Not So Stupid Thursday

New TV Room!!!

2011-11-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

Last night, Marky B ripped up the nasty old carpet from our TV Room. The dogs and cats had basically destroyed it and I generally do not like carpet, so out it went. And it went to a good cause too...the remnant will be headed to the new Taft Van Stricklin Memorial practice basement at Mark's new office building. Enjoy JEHC & Jody Stapelton and the Generals!!

So here is a picture of the room without the carpet:

You may notice a strange brown discoloration in the middle. Here is a better picture of it close up:

We think that it is maybe adhesive residue or discoloration from a previous carpet job. It actually doesn't look that bad...I think it kind of looks like decorative staining or like olden times when they painted rugs on the floor. But most likely we will be getting FLOR carpet squares to cover up the stain and just have a border of pretty hardwood. Until we can afford to refinish the floors in the whole house that is...someday.

Next...our bedroom carpet!!!!!

Kris

Organic Household - The Journey Continues

2011-11-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

So we are at the next stage of the Organic Household deal. Some of the products were excellent and we will continue to use. Like Charlie's Soap - Thank you Matt & Laura!!! Some of the products we tried sucked - Like Avalon Organics Tea Tree shampoo - stink-tastic!! And not a huge fan of Tom's toothpaste...don't feel like it is working that well. So we need to try some other shampoo and toothpaste. In this round, we are also getting dish soap, dishwasher packs & lip gloss. Hopefully these will all be awesome.

My main goal is to have sort of a "recurring order" with Soap.com. I know how much food we need per week from Green Bean Delivery...I know how much dog food/cat food that we need from Wag.com, and now household products will be easier too. This also helps me with the budget...steady stream instead of huge binge like going to Sam's Club.

The journey continues...

Kris

Getting my feet wet...or actually getting my fingers blue...

2011-08-28T16:34:00.001-07:00

So I finally was able to gather all my materials together and set up my Batik workspace in the basement. I am at the moment still sharing with JEHC, but am hoping to have the place to myself shortly. I thought I had everything I needed, but then quickly discovered the first rule of Batiking:

WEAR PLASTIC GLOVES WHEN DYEING STUFF!!! The dreaded Blue Fingers!!

This is my first attempt. I basically just was trying to make sure my wax was the right temp (250 degrees) so that it would permeate the fabric properly and then trying to see how well I could draw with the Tjanting device (basically a wax pen stick with a well that holds the wax) and the brush. Need more brushes in different sizes. I really like the wax part...will be fun to do some real designs and stamps, but the dyeing part was a bit tough as I feel like I lost a lot of my dye's deep color and it also bled into my white bits. And the wax REMOVAL part...kind of sucks. Will hope to read up a little more on problem solving. I also need to have a better plan for next time so I don't have to run up and down the basement stairs with boiling water and dye pans. Logistics....

Stay tuned for more news from Batik central...

Kris

Batikster!

2011-08-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

What is a Batikster?

A person who creates Batik Fabrics...and hopefully I will be one of those soon. Since Mark is gone a lot with work & music, I decided that I needed a hobby. I have always been a artsy fartsy kind of person, so I thought mostly about what type of cool art stuff I could do. And I was also inspired by our recent trip to St. Kitts where they have a large Batik studio called Caribelle Batik where I bought a beautiful blue sarong. So I chose Batik. Step one complete!

Step two: What materials do I need. I did some online research and came across a cheesy little "Beginner's Batik" kit on Dharma Trading Co's website that sold everything you need to try this out for only $37.95. I also bought a few scarves to practice.

Step three: Figure out HOW to use the materials. I went to the library and got a bunch of books and also looked at a few How To websites. Everything seems fairly easy as long as you follow the steps and use the right equipment. I also have been hatching design ideas. I don't want to make a bunch of Carribean stuff as I am not Carribean and I live in Ohio. So I am going to try to "modernize" the designs & colors for my stuff. I want to do simple & striking designs that are more in line with today.

Step Four: Actually do it. Haven't gotten to this step yet because there is currently no where to set up my area (too much music crap in the basement) and I need to wrangle some more equipment (electric skillet & dye tubs specifically) before I can begin. I will get these this weekend.

Step Five: Maybe sell some stuff. The scarves I found on Dharma Trading Co are super cool "Circular Scarves" that I have never seen before. I think with the correct designs that appeal to people, these might be a hit on Etsy or at Cincinnati's City Flea events. Who knows...maybe I will start showing up at craft shows all across Ohio...I have a lot of weekends free.

Stay tuned for actual photos of stuff I make...as long as it doesn't suck.

Kris

Phase II Part One - Personal Health Items

2011-07-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Mark & I have been doing the local & organic thing for about 1 year now with our food. This is largely with the help of Green BEAN delivery that has not only changed the way we eat, but also saves me vast amounts of time meal planning & wandering random groceries stores. Our health has improved, we eat at home more often, & I feel like we save money because we only buy what we need for the week & no junk food.

So now that we are super comfortable with the food routine...it is time to embark on Phase II Part One: Person Health Care items. Shampoo, Soap, hand soap, toothpaste. I found an website called Soap.com that regularly has sales on Organic & Natural products and always has free shipping over $38. So I did some research and found products that were highly reviewed, all natural, not ridiculously expensive, and we are currently in need of.

I am a "stockpiler" so this may take some time to phase into...we need shampoo right now, but we have a fair amount of other stuff from my Sam's Club Binges to last a while, but I ordered some soap, hand soap refills, & toothpaste so that we can begin the process. Phase II Part Two will be Deodorant (no crystal bullshit), feminine hygiene products, lotion, sunscreen, bugspray, toilet paper...and any other health care items I think of that we need to replace.

I am not giving up my Mary Kay moistureizer as I feel like if I stop using it...my face will fall off or instantly turn wrinkly. So they can continue testing that on bunnies and orangutans...don't care.

Phase III - Home Cleaning Products & Other Household Paper Products...coming soon...or in a year or so.

Phase IV - Dog & Cat Products. (there is a sister website to Soap.com called Wag.com that also has all natural stuff for pets.)

Kris

St. Kitts June 2011

2011-06-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well that was fun...still recovering :) Check out the pictures:

Kris

Cookbook Time Capsule!!

2011-05-10T14:38:00.001-07:00

Isn't that the name of that movie where John Cusack throws away a once prosperous career to appear in a movie about Hot Tubs and the 80's??? No...I actually have a cookbook time capsule in my very kitchen. I picked it up at my Grandpa Moomy's house before it was all cleared out. It had a lot of homemade recipes using real ingredients, so I snagged it. Little did I know that it had some Moomy family history tucked in the pages.

The first one I found was a telegram from my Great Grandfather, Harry E Moomy. He is talking about my Grandpa, Great Aunt Betty, & Great Aunt Josephine (not Josephone)...but I don't know what the circumstances are. Mom? Uncle Dave??

The second one is a wedding congratulations card...signed by someone named Marie. Not sure whose wedding it was for, but it is cute and kitschy with references to magazine names.

And the cookbook itself is a time capsule too...filled with Terrines, Loafs, & gelatin molds. Crazy times back then...but at least there was no High Fructose Corn Syrup :)

Kris

This used to be my Grandpa's Playground...

2011-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Feeling kind of nostaglic today...maybe it is the rain or whatever. And then I got an e-mail from my dad that my Grandpa Moomy's house has a potential buyer. I have a lot of good memories at this house - Christmas with the cousins, summer trips with Mike, running around with neighbor kids, taking lots of naps :)

It is kind of sad to see it sold, but I still have all the memories and Zillow provided me with a few pictures. It looks pretty good all cleaned out and clutter free. Very retro :)

Kris

Asparagoose!!!!!

2011-04-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

What is better than super fresh Spring asparagus?? I want to eat it everyday! I want to weave it into a hat and wear it! I want it to move in next door and marry my daughter! It is super easy to make and is a great side dish for any meal. And I used leftovers to created what I called a B.L.A.T. - Bacon, Lettuce, Asparagus & Tomato sandwich! YUMMY!! Here is how I roast it...so easy! Turn oven on to 500 degrees. Break off the woody end of each stalk. Roll around in olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes. Voila! I hope we get more this week so that Mark can have some too :) Kris

Feeling Saucy!!

2011-03-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I finally got around to making sauce with my 10 bags of frozen tomatoes from the last year's garden. It was a fairly simple process but also time consuming. It involved standing around the stove for several hours stiring and tasting. It would have been out of the question to make this in the hot summer...so I can justify my procrastination with that :) So basically I cored & peeled the tomatoes, boiled them down to a sauce consistancy with the olive oil and seasonings, & ran the sauce through the food mill. We then put the finished sauce back into plastic bags and froze for future use in 2 cup portions. We got 6 bags of sauce. The food mill is awesome!! It totally filtered out the seeds but still left a nice tomatoey consistancy to the sauce. Thanks Mom & Dad for the great gift!!!! Here is the finished sauce prior to bagging: Yum! Kris

Zuppa Toscana

2011-03-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

It was just like being at the Olive Garden...only...completely different. Monday I made Zuppa Toscana. One of the soup offerings at Olive Garden as part of their Endless Soup, Salad & Breadsticks lunch for $6.95. But this one was just soup...no Salad or Breadsticks available.

It turned out great...maybe better than I remember from the chain restaurant because I used a spicy sausage which added a lot of flavor. And since it has been so cold & rainy here...soup was a welcome meal to warm us up.

Here is the recipe:

Zuppa Toscana Soup like Olive Garden's®

1 lb. Italian sausage - crumbled
2 slices of bacon - chopped
1 qt. water
3 2/3 cups chicken broth
2 lg. russet potatoes - scrubbed clean, cubed
2 garlic cloves - peeled, crushed
1 med. onion - peeled, chopped
2 cups chopped kale OR baby spinach
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
salt and pepper - to taste

Brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.
Brown bacon; drain, set aside.
Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.
Add spinach and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through

Butterscotch Pudding

2011-03-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Today...I made Butterscotch Pudding from scratch. Mark & I used to LOVE to eat Jell-O Brand Instant No Sugar Pudding. It was our go-to dessert. But then we read the ingredients...and it was gone forever. So I finally found a recipe for Butterscotch (Mark's fav) pudding with good igredients. It didn't take very long to make at all...probably the same amount of time as the cooked version of Jello pudding.

Half way through the cooking though I was skeptical. It was a lot of liquid and I didn't really believe that it would "thicken" as the recipe promised. But all of a sudden - WHAMMO - pudding consistancy. I should have had faith in the power of cornstarch...it is magical!

So here is the recipe...it is still cooling in the fridge for after dinner...so I will comment with the flavor review. Maybe I will look for a Chocolate Pudding recipe too...since it is MY fav!

Butterscotch Pudding

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup light (10%) cream
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk and cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg and mix well. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot and continue to stir constantly until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla, stirring until well blended and butter is completely melted.

Pour into serving dishes. Serve warm or chilled as you prefer.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Kris

Wet Wednesday!!!!!

2011-03-02T07:01:00.000-08:00

Headed to the Cyclones game tonight for Wet Wednesday!!! $1 PBR cans and $1 Pulled Pork Sandwiches - who could ask for a more balanced meal? I bought tickets yesterday and got 5th row center ice behind the penalty box for $13!! - NICE!

It is great to have minor league hockey right in our backyard. Mark & I have gone to a few games this season and always have a great time. The crowd gets really into it (beer helps) and the Cyclones never fail to entertain....even if the fighting seems fake...it is still fun to watch.

And since spring is just around the corner...REDS GAMES!!!! Soon...very soon...

Kris

Romantic Louisville 2011

2011-02-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Mark was headed to Louisville, KY for a few meetings with customers Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday this week. Since I have a lot of vacation time to kill already...I decided to tag along. Especially since it was Valentine's Day and who wants to be alone on Valentine's Day :)

So we found a great deal at the Galt House on Hotwire.com (& ebates) for $81 per night (normally $125+). Even though Mark's company was paying for the hotel, it is still fun to save money! The hotel was in dire need of a "De-70's" upgrade, but the rooms were nice and the location could not have been better.

We had great meals out at Bard's Town in the Highlands district on Monday and Bluegrass Brewing Company on Tuesday night. Very nice and romantic. And we finally got to Lynn's Paradise Cafe for breakfast - featured Biscuits & Scramble on the Food Network - YUM! We definitely ate well :)

On Tuesday, while Mark was out all day doing a great job, I wandered around downtown Louisville in the unseasonably warm February weather. I hit the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. It was a lot of fun...especially since I got grouped up with a tour of people from Minnesota...so I was the only Reds fan in the crowd of Twins fans. Really interesting and only $10 (which included a cute little mini-bat.) Ate lunch at a local pizza place and then went back to the hotel for a nice nap. I love vacation!!

Above is a photo of the Galt House gym from our room...with Mark working out. I think I took another nap or read my Nook...but I probably should have worked out too since we ate so much food this week. Oh well!

Glad to be home again in Cinci, but it was nice to get away for a little bit.

