasion or purpose. I would like to see the base of the bag supported by either thicker material or an insert so that the bag is even more durable for hauling lots of heavy items.

Disclosure: I received the sample from 1 Bag a Time in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my personal experiences. This review is objective and completely honest.

Tweet