Local Breakfast

When Ross and I decided to try eating locally for a week, breakfast was the most immediate struggle. I'm stuck on oatmeal with coconut or almond milk, chia seeds, banana, and almond butter. Ross loves his Raisin Bran.

Of course, the most obvious answer would be eggs. We love a good fry-up and eggs, veggies, and potatoes are certainly plentiful right now. However, we don't have the time! Our alarms go off between 4:30-6:30am 5-6 days a week. We're just not going to get up even earlier to cook an omelet before work.

With this in mind, I snagged some locally made granola at the farmer's market last weekend. I know none of the ingredients were grown locally, but I rationalized it on the technicality that it's still a locally made product and buying it puts my money where my mouth is by supporting local individuals. Still, there were 2 immediate problems: a.) eating it with local milk made my stomach hurt since I'm used to non-dairy milk (but it tasted so delicious!) and b.) this granola was ridiculously tasty so I ended up eating it as a dessert for a few nights. It never made it to breakfast!

On to Plan B: breakfast burritos! Again, a technicality, but we bought some locally made tortillas and they got the job done. I could've made tortillas since Badseed sells locally grown and ground flour, but honestly, I didn't want to mess with it. Local and organic eggs, peppers, onions, bacon (!), potatoes, and jalepenos made a perfect filling.

I did do something with local flour, though: gluten-free blue corn muffins!

1 3/4 cups finely ground corn meal (grown and ground in Kansas)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs (farmer's market)
1/4 cup butter (Shatto makes and sells local butter here in Kansas City)
3 Tbs honey (from our CSA)
1 cup milk (Shatto and Good Natured Family Farms milk comes from Missouri, and the Hy-Vee organic brand comes from Iowa)

Mix dry ingredients well, then stir in the wet ingredients until everything is evenly moistened. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

That being said, we both went for our habitual breakfasts on a few of our earlier mornings. Like I said, this has been a humbling endeavor. But quite a tasty one!

Local Pig

It's pretty easy to get locally grown, pastured beef here in Kansas City, but other meats are much more difficult to find. Last Saturday, I figured this challenge merited a long-awaited trip to the Local Pig.

I know. I can't believe I just said that. Since eliminating gluten and falling in love with Body Pump, though, I've started eating more meat again. I'm still very pro-veggie, and my meals are still plant-based, but I probably average about one serving of meat a day now, and I feel so much better. More energy, faster recovery, yada yada yada. BUT. I'm really picky about the source.

Local Pig serves only hormone, steroid, and antibiotic-free meats. They have a map in their shop showing where each item came from.

 
And if I had any doubts about walking into a butcher shop, the atmosphere inside completely dispelled any worries I had. I never thought I'd find such a place cozy, but it was. The shop was full of reclaimed wood and small, crafty details.

 You can tell the owners and employees take great pride in their work and in their workspace. We asked about some "old-fashioned honey" on a shelf, and an employee practically ran over there to give us a taste.

We ended up spending $35 for easily more than a week's worth of meat for the two us. We bought two chicken breasts, a pound of roast beef for sandwiches, 2 sausages, and 1/2 pound of bacon. The roast beef was by far the most expensive item (that alone cost $18) so if we eliminated or replaced that with something else, our bill could've been much smaller.

So far we've tried the chicken, bacon, and roast beef. We put the sausages and half of the bacon in the freezer for later. The verdict? Outstanding. The roast beef made me crave a big old sandwich on artisanal bread like Ross has been eating this week. The chicken was so much better than store-bought with the crispy skin on the outside, and the bacon was much thicker than we were used to but also really flavorful. A little bit went a long way.

Needless to say, we'll be back.

Locavores?

Last August, overwhelmed with the bounty available at the farmer's markets, I vowed to dedicate a month this summer to eating only local food. Well, life happens. When this August rolled around I was still really interested in the idea, but with a busier schedule than ever looming ahead of me, I knew a month-long venture wasn't in the cards. Yet every spring I'm practically giddy for this time of the year, so I don't want to let this abundance pass me by.

Let's rewind. Three summers ago, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Omnivore's Dilemma and they truly changed the way I ate. Rather quickly, I stopped buying processed 'diet' foods and started buying whole foods. Local and organic? Even better!


That summer, I made my first solo trip to the farmer's market and with one bite of a local Texas Cannonball watermelon, I was sold. Local food tastes better. It supports the local economy. It decreases dependance on fossil fuel. I could honestly write a thesis on this, but I won't (hmmm can I somehow relate this to my nursing education thesis? Just kidding... maybe.)

Those two books opened my eyes to the rather freeing idea that food could be friend and not foe. The following summer, I finally read In Defense of Food which was almost a synthesis of Pollan's previous book and the logic behind Kingsolver's autobiographical novel. Since then, Ross and I have gone to countless farmer's markets and joined 2 different CSAs.