Kris

Homemade Ricotta

2011-02-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

So one of the painful things about going local & organic is that stuff is very expensive. I just cannot justify $8 for a small tub of ricotta cheese that isn't even local. So I found a recipe online and used my favorite Snowville Creamery milk to make. I have made farmers cheese (or paneer) using a very similar method so I thought I would give this a try. And it turned out great although it made A LOT...next time I will cut the recipe in half.

Start with 1 gallon of whole milk & 1/4 tsp of salt. Heat slowly until 180-180 degrees and then remove from heat.

Add 1/3 cup + 1 tsp of distilled white vinegar and stir for 1 minute. It will start clumping up right away.

Cover it with a clean towel and let it sit for 2 hours or more. Spoon into a collander lined with wet cheescloth and let sit for 2 hours or more depending on how dry you want the ricotta.

And it ends up looking like this and tasting GREAT! Very fresh. I am excite to make the calzones tonight.

Kris

Financial Woes

2011-02-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

January has been a tough financial month for the burgeoning Becknell family. Of course Christmas puts a dent in any budget, but then we immediately had several big ticket expenses pop up while we were still getting back on track.

Expense #1 - Equinox Tires
Mark had a leak in one of his tires from a bolt hole that we managed to fix with a patch for a while. But eventually the patch was leaking too. And the car is almost 5 years old, so we decided to bite the bullet and get 4 new tires. Approximately $695.

Expense #2 - Life Insurance down payments
We have decided that as grown ups, we needed to have life insurance. We got really good deals for both of us for good coverage, but we had to pay 3 months up front. So that was a big chunk of change in January.

Expense #3 - Medical Bills
I have had a few tests done in January and because our deductible just restarted at the new year, everything was out of pocket. So whammo - another $500 payment for medical expenses.

Expense #4 - St. Kitts Vacation
Meanwhile, we are trying to pay Beth & Andy back for the plane & car rental expenses for our super cool upcoming St. Kitts Vacation in June. AND trying to build up another $700 to pay the final installment on the villa rental due in May.

Expense #5 - TAXES
And I just did our taxes and found out for the first time ever that we OWE taxes. I think I am going to become a Republican...

All in all...money is going out faster than it is coming in. Need a new plan to get rich quick...any ideas???
Kris

And the answer is...

2011-01-27T14:41:00.000-08:00

If you guessed, "Chicken Nuggets" for the last post....you were WRONG...this is the ingredient list for Faux Chicken Nuggets. Here is a recipe for REAL chicken nuggets:

Chicken Nuggets

•2 chicken breasts
•5 1⁄3 oz ready-made breadcrumbs OR 6 slices of dried bread chopped in blender.
•2 eggs
•3 1⁄3 fl oz vegetable oil
•1 tsp basil, parsley or both
•salt
•freshly ground black pepper
•1 ¾ oz plain flour

Cut the chicken into small chunks so they will fit into the blender. Pulse the chicken until roughly chopped. Now add the herbs and switch on the blender again, making sure the herbs are blended well with the chicken. Once that is done, pour the mixture in a bowl.

Beat the eggs and put in a bowl.

Line up the chicken mix, the flour, the eggs and the breadcrumbs in the four bowls.

Rub your hands with some flour to avoid them becoming too sticky. Then take some chicken mixture and roll it in the palm of your hands to create a smooth ball shape about the size of a ping pong ball.

Roll the nugget in the flour. When totally covered, roll it in the egg. Next, roll the nugget in the breadcrumbs and place it on a plate. Gently press down on it with the flat side of a knife to form the perfect nugget shape.

Take your frying pan and put the vegetable oil into it. Heat the pan to medium so that the oil is hot but not smoking. Place the nuggets into the pan and cook gently on a low heat for about 5 minutes turning them every few minutes so they don't burn.

Once cooked place the nuggets on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Then serve with salad, chips or a dip.

Guess the Product...Good Luck!

2011-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, WATER FOR HYDRATION), WATER, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, CORN OIL, CORNSTARCH, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF WHEAT STARCH, SALT, METHYLCELLULOSE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, DEXTROSE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, SUGAR, MALTODEXTRIN, DISODIUM INOSINATE, SOYBEAN OIL, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, ONION, PAPRIKA, DRIED YEAST, INULIN FROM CHICORY ROOT, CARAMEL COLOR, TAPIOCA DEXTRIN, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE, SPICES, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, PAPRIKA EXTRACT FOR COLOR, ANNATTO EXTRACT FOR COLOR, BAKING SODA, GARLIC, TOMATO POWDER, CELERY EXTRACT, WHEAT FIBER, LACTIC ACID, SAFFLOWER OIL, BARLEY EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, EGG WHITES, NONFAT DRY MILK, SUCCINIC ACID, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, IRON (FERROUS SULFATE), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), VITAMIN B12.

Minor Rant...

2011-01-26T11:28:00.001-08:00

So I have been reading a blog of an acquaintance recently. It pertains to being vegan and the hijinx that ensue. It is a nice blog with recipes and commentary about the lifestyle. Which is cool and I truly respect vegans.

Here is my bone to pick with this person and more importantly "healthy food" consumers & manufacturers. Yes, you are not harming animals or using products of mistreated animals AND you may be lowering your cholesterol/calories/sugar intake by choosing certain foods. BUT...you are then eating a flaming pile of chemicals that are manufactured to taste like meat, butter, cheese, eggs, whatever.

Take "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter" or other butter-esque products...yes...it does not have milk products in it because I look at the ingredient list on the side of the plastic tub...not one natural substance in there. Butter has but a few natural ingredients: Milk, Cream, & sometimes salt. I think I would rather eat food made from ingredients that come from a local cow than from a laboratory. So I might be cutting out the fat & cholesterol, but I am gaining mysterious chemicals that we have no idea what they do do the human body. Again...natural & fatty in moderation seems to make more sense to me. And as long as you know your source...then dairy can be done cruelty free. Takes some research and maybe limiting your overall intake, but Happy cows...happy milk/cheese/butter...happy body.

Same with Vegan "Meat" - I just have no idea what is in most of that stuff! And why anyone would want to eat most of it. I would rather eat zero meat than fake chemical weird meat-like globs...talk about processed. Valid food like vegetables mashed up with crazy stuff to make it taste like meat. Who is the genius behind that one. That being said...I like obviously veggie patties, like Columbus made Luna Burgers. They taste good, you can tell what is in them, and they are made locally with human hands.

I love animals and can totally see the point in not harming them...but I have not made that leap. Instead I buy local meat...they still have to die...but at least they were not mistreated while alive. I know that is the whole issue...the death part...but until I come to a point where I can do it...this is where I am.

Unless I see an ingredient list that sounds like something I could make myself with a recipe...no thanks! And heck, if I am looking for that...I WILL JUST MAKE IT MYSELF.

I think the whole problem is convenience foods...and shortly after that...consumer ignorance. If you don't know what it is...I suggest not eating it.

I am all for healthy eating...but make sure you are actually eating healthy foods while being vegan. But be a smart consumer to boot!

Mark is being a big loser...

2011-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Of weight that is!!! His company, Davis Dist., is sponsoring a "Biggest Loser" type competition amongst its' employees. Mark & Michael decided to join in at the Cincinnati Davis Satellite office. All participating "contestants" contributed $10 so that the winner gets $250 and the owner is matching that...grand total $500 in prize money. That would REALLY come in handy for the St. Kitt's trip.

So they weighed in to get their starting weight right after Christmas. And by the next week's weigh in...Mark had lost 7.7 pounds!!!!! WOW!!!! He is well on his way to being a big loser...and maybe THE BIGGEST!!!

GO HONEY!!! I know you can do it!

Kris

Chillicothe NYE 2010

2011-01-02T08:38:00.001-08:00

It probably didn't help that I drank 10 Shiner Bocks BEFORE we even left the house...but amazingly we all had a great time...or at least that is what I am told. The Lewis Brothers were great - very up tempo good bluegrass which made for wonderful party dancing. And I guess I had a cornucopia of good quotes...but most are not appropriate for this blog...

Happy New Year and thank you to Beth & Andy for your awesome hospitality!
Kris

Technology Rules!

2010-12-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

So my loving husband bought me a Nook color e-reader for Christmas. I still had an old timey paper book to read...so I hurried up and finished it and downloaded my first EPUB book from the Ohio e-book project via the Cinci Public Library website for free!!!

Here is a pictue of the old timey lame book:

Versus the new awesome lightweight Nook:

And here is Zep helping me read...so cute!

Thanks, honey!!

Kris

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

From Collages

Merry Christmas to all!!! It was great to be surrounded by Family, Friends and Poofins!!!

Love, Kris

Cool Yule!

2010-12-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am amazed by how busy the Christmas season really is...even though it is just ONE DAY...the lead up is ridiculous! Christmas presents, Xmas cards, cookies, planning meals, food shopping, cleaning, logistics, visits with friends, kiling the budget...and the list goes on and on.

I feel like I am pretty organized gal and I still feel a tad overwhelmed. Makes me want to fly to Tahiti next year instead :)

But in the end it is all worth it because we get to spend time with family & friends...and eat like pigs!!

Kris

The Time Machine - By Little Krissy Halter

2010-11-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

While visiting my Grandpa Moomy's house in Erie this past week, I discovered a letter that I wrote to my grandparents dated October 7th, 1984...when I was just 9 years old. The letter reads:

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

How are you today?
I'm fine I hope you are.
Have you done anything importent lately?
I have wrote a story called "The Time Machine."
I'll send you a copy of it.
Hope I see you soon.
I will write again.
See you.

Love, Kristin

So here is the story:

THE TIME MACHINE

One day in the year 1984, Jill and Jane Smith were walking down the sidewal talking to each other. Jill said Wouldn't it be neat if we could go back in time. Jane answered Ya that would be neat wouldn't it. And then they saw their friend Mark. He was a real smarty pants. He was into inventing things he uses his tree house for a laboratory.

One day we could hear a loud yell from Mark's tree house we rushed to see what was the matter. When we got there we found him jumping up and down. Then he calmed down and said I invented a Time Machine. Jane said How does it work. Mark said see you push this button and then pull this lever set the date and step in. They started down the sidewalk. Then Jill said Hey! I've got a great idea Mark's Time Machine can take us back in time. Jane said that's a great idea lets go and ask so they went and asked. When they got there, Jill asked can we test your time machine out. He said yes so then he pushed the button and pulled the lever and set the date to 1492 when Columbus sailed to America and stepped in. They saw flashing lights and the next thing they knew they were on a ship in the middle of the ocean but one of the sailor saw us and so we hid behind a barrel of water accidentally Jill dropped her earring into the barrell of water and Jill said I dropped my earring into the barrel of water so Jane slipped up and fished for it luckily it didn't sink to the bottom of the barrel yet so she grabbed it and ducked before anyone saw her.

When no one was looking they ran over and hid behind a canon. And Jane told Jill next time we go back in time don't wear earrings. They looked for Christoper Columbus and they spotted him and Jane said to Jill there he is and they said to each other we saw Christopher Columbus. So they dressed up as sailors. They went over to him. He said you don't look like the rest of the sailors. Jill said to Jane now what. Jane said to Columbus we were sent here to help you on your voyage. Well get on with your work men he said. Well we got away with it but what did he mean by get back to your work. We are supposed t clean the decks. Then you hear a loud shout from above it says Land Ahoy! And you hear a loud cheer and everyone rushed to the deck but then you see flashing lights and then you see Mark he asked you why are you dressed so funny. We say who cares. We spoke to Christopher Columbus.

The End

How about that foreshadowing, run-on sentences, change from third person to first person to Screenplay...and of course the clever banter!!! I think I will send this to a publisher...I rule!

Kris

Turkey Stock!

2010-11-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

I had to pull out the big gun for this project...the 8 quarts of water and a turkey carcass were not going to fit in my regular stock pot...so the canner was called into duty. I got Joe & Margaret to give me the turkey leftovers (with juice) and brought it home to make stock. I have gotten pretty good at Chicken stock. I tried Beef stock which got mixed reviews. So now on to Turkey stock. We will see how it turns out...it is supposed to yeild 6 quarts of stock...so I hope it is good :)

Here is the recipe in case you have a turkey carcass laying around:

TURKEY STOCK

8 quarts cold water
1 turkey carcass, meat removed, leaving some crisp skin on if possible

8 ounces onions, chopped
4 ounces carrots, chopped
2 small heads garlic, cut in half horizontally
1 teaspoon or so black peppercorns, cracked
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Break up the turkey carcass, and chop some of the larger bones in half. Put the carcass in the stockpot with the water and bring slowly to a simmer. Periodically skim off any scum that forms, and if you wish use a skimmer to skim off the fat. Let this simmer for two hours.

Add the mirepoix and spices. Simmer for one more hour.

Remember that during the simmering process, it's best not to stir the stock. The end result will be much clearer if it is not agitated while simmering.

Strain thoroughly; the best way to do this is to ladle the stock out and pour it through a strainer. Refrigerate overnight, until the fat solidifies on the surface, then skim off.

Makes about 6 quarts of stock.

Next is Ham stock...I have two ham bones in the freezer waiting for me :)

Kris

Cabbage Rolls just like Bubby used to make!!

2010-11-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

Necessity is the mother of invention...at least for me trying to figure out what to make for dinner. We had a head of cabbage that needed to be used soon and it really isn't Cole Slaw weather outside...so I turned to All Recipes. With the ingredients I had on hand, I came up with Turkey Cabbage Rolls. I have never eaten a cabbage roll in my life, but it was a lot like a Stuffed Pepper - meat, rice, sauce, but with cabbage instead. I think they turned out pretty well and were nice and cozy on a cold night.

The photo is pre-baking for 1 hour...they came out all brown and bubbly!!! Delicious!!!

Here is the recipe in case you also have a head of cabbage in need of eating:

Turkey Cabbage Rolls

1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
16 large cabbage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2/3 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water (I used Chicken Stock instead)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In a pot, bring 1 cup water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Reduce heat to low and place cabbage leaves in pot. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain leaves and set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook turkey and onion until turkey is brown and onion is tender. Transfer turkey and onion to a bowl, cool slightly, and mix in cooked rice, egg and 1 can tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 can tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.

Spread cabbage leaves on a flat surface and place about 2 tablespoons turkey mixture in the center of each leaf. Fold edges of leaves over filling, then roll into logs. Place cabbage rolls seam side down in dish. Pour sauce evenly over rolls.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven. Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.

Tuesday!!!!

2010-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday...here is a picture of a 3D Puking Unicorn!!! Enjoy!!!

Soap.com...super cool

2010-11-09T11:23:00.001-08:00

In my ever broadening project of never having to go to the grocery store again...I found a website that sells paper products & toiletries and ships them to your doorstep. They have a deal where you get 15% off your first order...and if you buy it through my other favorite website eBates.com, you get 5.5% back on all orders through Soap.com. Oh ya...and free shipping on orders over $25!!!

I ordered $124.00 worth of stuff (paper towels, toilet paper, kleenex & lotion) and got it for $90 and got about $5.00 cash back.

Anyway...thought I would share...and if you order stuff...I get a discount too.

Get 15% off

your first order

use code KRIS687302

shop for all your home essentials: Gillette Razors, Dove Soap, Moroccan Oil

Not valid for existing Diapers.com or Soap.com customers. Some resctrictions apply.

Josh Eagle & The Harvest City hit YouTube!

2010-11-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Fun!

2010-10-20T07:28:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, The Becknell family went to Iron's Fruit Farm up in Lebanon to go gather our Halloween Pumpkins, conquer a Corn Maze, and get various homemade apple treats (turnovers & cider). We took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch & corn maze.

And last night after work, Mark & I carved our pumpkins. We ate some lasagna, drank a few beers, toasted some pumpkin seeds and created our works of art.

Some of them needed help for structural support, but I still think they turned out pretty well and look great on our front porch.

CityBeat Loves Josh Eagle!

2010-10-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

Check out the new article in this week's CityBeat about Josh Eagle & the Harvest City...lots of love and hippie talk:

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-21811-josh-eagles-sweet-teeth.html

Kris

Good View...Bad Game...

2010-10-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Mark and I got the opportunity to go to a Bengals game yesterday with one of my company's vendors, Cables to Go. We tailgated starting at 10AM with beer, grill, wings, etc. Then we headed over to the game around 12:30pm and the beer kept flowing. The Vendor Rep also bought us all Bengals hats & Bengals water bottles as souvenirs - even for Mark! Super cool. It was a little hot for Oct. 10th (around 90 degrees), but we had great seats. Too bad the team didn't put in the effort to win for us.

Below is a picture of the view from our seats...T.O. caught his touchdown right on the "B" in front of us!! Very exciting!!

A Step in to the Past...

2010-10-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

People who knew me in high school and college know that my footwear of choice was either a pair of khaki Simple shoes or various colors of Converse Chuck Taylors. I had Red ones, Black ones, Blue ones, Dark Green ones, and I was ever in search of Yellow High Top ones (never located...this was pre-internet of course.)

I was inspired recently by Nick Mavridoglou and his purchase of cool gray colored converse sneakers...so I went online and found Chucks in my current go-to color of green (named Piquant Green...fancy.) (And a side note: I purchased these via eBates.com, I got a good price, free shipping and 3% cash back.)

When I put these on yesterday...it was just like looking at my high school feet...same size 9 as way back then. (Converse sizing is weird...normally take a women's size 10, but for some reason....size 9 Chucks are perfect.)

These shoes are as close to a reflection of the inner me as mere shoes can be.

Kris

New Patio & Firepit

2010-09-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hats off to my hubby for creating a beautiful new patio for our grill, a firepit & a future outdoor dining area without spending ANY money (okay maybe a little money for sand, but sand is cheap.) The stones for the patio are from the streets of Hamilton, OH. Joe Becknell picked them up off the side of the road after they were removed from the crosswalks. The rock for the firepit were generously donated by Josh Eagle from the property where he lives...I guess there was a stone wall at some point that had fallen to decay.

Check out that craftmanship!!

Many glorious fires have been built and will be built for years to come. Good job, honey!!!

Kris

CSA & Fall Dinner

2010-09-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

We are clearly rolling in veggies at the moment...between last Thursday's Green B.E.A.N. delivery and our continuing Sunday CSA from Eaton Farm - yikes.

This week we got: Butternut Squash, cherry tomatoes, green beans, beets, basil, yellow squash, Swiss chard, & eggs. I also snagged two pints of tomatillos to make & freeze more enchilada sauce for the winter months.

So using last weeks Acorn Squash & the dwindling supply of Rudolfo meat...we had Slow Cooker BBQ Short Ribs (YUM!) and roasted Acorn Squash. This meal took some effort to each (& napkins) but it was amazingly easy to make. Throw the ribs in the crockpot on low at noon with some BBQ sauce and throw the squash in the oven with brown sugar & butter. Voila! A satisfying Fall meal. - Local & Organic 100%

Kris

Green BEAN Delivery!!!!

2010-09-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, Mark & I signed up for an Local & Organic Grocery Hone Delivery Service called "Green BEAN Delivery" (formerly "Farm Fresh Delivery.") I had been hemming and hawing about this for about a year trying to see if it would work out for us. We already do the CSA, get the local beef and local dairy products, but it seemed like this service offered all of that in one location AND comes right to the door. So we took the plunge thinking that if it doesn't pan out we can cancel pretty easily (no commitment.)

So I went to their website (which is super cool) picked a fruit & veggie bin for 2 people (Small), added Milk, Eggs, & Artisan Whole Wheat bread to my Standing Order. During the week I decided that we also needed chicken & ground turkey...so I added that to our week's order.

It arrived yesterday on our front porch by the time I came home from work in two big insulated bins.

Inside one of the bins were the groceries items: Snowville Creamery Milk, Red Sun Eggs, Scholars Inn Whole Wheat bread, Gunthrop Farms chicken breasts and ground turkey. Still very cold or frozen as intended...wrapped up in these cool freezer bag thingees.

In the other bin was the "Small Fruit & Veggie" items (the CSA part): Organic Fruit - Grapes, Oranges, Strawberries, and Apples. Organic Veggies - Corn, Collard Greens, Broccoli, Green pepper, Gigantic Beets, Sweet Potatoes, and (oh no) more Cherry Tomatoes.

The price you ask...Okay...it is expensive...BUT Organic Veggies and meat are expensive to begin with...but you get what you pay for. We got these two bins for $67.58 delivered to the door.

I am excited to try all the other great products that they offer. I also think this will actually save us money in the end. I can better budget & plan meals this way...since I have VAST amounts of internet time at work to fuss with this and I enjoy the fussing. So...basically...so far...I am impressed and excited to continue.

Kris

CSA & Garden Update!!

2010-09-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

We are slowly winding down the CSA season and due to the drought-esque conditions here in Cinci, it seems to affecting our Farm quite a lot. The baskets are getting a bit lighter than they were, but still have a fantastic variety. This week, we got: Potatoes, Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Garlic, Butternut Squash, Kale & Eggs.

Our garden, on the other hand, did not get the memo about the drought. I had missed about a week of harvesting and ended up with a giant bucket full of beautiful produce. Hungarian Wax Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes and of course...

A MILLION Mexican Midget tomatoes. We took a few bags of these cuties to share with the Mavridoglou clan...too many for just Mark & I to eat.

And now on to the Science portion of the today's blog. Mark & I are convinced that we have a "cross -polination hybrid" situation occuring right in our own backyard. Now this is not 100% fact, since I am not a scientist (because I am a girl), but we think that the Mexican Midgets cross with the Eggplants to form the oblong cherry tomatoes above. And that the Mexican Midgets also crossed with the regular tomatoes to creat perfectly round slightly larger tomatoes. These all came from different plants...that WE did not plant. They just started growing around the corner of the house from the garden. Gregor Mendel would be proud...or mad about our haphazard methodology...either one...still tasty!

Kris

Labor Day Craziness

2010-09-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

It all started so well...Mark worked on our new patio, we had a nice fire, we took the dogs hiking, Mark visited Marcia & Dave. And then SUNDAY came around...and we decided to RAGE at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport for the WEBN Fireworks. Terrible idea. Next time we RAGE, we need to be at home or surrounded by NON-Ragers. We will never speak of it again. Who ARE these people?!?!?! Why don't I remember any fireworks?!?!?

Kris

eBates.com!

2010-09-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=q%2FiR7%2FpbxS6i0WKN8Qb0rg%3D%3D

I saw an ad for this on late night cable TV and thought...what the heck is this all about. So I went and checked out the website. Well, it all seemed pretty "too good to be true", but I needed to buy Sammy her Glyco-Flex joint doggie chews anyway. So I found a pet store that is linked through the ebates page that said it paid 7% cash back. I found the Glyco-Flex, ordered it for a good price - around $30. The next day, I got an e-mail that I now had $1.47 in my eBates account. That is a pretty good deal and I didn't do anything special besides click on a link.

So now that I am into it...I went through and there are online coupons that you can use AND get the traditional store % cash back. For example, I was going to buy a gift card for someone...I can go to the store, get free shipping and 3% cash back all from eBates. DUH! Of course I am going to do that.

If you are interested, click the link above and explore the eBates website.

I love the internet!

Kris

Oven Dried Tomatoes = Success!

2010-08-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:

AFTER 3-4 hours in the oven at 200 degrees:

I put them in a jar covered by olive oil. According to the recipe, these will last 1-2 weeks. I have already have added these to a pesto pasta dish and they were super tasty! Great way to use up the 1000 tiny tomatoes. I would hate for the them to go to waste.

Kris

More Bounty!!!

2010-08-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

I am guessing that you, loyal reader, are tired of seeing our stupid vegetables, but I can't help it! We went outside to get the few tomatoes we saw were ready and ended up with THIS!!! I can't believe how picturesque veggies are...the colors & the shapes. And the fact that, until this year, Mark & I have managed to kill basically everthing we have ever grown. I even killed Chia Herbs one time (lack of water & cold temps.)

I froze the tomatoes & peppers, will use the Eggplants tonight maybe and continue to stockpile the cherry tomatoes to make "oven dried tomatoes" this weekend.

Squirrel, Squirrel, Squirrel!

Kris

How Great Thou Art!

2010-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am so proud to be the caretaker/owner of this beautiful piece of art by the talented and lovely, Laura Mavridoglou. It is entitled "Skyphos" and is a big guy - 4ft x 4ft. I Googled the name and it refers to a category of ancient Greek pottery - A two handled deep wine cup sometimes with a low flanged base. This seems even more appropriate for a painting for Mark & I...ya know...since we are alchoholics :) And I love that Laura brought the Greek heritage of her new family...makes it even more personal.

We are planning to display the painting in our bedroom - either over the bed or on the large wall on the Blaney side of the house. The colors complement the other design choices we have made and bring in the groovy green color that Mark wants to be the color of a reading chair in the corner. Perfect!!!

Thank you to Laura for parting with one of your "babies"...you can visit any time and we can drink some wine from a Skyphos.

Kris

TOMATOES!!!!!

2010-08-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

The tomato harvest is in full swing. We usually get 2-3 tomatoes per day on average. These are so beautiful...and HUGE!! I have been blanching, peeling & freezing like crazy!! I am so glad that this winter we will be having sauce made from fresh tomatoes instead of canned stuff. We will be able to avoid all of the extra salt, preservatives & sugar added to the canned stuff. Yeah!!

Kris

CSA & Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce

2010-08-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

This week, as you can see, we got TONS of great stuff from our CSA...not sure if they felt bad for missing last week or if the tomatoes finally just exploded (like ours.) This we got: Cherry tomatoes, large heirloom tomatoes, Pattypan squash, squash blossoms, potatoes, basil, yellow squash, Green Pepper, Garlic, Onion, 2 ears of corn, and eggs.

We also saw another farm at the market that had local Tomatillos!! WOO HOO!!! The ones in the grocery store always look so sad...but these look great! Last year, I made a batch of Salsa Verde for our chicken enchiladas verde and it was a hit. So I made a bunch to freeze for this year.

Basically, just boil the tomatillos with a ancho chile until they turn from bright green to army green (doesn't take long.) Then throw them in the food processor with a 1/2 an onion, garlic clove and about 1 cup chicken broth. Blend until all broken down.

Then transfer back to the saucepan to boil until reduced a bit.