This summer, I still wanted to try to go just one week without depending on the grocery store. I figured spices and tea have been traded for centuries, so we would keep those. But we could otherwise live on all things local for a week! Ross hesitantly agreed that it would be a fun challenge. We're one day in and it has been fantastically stressful. I mean, our lives are already fantastically stressful right now, so I'm not sure why I decided to throw a wrench in and change everything about our eating habits for a week. Because that's never stressful.


Actually, I know why I threw it in the mix. It's because I honestly didn't think it would be that different. I already buy and consume a boatload of farmer's market produce each week. A few tweaks here and there, and it won't be too different. I conveniently forgot that I'm gluten intolerant. I would love to get a loaf of bread from a local bakery or, better yet, buy a bag of locally grown and ground flour from Badseed and make my own bread for the week. And pancakes for breakfast. And muffins for snacks! This challenge wouldn't be difficult at all. Those recipes all just need some combination of flour, eggs, butter, and honey, all of which can be found from local sources.


With gluten out, I decided to adapt my favorite cornbread recipe and indeed, I made a decent cornbread muffin with all local ingredients. Success! But I ate one and got a stomachache. I figured it was a fluke and tried it again the next day: stomachache. Ross was totally fine, so I figured the culprit was the local milk (I normally use coconut milk with this recipe). I guess I can no longer stomach dairy even in baked goods. And when you eliminate the local milk, yogurt, and cheese that's available, you basically have a lot of meat and veggies left. Which is fine. Great, actually. I feel best when I eat lots of veggies and protein. But OMG.we.are.so.busy. I'm used to bringing weird lunches to work, but this is a less traditional work week and I didn't want to cart around 5 tupperwares of finicky food to my STABLE class or to my new clinical site with its unfamiliar routines and break rooms.

All that babbling to say, I stand corrected. Eating locally is harder than it looks. We actually did spend a little less on groceries this week, but it's going to take A LOT more time to prepare all this food. Historically, leaving the farm and working away from home certainly fueled the move toward convenience foods and now, more than ever, I understand why. While I don't eat many 'convenience' foods like Hot Pockets (but yum) and Hostess cupcakes, I have underestimated the convenience of oatmeal and bananas for breakfast, nut butter on a spoon for a quick snack, and (gluten-free) pasta for an easy dinner on a busy night.


It's been humbling to realize I rely more on 'the system' than I originally thought. Nonetheless, I remain more committed than ever to supporting local farmers who still want to make fresh food available and accessible in this economy.

Crammed

I feel like a weight has been lifted. I wish it was from my chest, but it's off my shoulders at least.  After 4 days of steroids, I'm still hacking away at the slightest provocation of breathlessness and I'm desperate. I do love steroids sometimes, but I'd prefer to only need them once every few years. This is the third round in the last 9 months. Something's gotta give before my bones do (nothing like getting diagnosed with osteopenia at the age of 22 to make you feel old).


1. The first to go is farm work. I probably shouldn't have blogged about Urbavore immediately after getting home when I was tired, cranky, cold, and oh-so-sore. After a hot shower and a round with the neti-pot, I was left with yes, aching muscles and wheezing, but also the immense satisfaction of a job well done. Few things can be more fundamental and important as growing your own food and knowing exactly how it got to your plate. I feel very passionately about that. But 15 hours a week on top of my full-time job is a bit ambitious even without asthma in the mix.

There is 100% chance of soaking, revitalizing, but yes cold rain today and the high temps are only supposed to hit the low 40s. I do feel a little bit  really guilty and wimpy because the farmers (one of whom is 6 months pregnant) and interns are out in the field working in this weather. I came home from work last night in a panic because a cold and wet Therese is not an animal you want to encounter in the wild, but also because cold = bronchospasms and a day out in this weather would further lower my immunity. I had to tell Brooke. Fortunately, she was very understanding.

image from google search

We're still trying to figure out if my stipulations (avoid straw, hay, debris, mold, and dust) are conducive to actually being helpful on the farm once a week. If so, I'd LOVE to stay involved, even if it means picking pole beans for hours on end beneath the summer sun (mmm... sun). But for now, I'm at home recovering. And no matter what, I will be FULLY supporting the Badseed Farmer's Market and Urbavore Farm Stand all summer- if you're in town, I'd love to take you and introduce you to the people who have poured their lives into such an incredible and worthy endeavor.

2. The second thing to go, temporarily, is gluten. Homeopathic remedies seem to be hit-or-miss, but I'm desperate and there are a good number of people who swear that a gluten-free diet reduces inflammation. As much as I love baking and eating the fruits of the breadbasket of America, I need to give gluten-free another shot. My month of clean eating in February ended after two weeks because, let's be honest, it was a lot of work and it was also inconvenient/embarrassing in social situations. (I know, there are more important things, but really. We live in a society built around convenience.)