Then I poured it into four containers to use with the enchiladas.

YUMMY!! I will make more zucchini bread with the pattypan and I already froze a bunch of tomatoes from our garden for sauce in the winter. We are quite the little squirrels this year :) No more rice & pasta for us!!!

Kris

No CSA this week...

2010-07-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Seems like there was a major theme this week with flat tires for Mark & I.

Josh Eagle & The Harvest City had flat tires on the utility trailer and a screw in the Equinox tire on their trip to KY, TN, & NC.

And then our CSA guys, Eaton Farm, also had a flat tire on the way to the market. I got there at around 10am and there was a sign in their spot saying that they were not going to make it for the delivery. Then later that day, we got an e-mail that told us about the flat tire & that they would be extending the season to October 24th (one more week.)

Oh well...too bad...I really needed eggs and more zucchini for bread making.

Kris

CSA & Goodbye to the Saturn

2010-07-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

This week's CSA (which I picked up by myself because Mark & Josh Eagle were playing guitar in the basement until 4am the night before) contained: Eggs, 6 ears of Corn, Potatoes, Zucchini, Green Pepper, Garlic, Swiss Chard, an Eggplant, Cucumber, and this season first batch of Heirloom tomatoes (cherry & regular) - so yummy!

Our garden also started producing peppers and tomatoes this week...you already saw the Mexican Midgets...so here are a few Jalepenos and Hungarian Wax Peppers from the garden. Super excited because of our new Bacon Wrapped, Cream Cheese Filled, Jalepeno recipe that we are both addicted to!!!

This week we also said goodbye to Mark's 14 year old Saturn car. He sold it to a friend for $500 since we didn't want to put anymore money into it. It was a good car and so here is a picture so that we can always remember it. Now get it out of the way so I can park my Matrix in the good spot!! :)

Kris

CSA & Our Garden!

2010-07-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

So from this Sunday's CSA...we got: A Lebanese Zucchini, summer squash, green beans, cucumbers, zuchini, green onions, garlic, Swiss Chard, eggs, 6 ears of corn and a Pattypan Squash (for those Farmvillers out there...a real Pattypan Squash...how cute!!)

We also got to harvest our first cherry tomatoes from out garden. We bought the plants at the Cincinnati Flower show from a Heritage Seed company and the plant was called, "Mexican Midget Cherry Tomatoes." I wanted small tomatoes so that we could have Greek Salad all summer, but I had no idea they would be THAT small. I took the picture with a penny for scale - YIKES!!! But they are delicious!!! A burst of tomato-y goodness.

For some reason also this year was a good one for my Hydrangea bushes. This is the first time since we moved in 3 years ago that we got flowers and such BEAUTIFUL big flowers. We didn't do anything differently...I think they just loved the wet weather and then the hot weather of our early summer.

So Pretty!!

Kris

Enter the Matrix!!

2010-07-12T12:33:00.001-07:00

So last week, we found out that Mark's car was going to cost us $1500 in repairs (exhaust system, brakes, speedometer, window, etc) and the Blue Book value of the car in Fair condition (which it ain't) is $1000 or less. So we brought the car home and began looking for a new car.

Well...with all the great car deals going on...it was fun to look. We finally narrowed our vision on an "around town, zippy, low MPG" new car for Kris. Since Mark has to haul drums and dogs, he gets to keep the Equinox for himself. And I get a 2010 NEW TOYOTA MATRIX. It is so super cute and zippy. It gets 25/31 MPG. All for $232 per month!! And because of all the recall malarky I also get 2 years of maintaince (including oil changes) for free!!

Not bad!! New car!!!

Kris

CSA Week Whatever!!!

2010-06-29T13:10:00.001-07:00

I sort of forgot to take my CSA photo this week before I started processing the veggies...so stuff is all over the place:

This week we got: Lots of Yellow Squash, Spring Mixed Greens, Cucumbers, Red Onion, Red Potatoes, Garlic Bulb, A HUGE Zucchini and a smaller zucchini, Green Peppers, Carrots, Swiss Chard, & Beets.

I am really really impressed with the diversity of this CSA from Eaton Farm. I feel like we have gotten more "normal" & user friendly veggies this year than last year's CSA. Stuff that I would buy normally at the grocery store - Carrots, yellow squash, potatoes, etc. I love it!! Not to mention the eggs, which we are trying to keep up with each week...yum!

Tune in next week...I am hoping tomato season will be starting soon...

Kris

OH NO...I'm a HOARDER!!!

2010-06-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

I cleaned out our Lazy Susan spice cabinet tonight and discovered that I AM HOARDER!!! I found over 20 empty glass & plastic bottles that "I can save to put something else in." Classic hoarder behavior...although early stages. The first step is admitting it and then seeking help.

Kris

Pesto Party!!!

2010-06-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Basil plants in our garden were getting a little unwieldy, so I hacked them down a smidge.

I filled the salad spinner with freshie leaves and cleaned off the slug juice & dirt.

Threw it in the food processor with olive oil, walnuts, Parmesan and a garlic clove - VOILA! Pesto. I put it into a freezer safe container, covered it with a thin layer of olive oil to make sure it doesn't turn brown and then threw it into the chest freezer. I bought a ton of pesto making ingredients so I will be able to hack down the basil plants often and add to the stock. We will be eating like kings for months!

I wish I had planted parsley plants also since I just recently discovered Chimichurri sauce, but oh well....next year.

Kris

Happy 40th Anniversary, Mom & Dad!!!

2010-06-21T07:49:00.001-07:00

CSA Week 5

2010-06-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

I am a little behind on my CSA Blogging...we were out of town in NC for one week and then it we will be out of town for this coming week...better at least post the June 13th harvest!!

So this week we got: Swiss Chard, Yellow Squash, Beets, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red Onion, Yellow Onion, Sugar Snap Peas, Eggs, Bag of Spring Mix & Garlic Scapes.

I pretty much blanched and froze everything except the onions & spring mix...so we will eat well this winter.

Kris

Beets: They're What's For Dinner!!

2010-06-11T14:33:00.001-07:00

So we got a few beets this week in our CSA and instead of letting them perish due to my lack of knowledge of how to prepare them (like I did last year), I researched and cooked em up. I boiled them for 30 minutes until they were nice & tender, skinned them & sliced them. They look really official and really hot pink so I must have done it right.

Too bad that Mark dislikes beets...but he will eat them.

Kris

The Mountain House June 2010

2010-06-07T10:29:00.001-07:00

My cousin Andrew and his lovely wife, Kim, invited Mark & I to their cabin in Boone, NC this weekend for a visit.

We left Cincinnati on Thursday after work and stopped in Corbin, KY to camp overnight at Cumberland Falls SP. Apparently the check-in closes at 5pm, so we set up camp in the spot I reserved on the internet. We left at 6:30am and the office was still closed so bascially we could have not reserved a spot and gotten it for free. FYI in case you need a place to camp for free in Corbin, KY.

We hit the road Friday AM and got to Boone, NC around noon to begin the relaxation. Immediately upon seeing the awesome porch & hearing the babbling brook behind the cabin the mountain feeling kicked in. We hit the grocery store and ate a delicious meal preparted by Kim and Andrew - including an appetizer of grilled bacon wrapped jalepenos stuffed with cream cheese - OMG!!! We will have to try this at home folks because it was awesome (and spicy.)

The next day we hit the Farmer's Market at Horn of the West (I think) and got supplies and breakfast. It was the coolest vibe. It seemed more like a family picnic than a market. You could tell the locals came every week to hang out and chat over coffee & a fruit pie. We got really good deals on veggies for dinner.

Then we headed to Downtown Boone to visit the Thrift Store and a really huge Antique Store. Then we went Gem Mining at Doc's Gem Mine just outside of town. We bought our $30 bucket-o-dirt and started panning it in the flume. I have to say my expectations were low. I was thinking that I was looking for flecks of gold or something and might possibly get a little piece of quartz, but boy was I wrong. Mark and I actually ended up finding huge rubies, sapphires, smokey quartz, emeralds, garnets, rose quartz, peridot, aquamarine, etc. It was AMAZING!!! We decided to get a few cut for jewelry - a big Smokey Quartz which we got a 4 carat oval & a 1.5 carat oval from and a Ruby which we got a 2 carat oval cut. AMAZING!! We are RICH!!! tee hee

Here are a few photos from the weekend. Check it out!!!

Kris

CSA Week 4

2010-06-01T09:41:00.001-07:00

CSA Week 4 we recieved: Strawberries, Sugar Snap Peas, Leaf Lettuce, Spring Mix Lettuce, Arugula, Cauliflower, Swiss Chard, Garlic Scapes, & 6 Eggs.

We bought some broccoli and another pint of Sugar Snap Peas because they were the star of the show this week. I washed, trimmed, blanched & froze them. Look how pretty they are:

Can't wait to unfreeze and use in a stir-fry. YUM!!!

We were unable to get our weekly Blue Oven Bakery bread because it has been overrun with Yuppies. We arrived right at 9:30am and there was a line to the parking lot for the bread guy. I am glad that so many people are interested in quality made bread, but it kind of is a bummer that we can't get it now...they sell out in a half an hour. So I will need to research another place to get bread so that we don't have to resort to grocery store bread like this week.

A few weeks ago I did something really out of character for me...I baked. I found a recipe to make brownies from scratch in my Penzey's Spice catalog. I made them and they are AWESOME!!! I am usually the worst baker, but I am pretty sure these are no-fail...unless you forget to put in the flour like...MARK!!!

As you can see they look very tasty...and gone:

Kris

CSA Week 2 & 3...etc

2010-05-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a chance to post last week's CSA goodness...so here it is a little late:

A little scrawny, but still goodness: Eggs, Strawberries, Onions, Radishes, Chinese Cabbage and Leaf Lettuce. Mark ate all of the strawberries and we used all the eggs, but everything else wilted and we had to chuck it. Sad :( It was totally my fault...I didn't wash & refrigerate things properly.

But this week - WHAMMO! The farm exploded with awesome veggies!!! We got: Tons of strawberries, radishes, Leaf Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Chinese Cabbage, Garlic Scapes, Eggs & Green Garlic. We also bought Mohr Farms bacon ($5.99 a pound for happy pigs), more asparagus and a loaf of Whole Wheat Blue Oven Bakery bread.

Look at this beautiful Swiss Chard!!! So colorful!!!

We also made a stop at Newtown Farm Market to purchase additional in season veggies to freeze: Green Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Onions, Green Peppers (from GA) and some Organic Hydroponic Canadian Tomatoes that I couldn't resist because I haven't had a tomato in a while.

I promptly processed this week's harvest by blanching & freezing almost everything or using it yesterday for lunch & dinner. It takes a fair amount of work to wash, chop, blanch, shock cool, dry, bag, label & freeze several different kinds of veggies...about 4 hours worth of work in the kitchen. I use my trusty book by the Rodale Institute - "Stocking Up - The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide" and the greatest garage sale find EVER - The Zyliss Salad Spinner shown below shining like a beacon of happiness...

Normally this little baby retails at fine establishments (like Sur la Table) for $29.95...but I got it for $1.00!!! And it looks brand new. It really sped up the drying process and helped with cleaning the leafy veggies. Not sure what I did last year without it.

We also started our garden this weekend...I helped A LOT...okay just kidding. I was outside for about 30 minutes and I was pointless trying to help Mark, so I went inside. He planted everything. And in 72-87 days we should have tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, eggplants, basil, & cilantro. WOO HOO!! Then I can process and freeze those too :)

A very productive weekend (mostly for Mark)!!

Kris

CSA - WEEK ONE!!!

2010-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

We met Jerry & Elizabeth Eaton yesterday morning after getting a slightly late start to our Farmer's Market experience. We arrived about 10:45am and picked up our big farm basket of veggies. This week, as expected, we got a lot of greens!!

In the basket: Strawberries, Radishes, Green Onions, Chinese Cabbage, Beet Greens, Leaf Lettuce, and a big bag of baby greens.

We also bought two basil plants, two sweet bell pepper plants, and a beautiful bunch of Asparagus...so delicious!!!

From Blue Oven Bakery...we bought this super yummy foccocia:

And from a blast from my past, Ohio City Pasta of Cleveland is now selling at the Hyde Park market. So I just had to buy a package of Spinach Ravioli!! YUM! I used to buy this when I went to the West Side Market in Cleve-O!!

In an unrelated to the Farmer's Market, but related food note: We also found out that we could purchase Ohio Amish cheese from the inter-web machine - Guggisberg Cheese...so we ordered 20lbs!! It arrived on Friday and it was a little more cheese than I bargained for...had to chop it all up and freeze most of it. The two big wheels of white cheese on the right is called "Amish Butter Cheese" and it is amazing!! Kind of like really mellow mozzerella with a hint of swiss...and very melty good. Love cheese!!!

All in all...a good week for food at our house!

Kris

CSA starting May 9th!!!

2010-05-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

We got the word from Jerry & Elizabeth at Eaton Farm that our first CSA pick-up is this week. That is great news!! Our budget and our menus will benefit. We paid for this way back in December so it almost seems like we will be getting the food for free. And I have been DYING for some freshie greens and I remember that we got a ton of greens the first few weeks last year.

We are also getting 1/2 dozen eggs each week which is new from last year (when we got flowers, which were pretty but inedible.) So that will save us from driving to Red Sun Farm in Loveland to get our eggs.

I will post photos each week again and hopefully we will have many photogenic meals to share with everyone. So stay tuned!!!

Kris

CD Release Party = SUCCESS

2010-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

It is Monday, May 3rd...the day after the Josh Eagle and The Harvest City CD Release Party at the 20th Century in Oakley...and I am still amazed. Everything went off without a single hitch. We were able to get set-up without a rush and enjoy ourselves. The throngs of fans started coming in at around 4:30pm carrying VAST amounts of potluck goodness. The Hiders played music that I want to listen to again & again. And of course the overwhelming love for Josh, Tommy, Jeremy & Mark during their set. Simply amazing. I could not have planned it better if I had planned it...and I can plan with the best of them :)

It was great to meet everyone's family members & all of the friends while working the "Merch" table (aren't I the Rock & Roll Wife?!?! Check out my Rock lingo!) I got to sell t-shirts, CDs, and give away Josh Eagle buttons for signing up on the e-mail list. It was very good that I had a task...I like being busy. Although by the end of the night...my feet were killing me....my fault for wearing flip flops :)

Mark & I drove away feeling just like we did after our Wedding Party...blissful exhaustion.

So when does the next CD Come out?!?!?

Kris

Ode to a Plastic Bowl

2010-04-19T10:12:00.001-07:00

I have recently been in search of a large bowl so that I can successfully (& cleanly) mix my pizza dough recipe. This recipe makes 8 pizza dough circles and requires 5 lbs of unbleached flour...so you can understand why a small mixing bowl is not going to cut it for mixing & kneading. So I searched Antique stores trying to re-purpose something. I then searched IKEA to find something cheap since this will most likely be a uni-taskers (I hate uni-taskers). And finally I turned to my friend, The Internet, to help me find the perfect bowl. And Voila - THE TUPPERWARE 42 Cup MEGA BOWL. Complete with little handles and a lid. This will be great for when I make Pasta Salad for the a football stadium full of people!!! It is HUGE.

So I made my pizza dough and it worked like a champ! It is very non-stick which is good when kneading fairly wet dough. It had room to spare when I added the flour, water & yeast. I was able to knead right in the bowl instead of transferring to my cutting board. Love it.

Here is a snapshot of the bounty that I made this past Saturday night = Pizza Dough, French Dressing & Chocolate Syrup. Not as exciting as going clubbing...but that is okay. I am too old for that anyway :)

Kris

Two Fun Blogs for a Friday Afternoon...

2010-04-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ - I do like camping!! It's funny because it is true!!!

http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/ - Check out the list of Most Popular posts on the right...good stuff!!!

KFC has jumped the shark!!

2010-04-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Okay...I thought it was bad when KFC came out with the "Sadness Pile in a Failure Bowl" (Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken, Shattered Dreams all in a bowl & covered with gravy), but now they have really done it!! A sandwich with bacon and cheese and instead of bread...two deep-fried chicken breasts. The Double Down...My heart just seized up thinking about it.

I can't believe what passes for food these days. Poorly treated animals subjected to even further humilation after leaving this world by being made into this kind of crap.

Really, America?? Do we need to be fatter?!?!?

Kris

Tagxedo

2010-04-09T12:51:00.001-07:00

I just made this cool thing on Tagxedo.com...I typed in my Blogspot web address and it generated this word montage using the words from my blog. Kind of fun and pretty...enjoy!

http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html

Kris

I ain't no Fat Giraffe!!!

2010-04-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, Mark & I began a journey into healthy foods. We started slowly with just avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup and labels that had ingredients we deemed "unnatural" (or just with too many chemical sounding ingredients.) We then moved into buying only Local, In Season & Organic stuff which we have been doing for about 6 months.

Well kids...I have to say that I can totally tell the difference in my health & well being. I have lost about 15lbs. The jeans that I needed a shoe horn to fit into are now baggy. And, this is purely conjecture that it is related, but my allergies have all but disappeared. I don't like exercise and never have so I am happy that just this fairly minor change in diet has made such a huge difference.

I know this is not scientific, but I think a lot of it has to do with High Fructose Corn Syrup...it is in EVERYTHING and the calories really add up quickly. I mean why does it need to be in bread?!?! When I bake bread, I don't add a cup of HFCS?? Come on!!! So when we stopped eating this sneaky stuff, the weight just melted off. How easy is that!! Simple change. But it is tricky because you have to watch those labels. Even hot dogs have it...all of them except Nathan's, but now we go to Findlay Market or Red Sun to get freshie sausages and hardly miss hot dogs at all. We have to make more of our own stuff from scratch to avoid it - like Chocolate Syrup & Salad Dressings - but it is worth it in flavor & calories.

Anyway...just happy to be on the road to swim suit season in a good place again.

Kris

Honeybee Hideaway March 2010

2010-03-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Photos from our romantic get-a-way to Hocking Hills State Park. Honeybee Hideaway is the name of the cozy little cabin that we stayed in...very comfy. This was our second trip to Hocking Hills Getaway Cabins and we plan on going back many times of the years to come. We always leave here feeling completely relaxed.

But now back to the grind...

Kris

Memory Lane

2010-03-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

So today I am turning 35. I have to admit this has been a pretty depressing prospect, but today actually I feel pretty good. I took the day off, woke up at 10:30am to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the kitchen left by my man. Now I am reading all the Birthday wishes on Facebook from all of my friends gained throughout the years. The sun in shining and we are about to leave for a romantic cabin get-a-way to Hocking Hills.

I feel good about who I am am and where I am in my life. But I have also been reflecting a lot on the past, so yesterday I uploaded a bunch of photos. Some I posted on Facebook, but this is the whold slideshow. I have tons more photos (mostly of Darci...she is very photogenic!) so I will keep up the scanning and post ASAP.

Enjoy!

Kris

Spring Cleaning!!!

2010-03-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

I awoke today with an intense desire to clean out the closets, drawers, cabinets, nooks & crannies. Perhaps it is the freshie smells of spring that make me want to organize & declutter. Or maybe all living creatures feel the need to nest as soon as the weather starts to get a little warmer. Who knows. But look out, Mark...I have a list for you too this weekend.

Kris

Craving Veggies!!!

2010-03-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M23951

Still over a month until our new CSA begins. We signed up with Eaton Farms (of Madison, IN) this year and I cannot believe how excited I am to start.

Last year was just the excitement of doing something new and not fully knowing what a CSA was until we got our first basket. Now I know what it is and I am even more excited. Add to that the fact that Mark & I have only been eating potatoes, carrots, meat & pasta for 4 months and it makes it even more necessary from a variety point of view. I probably have ricketts or some other deficiency disorder from lack of nutrients (not really...I take vitamins.) My tastebuds are BORED with the status quo. They need red peppers, green onions, beans, and TOMATOES!!! I cannot wait!!

Maybe the warm weather & sunshine will speed up the growing season so that I can start eating like an omnivore again.

Kris

Need a Get-A-Way!!!!

2010-03-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

Maybe because it is cold & gray outside. Maybe because it has been about 6 months since we went to Greece. Maybe it is because I am turning 35 in a week. Maybe all of those things combined, but I really want to go somewhere for the weekend. Pack up the poochies, go to a cabin in the woods, go hiking, hot-tubbing, snuggling. That would be a dream come true.

Actually, I don't care where we go...it would be great to just go. I guess I have spent too much time in the house recently with various house guests coming & going, band practices, etc.

UPDATE

So last night Mark & I booked a "Birthday Weekend Getaway" to Hocking Hills. What a great present. Thanks Mark!!! LOVE YOU!!!

Kris

Do You Know How to Listen to Your Hunger?

2010-02-19T06:20:00.001-08:00

I found this link on my "How to Cook Like Your Grandma" blog and it made me think. Sometimes I do eat just because it is "Dinner Time" or because we have gotten in the habit of a little snack before bedtime. I was trying to think when the last time I was ACTUALLY hungry. Usually I wouldn't let myself get to that point. But maybe it is just because I don't know what hungry even feels like. It seems stupid & wasteful of expensive food (now that we are buying organic & local) to just eat because it is time or habit. Maybe if we back off eating as the clock dictates...maybe we will save calories & dollars.

Check it out: Do You Know How to Listen to Your Hunger?

Okay...this is more like it!

2010-02-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

So last Friday & Saturday, we were told that we had a HUGE snowstorm by the media & co-workers. We maybe got 2-3 inches tops and the roads were bone dry by 9am Saturday. So I am not going to count that as HUGE.

We heard yesterday that another HUGE storm was coming through and I was skeptical...but still brought my work computer home because at 10am Monday, my boss told us to work from home. I am not one to argue with our leader, so I did. And I slept only to awaken to some fairly decent snow accumulation. By no means HUGE still, but at least it piled up & covered the roads. And it is still snowing...expected to continue all day & into Wednesday. Not a bad showing Cincinnati...I am sure there is panic in the streets, but I don't care because I haven't left the house.

Mark went to work but is headed home now...I told him to stop & get beer. No reason to be home bound without beverages.

The dogs don't seem to mind one bit either...

Kris

Plan for the Future

2010-01-28T11:58:00.001-08:00

One way that I know to combat cabin fever in these dark days of winter is to make plans for better times ahead.

To that end, I have begun to plan a big trip to Isle Royale. We are thinking a week long backpacking trip at the end of August. It takes approximately 13 hours to drive up to where the ferry takes off and then another 2 hours to get to the island. We might stop off in Madison, WI to check out Mark's old stomping grounds and to break up the driving part of the trip into two more leisurely days.

Once we get to the island, there are many fantastic routes available. The one that sounds like it is going to work for us is the Feldtman Ridge Trail. It is a 30.3 mile loop...which we could easily spread out or power through as we feel up to.

There are campsites & water scattered along the trail. Lakes, Bays, Moose, Swamps, etc abound.

Just thinking about camping & being outdoors makes my heart happy. Add in some moose snuggling and I am as high as a kite. Can't wait for summer!!

Kris

I miss SUNSHINE!!!

2010-01-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Something is wrong with me...I am tired...especially moody...unmotivated. I am convinced that this funk is caused by Cincinnati's lack of sunshine. It has literally been cloudy since last Thursday...a WHOLE WEEK of gray sad skies. So I think I am also gray & sad. I already hate the cold, but add rainy nastiness to it and bleck!

I think it is amazing just how important sunshine really is - not just in my mood - but for plants, animals, the soil, weather systems, etc. And how important a lack of sunshine is also.

Maybe I should buy one of those Daylight Boxes for emergency purposes. Or maybe I should fly down to Florida to visit Mom & Dad afterall...

Kris

Beef Glorious Beef

2010-01-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

John McKinney (aka The Beef Guy) arrived yesterday at our house bearing gifts. It was like Christmas all over again. This beef is 100% pastured, Hormone Free, Antibiotics Free, local & fresh. I am so excited to try one of the steaks...I have never had pastured beef before, but have heard good things.

As you can see...our basement chest freezer is filled to the brim...and it was literally empty before. We are splitting the shipment with Mark's Parents & our friends Andy & Beth of Chillicothe. The guy said that business is so good that he is sold out until April, but if you are interested...we have the info and he can schedule a drop-off later in the year (like around grilling season?!?!?) Let us know.

For those of you that are curious...here is an inventory of what we recieved:

Everyone gets:
2 T-Bone Steaks
3 Soup Meat
1 Beef Arm Roast
2 Ribeye Steaks
1 Short Ribs
1 Cube Steak
2 Chuck Roasts
3 Sirloin Steaks
1 Round Steak
15 pounds of Ground Beef

Need to fight over:
1 T-Bone Steak
1 Ribeye Steak
1 Round Steak
2 Sirloin Tip Roast
1 Rump Roast
1 Cube Steak
2 Short Ribs
2 Soup Bones (1 to M&K?)
1 Soup Meat
1 Rolled Brisket
1 Flank Steak – M&K?
1 Heart
2 Livers
1 “Burger” (whatever that means)

Not bad!! And $1.50 a pound live weight turned out to be $560 for this whole thing...split 3 ways = $186.60 per person. Helps local farm & is healthier.

Kris

Spaghetti Carbonara

2010-01-07T08:26:00.001-08:00

This could not have been simplier or more delicious. I have always wanted to try to make this, but was always confused how the eggs worked in...but I braved ahead and found a popular recipe on AllRecipes.com. It turned out great and took literally 20 minutes from start to finish. The hardest part was not eating all the bacon before the pasta was finished cooking. Not necessarily the most "Heart Healthy" recipe, but hey...sometimes you deserve a little bacon fat.

Check it out!! YUM!

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices bacon, diced (heritage pastured pork from Red Sun Farm)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs (pastured eggs fro Red Sun Farm)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
2.Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
3.Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
4.Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2010-01-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last week we made Chicken Stock...which turned out great. So we decided to try Vegetable Stock for when we want to be "Veggie Friendly" in recipes & soups. So for about two weeks, I collected potato peels, carrot peels & tops, onion scraps & peels, green pepper lids, celery leftovers, etc. I put them in a container and put them in the freezer.