While my stomach never really felt better, my asthma did drastically improve during those two weeks. I'm not sure if it was the lack of gluten or lack of dairy (both of which have been blamed as inflammatory culprits), so I'm going to rule one out at a time. Gluten is the first to go simply because I just stocked up on Greek yogurt (protein and calcium intake are important to maintain while on Prednisone).

This doesn't mean buying fancy gluten-free cupcakes and processed food right now. The point is to veer more toward whole food: brown rice, quinoa, and millet are all easy to make in advance and eat throughout the week. (Easy for me to say now, but in a few hours I'll be eyeing those Almond Joy Cookie Bars in the freezer and wondering if I could make a gluten-free version with oat flour instead of wheat flour!)

3. My running game was finally improving again last week. I was up to being comfortable with 3.5 miles of a run 9 minute/walk 1 minute pattern. Of course now the thought of running just makes me want to cough and wheeze. I was too sore from farm work last Tuesday and Wednesday and obviously haven't been breathing well enough to run since then. I'm going to continue to take time off until this weekend and re-evaluate. Typical of my over-compensation, I am signed up to run a 5.3 mile leg of the Brew to Brew run with co-workers on April 3. Yikes!

Photo from BrewtoBrew.com

4. Of course, just taking things away is never a healthy attitude, so I'm making it a focus to ADD more of the important things to my life:

-Getting involved in a new church that's actually conducive to new member involvement (any recommendations in the Kansas City area?)

-Counseling (embarrassing to admit, but long overdue with my history of depression and anxiety).

-The Word of God. No self-help book could ever replace His love story.

-Quality time with Ross. When BOTH of us pulled long days every day for the last week, things got grouchy fast. We are so fortunate to be able to have some leisure time in our lives and we would prefer to spend some of it together instead of alone in the apartment at different times on different days.

-Foods that please my body and not just my tastebuds- though I always aim to please both!

-Dry brushing. I mentioned it last time, and I've kept up with it sporadically, but it's strangely soothing. I can see how it centers autistic kids when they get anxious. Try it!


In the spirit of starting off on the right foot, I had some liquid sunshine with my breakfast to brighten up this dreary day. A carrot, beet, orange, and coconut smoothie.

*Disclaimer: I am a Registered Nurse, not a Registered Dietician. At work we deal with calorie and protein ratios in milk, not big-kid food. What works in my life and eating style may not work for you. But please, give me feedback on my recipes and feel free to share your own!

Liquid Sunshine serves 1 hungry girl
(you will need a food-processor or high-powered blender with these ingredients)

2-3 small steamed, peeled beets (I used pre-steamed organic beets from Hy-Vee-- don't confuse these with canned or pickled beets!)
1 orange
1 organic carrot, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup coconut milk (using unsweetened SO Delicious has been cheaper than buying cans of coconut milk and it has a very mild, creamy taste that's not overwhelming)
1/4 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt (or just add another 1/4 cup of another liquid-- OJ, milk, coconut water, etc.)
3-4 ice cubes


Add ingredients to food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This may take several minutes depending on how powerful the motor is.

Pour into a tall glass and garnish with shredded coconut or chopped almonds if desired, and smile: Today will be beautiful!

(Please don't think me a hypocrite. I know that after getting on my soapbox about local food, I made a smoothie from non-local ingredients. While I'd love to get to the point where 90% of what we eat is grown within 50-100 miles, it's not practical right now mostly due to extremely limited pantry and freezer space and the fact that the local climate doesn't grow fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Probably my biggest disappointment over not being an Urbavore intern is that I will miss out on the FREE education about preserving local food so it can sustain you even through the winter. These farmers don't just talk the talk!)

Roast Squash and Wild Rice

Oh. my. gourd. I have a problem. I can't stop buying winter squash!

I cooked up a storm last Thursday- I said I wanted to have healthy meals to eat while moving, but it was also a last hurrah in the kitchen I've utilized more than any other. Fortunately I had just discovered this recipe on Veggie by Season's blog and was so happy to see that I had most of the ingredients. Buttercup squash was the lucky victim. I'm not sure how such a bumpy squash earned such a cute name, but don't be deceived. This has now replaced butternut squash as my gourd of choice!

Squash + leeks. A match made in autumnal heaven.

Roast Squash and Wild Rice

serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side dish 

2 c. prepared Wild Rice cooked in vegetable or chicken stock

2 lbs. squash of choice

2 medium leeks, chopped (or 1 large yellow onion- but the leek made this dish)

1/2 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 c. dried cranberries or cherries (I used cherries)
1 Tbs. coconut butter (not necessary, but I'm glad I added it on a whim)

1 Tbs. honey

juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, add squash and leeks (or onion), drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss well. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until tender and caramelized.

Cook rice while the vegetables are roasting. (I followed the package directions and cooked 1/2 cup dry rice in 1.5 cups broth to make 2 cups cooked.) Add cherries to the rice on the stovetop during last 10 minutes of cooking.

When rice is cooked, add coconut butter (if using), honey, and lemon juice, and toss to distribute. Mix in squash and leeks and serve warm.

I know this doesn't have a protein in it because we're low on groceries (I had a Greek yogurt on the side if that counts, Mom?!) But this would be great with navy beans, black-eyed peas, or even cubed chicken or pork.

This picture doesn't really do the recipe justice- I absolutely loved it! I ate this dish twice a day for the last 3 days and I wish I still had some in the fridge. It was that good.

Falling for Fall

Today I had a day off at home... they've been few and far between lately, so I intended to enjoy every minute of it. I lounged in bed reading for a while. I'm in love with the purple booties Ross got for me.

No I don't wear spandex for fun. I had a run planned after breakfast.

When it became clear that the day was going to remain cloudy, I decided it'd be a perfect day for baking. (Like I need much of an excuse). On our way home from Omaha on Saturday, Ross and I got some Winesap apples in Nebraska City. This variety is described as "dark red, crisp, fairly tart, excellent for baking." Based on this recipe from Joy the Baker, I assembled my ingredients:

Filling:

5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter.
Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of the pan and dust with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Continue layering apples and dusting with cinnamon/sugar until done. Toss the apple mixture until evenly coated in cinnamon sugar. The apples should be just about to the top of the pan (they will cook down).

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips or a fork until evenly distributed. Take one full handful of the topping and toss it into the sugared apple mixture. Spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.

While it's baking, catch up on some reading (never mind that I've read this series close to a dozen times now. I like to re-visit Hogwarts every fall). Enjoy the way a cloudy day makes the turning leaves appear neon.

When the timer goes off, practice extreme restraint so as to not burn your tongue.

When crisp has cooled to eating temperature, dig in! Ice cream is not necessary, but certainly complimentary.

I love fall!



CSA Week 22

Happy 10-10-10! If I had been off of work today, I would've done something crazy to celebrate... like run 10 miles! Or more likely, make cookies with 10 ingredients and eat 10 of them ;o)  Instead, I'll settle for a CSA post. I love getting local, seasonal produce every week. Things taste better when they're fresh and in season. And with the abundance of squash and sweet potatoes available right now, I'm also wondering if there's something about Beta Carotene that got our ancestors through a long winter. I plan on stockpiling, just in case.

Sweet Peppers

Hot Peppers

Sweet 'Taters

Garlic Chives

Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes- pictures don't do them justice!

Garlic Cutie

I'm trying to enjoy the fall harvest while it lasts. The farm has already had one night of frost!

Squish Squash

I'm really loving winter squash. Roasted butternut squash with cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut butter. Pumpkin pie smoothies. Acorn squash...?

 I got this cute lil' guy in our CSA share last week, but I'd never cooked with acorn squash. I assume you can treat it like most of the other winter squash, but I looked up a recipe anyway and I'm so glad I did. The Pioneer Woman never fails. I obviously like my squash sweet, but the rosemary in this recipe makes it slightly savory and the butter makes it super rich. Plus, I was able to use some rosemary we'd gotten in the CSA and hung up to dry.

Click here to see the original recipe and far superior pictures!

Here's what I used:

1 acorn squash
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
pinch of salt
splash of olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. rosemary, minced

1. Cut the squash into wedges. (Or, you know, realize you're weak and clumsy and it'd be safer for your husband to do the dirty work).

2. Scoop seeds out.

3. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.

3. Place squash in cake pan and roast in 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

4. Mix butter, brown sugar, and rosemary.

5. Remove squash from over after 20 minutes, rub with butter paste, and place back in oven for 30 minutes, until brown and carmelized.

6. Realize you should've tried savory squash a long time ago!

CSA Week 18 + farmer's market fruit

WOW I haven't really posted on our CSA in over a month! But we're still chugging (and eating) along with it. Last week's butternut squash was so good. I was hoping for more this week, but looks like I'll have to wait for a few weeks again. Here's what we got this week:

Kale. I want to love it, but I have to disguise it in soups to eat it.

The last few tomatoes for the summer.

They've been so good while they lasted.

Garlic and sweet peppers.

Cucumbers. One of my favorite veggies!

Lots of potatoes.

Okra-- finally!

Before picking up our CSA share on Wednesday, I stopped by the Westport Organic Farmer's Market and found a few signs of fall:

Delicious buttery pears.

Crisp local apples! Perfection.