Yesterday, I pulled out my container and I had a TON of scraps. I took half of them, put them in a pot with 2 quarts of water & let it simmer for a hour. Mark & I strained the broth out, put them in plastic baggies in 2 cup portions, and put them in the freezer.

It seriously could not have been easier and it made the house smell very homey and delicious. Can't wait to try it in a recipe.

Here is a photo of the veggie scraps boiling and the recipe that I found on the net follows:

Homemade Vegetable Stock
makes 2 quarts

About 4 cups chopped vegetables - a mix of onions, celery, and carrots
2 large tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped (optional)
2 quarts water

Simmer uncovered for about an hour. Any more than an hour and the flavor will begin to deteriorate. Strain out the vegetables using a fine mesh strainer and pressing hard to squeeze out all the broth. Let cool then pour into bags and freeze or refrigerate. If refrigerated use within a few days.

• Vegetables to use: Onions, carrots, and celery are the key ingredients in vegetable stock, but many other vegetables can add depth and flavor. Wash and save roots, stalks, leaves, ends, and peelings from vegetables such as leeks, scallions, garlic, fennel, chard, lettuce, potatoes, parsnips, green beans, squash, bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, and asparagus. Corn cobs, winter squash skins, beet greens, and herbs like parsley and cilantro are also good additions.

• Vegetables to avoid: Scraps from the following vegetables are better off going into the compost bin, as their flavors can be too overpowering: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, artichokes. Beet roots and onion skins should also be avoided, unless you don't mind your stock turning red or brown.

• Spoiled vegetables: Although stock is a great way to use veggies that are wilted or slightly past their prime, be sure not to use produce that is rotten or moldy.

• Storing scraps: You will want to collect about 4 cups of vegetables to make 2 quarts of stock. Save scraps throughout the week, wash and chop them into similar sizes, and keep them in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator. If you are collecting scraps for longer than a week, store them in the freezer.

Becoming a Collector

2009-12-30T06:36:00.001-08:00

I suddenly have a very nice little collection of handmade pottery...it has appeared out of nowhere. Okay...not nowhere...it is from the Becknells and the pieces were bought over the last 5 years from their trips to Tennessee. They are all BEAUTIFUL and totally things that I would have bought for myself.

Right now I have a Alewine Pottery Blue glazed Vase with leaf pattery, two green & tan glazed mugs with the leaf pattery, & a green & tan glazed plate that matches the mugs. I also have Judy Jones Pottery Chip & Dip bowl with plate & a casserole Dish in the Earth Tones glaze.

The vase is on the mantle & looks great. But Mark & I are working on finding a location to properly display the other artwork. We are thinking that we will buy some dish holder thingee to prop them up on the top of our kitchen cabinets. They are just to pretty to be in boxes. I do use them, but because no one ever comes over to our house anymore for parties, they don't see sunlight enough. But I totally love them and maybe will have to make a pilgrimage to Gatlinburg to visit these craftsmen.

Kris

Great Local Resource

2009-12-16T10:44:00.001-08:00

So Mark & I went up to Jungle Jim's last night for some more "recon" to find local foods.
We found a bounty of local food very well labeled by origin. Cheese, Roll Butter (which we are addicted to), Milk, Free Range Eggs & Chicken, etc. Very happy! I wish it wasn't in Fairfield, but at least it is fairly close by and we can stock up when needed.

They also have a lot of organic veggies that also list state origin...which is helpful to avoid veggies from out of the country off season.

All in all a good trip.

Kris

The Mother Lode!!!

2009-12-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

I think I may have just figured out how to completely go local...and never have to go to Biggs or Kroger again:

http://www.cincinnati.farmfreshdelivery.com/

This company, based out of Indiana, coordinates with local IN, OH, & KY farmers, cheesemakers, bakers, pasta makers, etc to run a "CSA" like business for more than just veggies.

You sign up online to get a weekly basket (based on # of people in family) of seasonal local vegetables & fruits and they deliver to your house every Wednesday. You can add bread, eggs, grass-fed beef, pesto, milk, bulk local dried beans, pickles, free-trade local roasted coffee, etc to your weekly delivery. And it is ALL LOCAL and seasonal!!

They basically do all the hard work of researching and gathering these products from around the area and BRING THEM TO YOU!! How awesome is that!!

You sign up, create a "Standing Order" - minimum of $35 a week (or every other week or once a month...whatever you pick), modify the order as needed, and are able to suspend the order as needed.

I sort of wish I had found this before buying the side of beef & the new CSA, but perhaps I will just use their website as a resource for local companies and see if I can get as good of a deal.

The best thing that I found on the website is a local mill that produces locally grown Organic, non-bleached wheat flour!!! SO EXCITED!!! That basically means that I can make my own bread & pasta with local flour...that was a big hurdle to overcome...yeah!!!

Check it out!
Kris

Local Foods Pledge

2009-12-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

So Mark and I have been talking..."How far are we going to take this local eating thing..." So I thought it might be good to lay down some ground rules or goals. I feel very confident that we can be a whole lot more concious of what we are eating for sure!

Here goes:

Choose local over non-local when offered

Learn what produce is in season when

Switch to local honey & maple syrup

Switch to pastured eggs

Visit a farmers' market once a week (Northside FM goes all winter now every Wed 4:30-7:30)

Add more seasonal recipes to my collection

Freeze a frequently-used item during the season (tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers)

Can or Freeze a frequently-used item during the season (tomato sauce, tomato paste, enchilada sauce, chile sauce, pickles)

Join a CSA again (Eaton Farm begins May 2010 - $375 for 1/2 share for 22 weeks
...includes 1/2 dozen pasatured eggs per week!!)

Purchase a side of grass-fed beef (McKinney & Sons Farm - Delivering in January = $189 to split with Mark's parents & The Hinsons)

Purchase local pastured chickens, turkey & pork (Red Sun Farm or Tewes Farm)

Use milk & cream from Snowville Creamery (at Biggs)

When eating out...try to eat at a locally sourced restaurant or at least a locally owned one

Try to drastically reduce the amount we eat out at restaurants ($$ too)

Kris

Tewes Farm, Erlanger, KY

2009-11-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

The Halter/Becknell/Neuharth/Moomy families will be enjoying a fresh, local, free-range turkey from Tewes Farm in Erlanger, KY. Mark and I are going to pick it up Wednesday and haul it up to Kent with us in the cooler. Hopefully Zep & Sammy don't figure out how to open the cooler...oh no!!!

Here is some info

http://www.tewesfarm.com/index.html

Common Questions:

Bring your pan to make sure your turkey will fit.

Make sure the person picking up your turkeys knows the correct size. We don't mark each one with a name since we sell about 2,500 turkeys around the holidays.

Our turkeys are fed a corn meal mash (no hormones of any kind).

They are free range (not in cages)..you can see them from the road.

We can split a larger turkey if you'd like two small ones or just a small half of a turkey (for the smaller families).

You can buy extra parts of the turkey for gravy,etc.

It is never too late to order, if you can't get through by phone, try email, or just stop by-we'll find something to fit your needs.

We are open year round for chickens and eggs (if you call ahead, we can get you a turkey also).

We recommend a pound to a 1 1/2 lbs. per person. Figure that there are bones in the turkey.

The recommended size for a full, meaty turkey is 20 lbs. Ours range from 17-40 lbs.

Generally our turkeys can be kept in the fridge for 3 days. If you want to keep it longer, put it in the freezer for a day or two to get a cold crust and then move it to the fridge.

Come to the farm at Easter for live baby ducks, bunnies, and chicks.

We have honey baked hams. You need to order these ahead of time.

We also sell gift certificates.

Your turkey isn't dead when you order, so know that we will try to get as close to your size as possible.

We aren't considered organic. There are regulations, as well as a process that is needed to be evaluated as organic, but we consider our poultry to be natural- no hormones, free range.

Cooking instructions for a Tewes turkey

To Prepare:Remove plastic bag.

Remove neck and giblets from cavities.

Rinse turkey and pat dry.

Cook neck and giblets for broth for flavoring dressing and for giblet gravy.

Place turkey breast-up on rack in shallow roastingpan.

Add Approximately 1/2 cup of water.Preheat oven to 350°

Roast for 1/2 hour, then lower to 300°-325°.

• Turkeys 12-15 lbs. cook 3-3½ hours

• Turkeys 15-20 lbs. cook 4-4½ hours

• Turkeys 20-25 lbs. cook 4½-5 hours

• Turkeys 25-30 lbs. cook 5-5½ hours*

These are approximate temperatures and times as all ovens vary.*

Stuffed turkeys may require about ½ hour additional roasting time.*

A cooking bag or cover pan may take off an hour. *

Turkey is finished when leg easily falls apart from turkey.

Tewes Poultry Farm- fresh turkeys
859-341-8844 gift certificates available
email your order farmer@tewesfarm.com

Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide

2009-11-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

By: Nicollete Hahn Niman

Author of Righteous Porkchop

Most people share at least the following traits: they want to be healthy; they like animals; and they value clean air and water. Yet relatively few Americans connect those concerns with their food. As more people start making the link (especially if they’ve seen graphic video footage of industrial animal operations), many decide it’s time to stop eating foods from factory farms. This is a guide for doing just that.

I’ve been a vegetarian for more than twenty years. Unlike the fits and starts described in Jonathan Safran Foer’s autobiographical book Eating Animals, the day I decided to quit eating meat was the last time I ever did. I remember that dinner well. It was my mother’s tuna fish casserole, and actually quite tasty. But while I chose to stop eating meat, I never adopted the view that it was morally wrong, and, consequently, didn’t become one of those vegetarians who spends her spare time plumbing the depths of meat industry literature looking for bits of information to shock my friends and family into giving up meat.

Nine years ago, I had just started working as an environmental lawyer for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. when he approached me about leading a national campaign to reform the livestock and poultry sector. He said that industrialized animal production had become one of the nation’s worst polluters of water and air, and he wanted to aggressively attack the problem. Initially, realizing that Bobby was asking me to work full-time on poop, I hesitated. It was not the glamorous job I’d envisioned when moving to New York to work for him. But then I visited towns in Missouri and North Carolina that had been overrun by factory-style production of hogs, chickens and turkeys. I witnessed biblical-scale plagues of pollution and stench; I spoke with people whose lives had been ruined when an industrial hog or poultry operation was erected next door; and I heard the details of how the animals were raised. My reticence vanished and I jumped at the chance to work on cleansing the earth of the animal factory menace. I loved the job and threw myself into it, body and soul.

But there was one problem: I could no longer deny the shady past of my own food. Every day, I was putting stuff into my mouth that undeniably came from factory farms. I was a vegetarian, yes, but consumed plenty of eggs, milk, yogurt, butter and cheese. And much of the factory farm data and stories I was gathering from all over the country was about egg and dairy operations. My unease grew with each passing day. To avoid the products of factory farms, I became something of a food detective. My groceries were the subjects of my investigations. Where were they coming from and how they were produced? I roamed grocery store aisles carefully reading product labels, but there was little to no information about the conditions in which the animals were raised. I wrote letters to food companies with questions about what they fed their animals, but the letters went unanswered. The food system’s lack of transparency was frustrating. Eventually, I mostly gave up on supermarkets and began exploring new ways to get at the good food I was seeking. Although the task was daunting, my goal was simple: I wanted all my food to come from places I would enjoy visiting.

Three years later, I was still fighting factory farms but had moved across the country from New York to California. Surprising myself (and others), I had married a cattle rancher and meat company head, Bill Niman. Bill is no ordinary meat guy. He’s spent his entire adult life slowly and painfully building a viable alternative to factory farms, the natural meat company Niman Ranch. Over the past six years, I’ve worked here on our ranch in Northern California and continued researching factory farming. And I’m still hunting down the foods of non-industrial, traditional farms. My book Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms, released earlier this year, tells the tale of my journey through the meat system and from East Coast vegetarian lawyer to West Coast rancher. In a chapter called “Finding the Right Foods,” I also share what I’ve learned about how to avoid food from factory farms and how to get the good stuff.

General advice:

1. Be prepared to pay more. As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” Americans are used to the idea that a Cadillac is a better car than a Malibu and that you pay more for it. Yet somehow when it comes to food many of us look only at price. But getting good food could be one of the most important things we do to keep ourselves in good health. To paraphrase Michael Pollan, you pay your grocer now or pay your doctor later. And the methods for producing foods – especially animal based foods – vary radically, from farms that are excellent stewards of animals and the environment to the most industrialized, stinking, polluting facilities. Instead of just looking at price tags, think in terms of value. Remember that our government heavily subsidizes industrial agriculture, making its products artificially cheap. We should all be asking our elected officials why our government isn’t supporting farming that produces food that’s healthful for humans, environmentally benign and respectful to animals. Over the long term, that’s the change we need to advocate for. If government policy made such a shift, wholesome traditionally produced foods could be as inexpensive as the junk coming out of factory farms. In the meantime, expect to pay more for good food. Think of it as an investment in good health, an unspoiled environment, fair treatment for animals, and of course, tasty eating.

2. Plan on reducing consumption. A typical American eats more than 200 pounds of meat per year and our consumption continues to rise. On top of that, over the twentieth century, average cheese consumption went from about three pounds annually to around 30 pounds, much of which is processed cheese in Big Macs and on pizzas. (And we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic). Meat and dairy products from traditional farms currently cost more than factory farm products. A good way to make this work in your budget is to cut back the quantities you buy (and the frequency and portion sizes when you eat animal based foods). Chances are, you’re eating far more of it than you need anyway, so cutting back will probably be a good thing for your health as well. Consider adopting this as your new slogan: Eat less meat. Eat better meat. (The same goes for dairy products and eggs).

3. Seek food from a known source. The best way to ensure you’re getting food from non-industrial farms is to buy from sources with full transparency, those where you can see how the animals are raised, and what they were fed, as well as learn from what farm or farms the food actually came. If I can’t get the basic information about how the farm animals were raised, I just don’t buy it.

4. Ask questions (even if it sometimes seems futile). Few people these days ask where the food comes from when at grocery stores or restaurants. Americans have become accustomed to the idea that there’s some giant commodity trade of fungible meats, eggs, and dairy products. But there is real power in simply asking the questions: “Where is this from? How was it raised?” Get into the habit at meat counters and restaurants of asking where the meat is from. If they don’t know the answer, suggest (in a friendly way, of course) they find out. When we eat out, Bill and I always ask servers where the meat comes from. If they don’t know, we ask them to ask the chef. If the chef doesn’t know, Bill doesn’t order it. I believe the simple act of asking this question – if enough people begin to do it – has the potential to spark a massive change in our food system.

5. Know your labels (and their shortcomings). Food labels are helpful but imperfect. Knowing what they mean (and do not mean) is important. For example, the term “free range” has one connotation with eggs and another with poultry meat. Weird, huh? This is something you’d never know just by looking at the labels in the store. Most labeling is regulated by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), so they are fairly reliable sources of some information. (More on labels shortly).

6. Baby-steps are OK (as long as they’re in the right direction). Factory farms are ubiquitous and so are their products. So avoiding them, admittedly, takes some effort. If you try to change everything in one fell swoop you’re likely to feel so overwhelmed that you’ll get paralyzed and give up. If, on the other hand, you allow yourself to move forward deliberately, one step at a time, chances are you will enjoy the transition and will stick with it.

7. Consider it an adventure. Going to the supermarket to pick up all your food is convenient, true, but it’s also dreadfully boring. Good foods from real farms do not look and taste the same 365 days a year. They are less predictable, varying depending on the particular breeds of animal, the seasons, and the farmer who raised them. The diversity of the foods you’ll get from real farms is just part of what makes eating more fun. It’s also a pleasure to meet and talk with farmers, butchers and other purveyors of real foods. They can be tremendously helpful in providing cooking advice for the particular foods you are buying (such as a cut of meat you’ve never tried). Following the pathways that lead you to good foods – farmstands, CSAs, farmers markets, co-ops – will take you to interesting places you’ve never been and to people you’ll enjoy meeting.

Where to look:

1. Stop being a supermarket zombie. Supermarkets’ primary appeal is convenience, and there’s no doubt that they are convenient. They are also offering more organic foods these days, which is a good thing. But because their business model is based on large volumes of uniform products, supermarkets rarely carry foods from real, traditional family farms. In my experience, places like Safeway, Albertsons, and Kroger are wastelands for those of us seeking animal products that don’t come from factory farms. That’s why (other than Trader Joes and Whole Foods, which are better than the rest) I have almost totally stopped frequenting them. The exception to this general rule is for those farms who’ve joined together to co-operatively process and distribute their products, thus they have sufficient volume to work with major supermarket chains (examples of such companies are Niman Ranch and Organic Valley).

2. Explore alternative stores (independent grocery stores and co-ops). Independently owned grocery stores tend to be more willing to work with traditional farmers, and their staffs are generally much more knowledgeable about the meats, eggs and dairy products they offer. It’s worth the effort to seek them out and explore their offerings. Good examples of such stores are: Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco; Marczyk Fine Foods in Denver; Gateway Market in Des Moines; and Poppies Gourmet Farmers Market in Brevard, North Carolina. Co-ops also tend to source from local farmers and have member-employees who are interested and concerned about good food. Examples of some of the excellent co-ops I’m familiar with are: the co-ops in Boise, Idaho and Bozeman, Montana, and “The Wedge” in Minneapolis.

3. Frequent your local farmers markets. The popularity of farmers markets has exploded in recent past decades, going from about 350 in the late 1970s to more than 4,400 today. This is excellent news for those of us seeking non-factory farm foods. With a little effort, you can find a farmers market near you and begin learning what’s offered there at what times of year. Many excellent farms and ranches sell their wares at farmers markets but remember not to assume anything about how the foods were produced. Ask the farmers you’re buying from how the animals were raised and what they were fed. Locating a farmers market is easy: many states and localities have lists available, as does USDA.

4. Look for CSAs. An excellent way to know exactly where your food comes from is to join a CSA (community supported agriculture). You buy shares of what a farm produces. Generally, each “shareholder” (member) gets a box of farm products each week, which members pick up at a certain spot. Many CSAs encourage their shareholders to visit the farms for themselves, so they can really know where their food is coming from and how it was raised. When they first started, most CSAs were just doing produce. But in recent years, I’ve spoken with people from all over the country that are doing CSAs that include meat, dairy and eggs. Some farms and ranches are even doing CSAs that are exclusively animal-based foods. CSAs can be found by searching Eatwellguide.org and Localharvest.org/csa.

5. Look for farms online. Many smaller farms and ranches sell directly to consumers with a website. The other day, for example, I was speaking at a Sierra Club conference in Kentucky and met a local farmer who’s raising Bourbon Red heritage turkeys. She told me she says most of her birds through her on-line store. Be sure that the website provides plenty of photos and information about how they raise their animals. If it’s just showing photos of the food products, that’s a bad sign.

6. Seek chefs committed to sustainable sourcing. It can be especially hard to trace the origins of your food when dining out. However, if you seek restaurants whose chefs are dedicated to sourcing from sustainable farms and ranches, they can do the work for you. Fortunately, the number of such restaurants is growing. Here are just a few of my favorites: Lumiere, near Boston; Savoy and Green Table in New York City; White Dog Café in Philadelphia; North Pond in Chicago; Zingermann’s in Ann Arbor, MI; Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, AL; Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA; and Oliveto in Oakland, CA. An organization that promotes sustainable sourcing to chefs (and on whose board I sit), Chefs Collaborative, has a website listing of participating restaurants throughout the country which buy all or some of their ingredients from sustainable farms. Another good way to find such restaurants is Eatwellguide.org. Even fast food is possible: Chipotle Mexican Grills buy all their pork from traditional farms.

What to look for with all animal based foods:

1. Domestic, please. Whether you’re worried about your food’s carbon footprint or how much you can verify about its source, there are lots of good reasons to support farms close to home. I am generally skeptical about claims (like “organic”) on food imported from foreign countries. US government authorities barely police imported food’s safety nor the validity of its label claims. We always try to buy domestically because we want to feel confident about how it was produced. We also want to help build the demand for traditionally farmed foods so that more and more American farmland is occupied by real farms and ranches instead of factory farms. Of course, when you’re shopping at a farmers market, this is generally not a concern. But lots of stores offer imported meats and fish. In particular, 90 percent of lamb comes from Australia and New Zealand and most seafood comes from Asia.

2. Pasture is the gold standard. All animals, not just grazing animals, benefit tremendously from being outdoors daily on natural vegetation (such as grass and clover). They exercise, lie in the sun, breath fresh air, and generally live much happier, healthier, more natural lives. For cattle, sheep, and goats, their ruminant digestive systems miraculously turn vegetation that is inedible to humans into digestible nourishment for themselves. The omnivorous animals — pigs, chickens, and turkeys — gain minerals and as fiber from their foraging. Winter weather makes year-round access to pasture difficult in some parts of the United States, but animals can and should have access to grass for most days of the year. They live healthier, better lives and the food humans take from them is safer, tastier and healthier. If you’re buying directly from a farmer or rancher, ask if the animals were on pasture. If you’re buying from a store, read the labels or ask. If it doesn’t say the animals had pasture access, assume that they did not.

3. Grass fed is very good (but the label is weak). Certain animals, including cattle, goats and sheep, have evolved as grazing or browsing animals. Their bodies are designed to spend their waking hours slowly foraging and walking to gather their food over many hours. Bovines in the wild, for instance, spend most of their waking hours in a state of slow, ambulant grazing, walking an average of 2.5 miles a day, all the while taking 50 to 80 bites of forage per minute. In other words, cattle – both those raised for beef and those raised for milk – should live on grass. In 2007, USDA finally proposed a standard for “grass fed” meat. However, the standard has lots of problems, not the least of which is that it doesn’t require animals to be on pasture and allows them to be fed lots of stuff that definitely ain’t grass. That’s why it’s preferable to buy grass fed meat directly from the farmer or rancher rather than relying on a label.

4. Organic is very good, (but the label isn’t perfect). USDA regulates the use of the term “organic” on food labels. If you see the official “Certified Organic” label on a food, that means that USDA is maintaining a certain degree of oversight and that the food item was (or at least should have been) produced in accordance with USDA’s standards. In many ways, especially with respect to animal feeding, the standards are stringent. Animal based foods labeled organic must be fed only organic feeds (which has at least 80 percent organic ingredients and does not contain slaughterhouse wastes, antibiotics, or genetically modified grains). These are important distinctions from typical factory farm foods. The organic standards also provide some assurance about how the animals are housed and handled. They require that organic livestock and poultry be provided: “living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of animals,” and specifically mandate that animals have some access to the outdoors, to exercise, and to bedding. These too are crucial differences from factory farms. The problem, however, is that the standards have not clearly mandated access to pasture. Thus, much organic milk (and other dairy products) comes from cows that are housed in enormous metal sheds and spend most of their days on cement floors, having no access to pastures. For this reason, I prefer to know precisely where and how the animals lived that produced my food and do not like to rely on the organic label.

5. Free range is okay (but the label is seriously flawed). The term “free range” is most commonly used for poultry. Strangely, it can mean different things depending on whether it’s applied to poultry raised for meat versus egg-laying poultry. When “free range” is used on poultry meat, USDA requires that the birds have some access to the outdoors. However, there are no standards for what type of outdoor area it must be, and therefore might be a small cement patio. Even more problematic is “free range” when it’s used for eggs. USDA has failed to create any definition of “free range” for egg laying hens. Arguably, then, companies could label their eggs “free range” even without providing any outdoor access (and I suspect that’s what some companies are doing).

6. Antibiotic free doesn’t mean much. Some poultry and red meats are labeled “antibiotic free.” This is slightly better than your average factory farm product because the animals were not continually fed antibiotics. But there are several serious problems with this label. Most importantly, “antibiotic free” meat can be (and usually is) from a factory farm. Secondly, many companies are calling meat antibiotic free even though they used other anti-microbial drugs to raise the animals. In other words, it’s largely a matter of semantics.

By category:

1. Beef: Beef has taken the most hits from journalistic exposes but when it comes to animal treatment issues, no one can deny that beef cattle have by far the best lives of all farm animals (much better than dairy cows, in particular). The problem with beef cattle raising is that most cattle are implanted with hormones and are fed a variety of drugs, including antibiotics. Moreover, large beef feedlots are a major environmental hazard because of the enormous amounts of air pollution they cause and the potential to cause serious water pollution. It’s important to remember that cattle are grazing animals. The best beef is beef that allowed the cattle to graze for their entire lives. Unfortunately, USDA has created a “grass fed” label that has been criticized by the American Grassfed Association as not being nearly stringent enough. Look for beef that was raised entirely on grass (didn’t go through a feedlot), was not implanted with hormones, and was feed only vegetarian feeds. If you can’t find totally grass fed beef, opt for beef that was neither fed antibiotics nor implanted with hormones (which is the standard for “natural” beef). Remember that “organic” is not the best label here. The largest producer of “organic” beef in the United States finishes its cattle at a large feedlot.

2. Pork: More than 90 percent of US pork is produced in large, total confinement operations with liquefied manure systems. Most pigs are continually fed antibiotics and other suspect substances, including arsenic and slaughterhouse wastes. Look for pork that was raised on pasture or in deep straw bedding. (Both systems afford the pigs a high quality of life and are environmentally friendly). Make sure the feed was free of drugs, slaughterhouse byproducts, and arsenic. Ask whether the sows were confined to gestation crates or farrowing crates, which are cruel and unnecessary. Make sure the pigs were not raised in confinement buildings with liquefied manure. The liquefied manure system is the lynchpin to the public health, animal welfare, and environmental problems associated with industrial pork. This is one of the few places I will recommend a specific brand: Niman Ranch. (Note: my husband is the founder of the Niman Ranch company but we no longer have any association with it). All of the Niman farmers follow a stringent set of standards that forbid liquefied manure systems; forbid sow crates; forbid feeding drugs or meat byproducts and require humane animal handling.

3. Lamb: Most sheep, like most beef cattle, are raised outdoors. They are grazing animals and belong on grass. There is little factory farming of sheep at this time although many Colorado lambs are finished at feedlots. Recently, however, I learned of a large confinement operation for breeding ewes in Iowa. The facility was so disease ridden that it had to be shuttered. Look for lamb that is born and raised in the United States and make sure that all of the animals, including the breeding ewes, are living on pasture.

4. Goat: Goat is the most frequently consumed meat in the world but most Americans have never tried it. However, as the US population changes and as palates broaden, goat meat is gaining popularity here for the first time. One advantage to eating goat meat is that this is a non-industrialized part of the meat sector. There is no such thing as a goat factory farm. In fact, goat is probably the most environmentally friendly of all meats, because, when properly managed, goats do little damage to the landscape and consume naturally occurring undesirable vegetation, (like poison oak and coyote brush). Look for it at your local farmers market. The best goat meat is from animals raised specifically as meat goats, (rather than dairy goats), especially the Boer and Spanish breeds.

5. Chicken: Like pork, almost all chicken produced in the United States today is from enormous confinement buildings. Instead, look for chicken that was raised on pasture. If it does not specifically say that it was raised on pasture, assume that it was not. Factory farms all raise the same white chicken from a narrow genetic pool. Their bodies are unsound and would be unfit for life outdoors. Thus, even better than just pasture raised are heritage breed chickens raised on pasture, such as the Plymouth Barred Rock, Cornish, and Silver Laced Wyandotte . To the greatest extent possible – buy whole birds, which mean there’s been less processing of the meat and it makes it more affordable. Remember that most “antibiotic free” comes from factory farms. Remember, too, that “free range” does not mean the birds were on pasture but it does mean the birds had outdoor access, (so it’s somewhat better than non-free range).

6. Turkey: Almost all turkeys raised in the United States are of a single, over bred, white variety called the broad breasted white. They are raised in continual confinement in extremely crowded conditions and normally fed antibiotics for much or all of their lives. Their bodies are horribly unsound. They have trouble standing upright when they reach maturity and they are literally incapable of mating. The only way to get a physically sound turkey is to seek out heritage breed turkeys. Look for heritage turkeys that were raised on pasture. If you cannot find pasture raised birds, get ones that at least had access to the outdoors. Here again, buy whole birds for better safety and quality.

7. Eggs: Eggs from factory farms are particularly unappetizing. Hens are crammed into small cages (called “battery cages”) which are stacked on top of one another. The hens are literally defecating on the hens below them. But avoiding them may seem tricky because egg labels are so vexing. There’s cage free, free range, organic, vegetarian fed. Remember that “free range” has no meaning when put on an egg carton. Cage free is better than the factory farm norm (in which hens are crammed into crowded cages in which each one has less room than a sheet of paper) but the birds are still continually confined and terribly cramped. The only way to totally avoid the factory farm scenario is to look for eggs from hens that are on pasture. Other than a farmers market or CSA, the best place to find eggs from hens on pasture may be in your own backyard of your neighbor’s. A growing number of Americans are keeping backyard flocks and many sell their excess eggs. These eggs are beautiful and taste so much better than supermarket eggs that once you’ve tried them, you’ll never want to go back. Keep in mind that non-factory farming of eggs varies considerably by season because hens’ naturally lay in harmony with nature’s seasons. The number of eggs they lay corresponds with the amount of daylight. So be prepared for periods of shortage. You may have to go without eggs from time to time, but it will be well worth it.

7. Milk: Fluid milk is generally not transported very far because it cannot be done so economically. This means you need to find a good local source of milk. (If you live in New York, you may be lucky enough to have access to Ronnybrook Farms milk, which is excellent). Remember, you’re looking for a dairy where the cows are on pasture as much of the time as possible. Some sell directly to the public. Organic milk, unless is says that the cows are on pasture, may come from confined cows. The local co-op is often a good place to find pasture based milk from a local farm. Remember with milk, if it doesn’t indicate that the cows were on pasture, they almost certainly were not. It’s always good to keep in mind, if you are unable to find pasture based or organic milk, at a minimum try to avoid milk with growth hormone (called rBST or rBGH). Generally, if the milk is free of growth hormone it will be labeled as such, so if it’s unlabeled, it probably came from dairies using hormones.

8. Cheese: Cheeses made from cows on grass are incredibly tasty and are becoming easier to find. There is even a growing movement among traditional American dairies to make their own cheeses right on the farm (called farmstead cheeses). Check your farmers market, co-op and local cheese shop. An excellent source for good cheeses from traditional farms is Murray’s Cheese in New York City, which has an exceptionally knowledgeable staff and an online store. Another outstanding source is Cowgirl Creamery, in Point Reyes Station, CA, which has an online store. There are also now many pasture based dairy farms that make and sell their own cheeses directly to consumers. (Always look carefully at the websites to make sure they actually show how their cows live). One particularly impressive pasture dairy I have visited several times is owned an operated by the Klessig family in Cleveland, Wisconsin. They now make and sell their own cheeses under the name Saxon Homestead Creamery.

9. Butter: The key is finding butter made from cows on grass. We like Straus Family Creamery, which is supplied by organic farms that graze their cows. It makes an excellent butter, available in California.

10. Yogurt: Yogurt from pasture based dairies can also be found. The Straus Family Creamery also makes an excellent organic yogurt from cows who live on grass. If you cannot find a good yogurt in your community, you can easily make your own from organic milk. (I have my own yogurt maker but haven’t used in years because the Straus yogurt is so good).

While I am pushing buttons...

2009-11-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Check out this cool map I found for the plan of the Cincinnati Commuter Rail, 3C Corridor Rail & Downtown Streetcar project. How super sweet would it be to take a train to a Red's Game? No worry about parking or getting to sloshed to drive home. Or Midpoint Music Festival...or the Zoo...or the Museum Center...or COLUMBUS or CLEVELAND for a concert and then sleeping on the ride home.

I am so excited!!!! Finally...we will have mass transit like the RTA in Cleveland. I always liked taking this the flats when I lived downtown...yeah!

Kris

The Health Care Reform Bill

2009-11-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

I read it...okay...scanned it...it is almost 2000 pages long. A lot of it is in government mumbo jumbo or medical mumbo jumbo that I do not understand...but here is a summary I found:

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

LOWER COSTS
No more co-pays or deductibles for preventive care
No more rate increases for pre-existing conditions, gender, or occupation
An annual cap on your out-of-pocket expenses
Group rates of a national pool if you buy your own plan
Guaranteed, affordable oral, hearing, and vision care for your kids

GREATER CHOICE
Keep your doctor, and your current plan, if you like them
More choice, with a high quality public health insurance option competing with private insurers

HIGHER QUALITY
You and your doctors make health care decisions — not insurance companies
More family doctors and nurses will enter the workforce, helping guarantee access
Mental health care must be covered

STABILITY & PEACE OF MIND
No more coverage denials for pre-existing conditions (love this!!)
No more lifetime limits on how much insurance companies will pay
No reason to ever make a job or life decision again based on health care coverage

I think that what a lot of the opponents to this bill are missing is that the Public Option is just that...AN OPTION...Big Brother Government is not going to show up at your door and tell you that you can only buy their health insurance. If you love Anthem...stick with Anthem...but now it might be cheaper because they have to actually COMPETE for your business...what a concept.

Yes...it will be expensive to start...but pointless wars are more expensive...

Anyway...all I want to know is WHEN CAN I SIGN UP???

Kris

On Short Hair

2009-10-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Moving on to a happier subject than health care...my HAIR!!!!

I got my hair cut to short back in August and have resolved to keep up with it. I got my 2nd short hair cut on Tuesday and I love it even more. I cannot understand why anyone would want to have long hair. I mean I wake up at 7:35am...take a shower & get dressed...and I am out the door by 8am...and at the office by 8:15am. If I had longer hair...I would have to wake up earlier so that I had time to blow dry it. Why would I want to wake up earlier?!?!? In fact...I am still mad that I have to blow dry at all. And then to "style" it, I mess it up and then kind of smooth out my bangs to make them go the right direction. Good to go!

Europeans think that all Americans have long hair...and are actually surprised to see an American with short hair. They have been around a lot longer and I guess have come to the same conclusion that I have...Life is short...why spend precious minutes on hair...it is just hair.

Kris

One Step Forward...

2009-10-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Two Steps Back...

So we got an e-mail at work that they are ONCE AGAIN changing our health care program!!!

Let me give you some background: When I first started here I had THE BEST health insurance ever...I paid about $25 a paycheck and EVERYTHING was covered...I had the time of my life...Allergy Shots, Dermotologist Check Ups, Annual Physical...great!!

Then they pulled the rug out from under me. They switched to a Health Savings Account (HSA) program where there is no montly payment (okay) but NOTHING is covered until you pay the ridiculous deductible of $1200!!! There is no way that I reach $1200 in a year even with my happy elective services. So no more Allergy Shots or check ups. But I did save $50 a month in premiums...so whatever.

SO NOW...I get married...add Mark to my insurance and since neither of us get sick the HSA is okay. Then WHAMMO...now we have to PAY a monthly preminum for the terrible HSA insurance. So now in addition to basically having NO coverage until we hit the FAMILY deductible of now $2400...we now have to fork over almost $800 a year to pay for the no coverage!!! YIPEEEE!!!! (Granted $800 a year would be fine...and compared to other Americans it is much cheaper...that is IF we also didn't have to pay for everything out of pocket too...)

No pay increase for 2 years...no cell phone reimbursement...now basically a pay cut...

I love insurance & CBTS!! If we ever do decide to have a baby...I will have to sell turquoise jewelry by the side of the road to pay for the $2400 out-of-pocket medical expenses...

Kris

P.S. Not to make this a political debate, but: To any Republican out there who thinks we don't need healthcare reform...re-read this blog post please. Employers should not be responsible for providing healthcare because it is not in the best interest of their bottom line and that obviously affects the people who need the healthcare!!! If we take Employers out of the equation and make Insurance company answerable to the their customers and some type of regulation like other businessnes then we might actually get affordable quality care. I am not talking AT ALL about a Government run healthcare system...hardly any democrats want that...I just want to reform the system we have.

Anyway....healthcare sucks!

Fondue Anyone?!?

2009-10-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

Anyone (in Cincinnati or surrounding areas) want to come over to The Becknell residence for a Fall Fondue Party Friday 10/23/09??? Fondue, Dessert & Beverages provided. Let me know...

Kris

I am a rock...I am an island...

2009-10-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

After begging for almost a year to get moved away from the morons in my department (think Deliverance + Office Space = my life), I finally got my wish. My boss moved me to the newly remodeled 3rd floor where I basically have an entire corner to myself...I am my own Island!! I can see out of a window. The stairs are right by my cube. I almost have a whole printer to myself. I don't have to turn up my headphones to 11 to drown out morons. LOVE IT!!! Check it out:

And they spelled my new name right!!!

So happy...now I no longer have to dread going to work!!

Kris

Tough Decision!

2009-10-13T07:23:00.001-07:00

I am in shock!! Utter shock!!

Mark came home last night after work and looked sullen. He proceeded to tell me that he has made the decision to SELL HIS MOTORCYCLE!!! He explained that our dreams of having a family and owning our own business are more important to him than having a luxury item that he can only use during warm weather. His goal is to sell it, pay off his debt and put all our extra money toward our dreams.

He is obviously very serious about the Steel Drum business plan and making that a priority, but it is very difficult for him to part with the bike because he really does love riding it. I am so proud of him for making this tough decision and hopeful that he will get what he is looking for in the near future.

I love that guy!!

Kris

Cold & Rainy...

2009-10-02T10:41:00.001-07:00

I guess when you come back from a great vacation in paradise and it rains for 10 days straight...it makes it hard to keep a positive attitude. I have been shivering in the damp cold for a week with a terrible flu (swine or not...who knows), but I am even more cranky than when I left. I thought I needed a vacation, but apparently that did not help. I think more than anything, I need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

Mark and I talked extensively on our trip about our dream of owning our own business. Whether that turns out to be a bar/restaurant or our new idea of Mark making steel drums for sale, it doesn't really matter. I think he is super motivated and can do anything he sets his mind to. I am motivated not to work for the man...and think I would be a better boss than any of the losers I have worked for. So owning our own business just makes sense.

The problem is money...as always. If we did the steel drum thing, he would have to find a industrial space to practice for a while until he got good enough to begin selling them. Then there is the lag time between spending money & making money enough to live. Add into this that we want to start our family at the same time and it just seems sort of impossible.

But I can't take the drudgery any more and I can't keep changing jobs every two years (looks bad on the resume)

Dunno...wish we had money and time to do this right now...if only we had been together right out of college...more options seemed available back then and we had less debt hanging over our heads.

Enough ranting...just had to put it out there into the ether.

Kris

GREECE!!!!

2009-09-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

Mark & Kris's Greece Honeymoon Sept 2009

Mark made these great "word poems" for each of the locations we visited...they give a very detailed view of our experiences and the feelings of the city or island. He has agreed to let me share them with the world...so here ya go:

Athens
Kolokotroni - Hotel Carolina - Amstel - Old Shit - Roman Baths - Hadrian's Arch - Parthenon - Acropolis - Tiny White Shorts on Old Men - Tourists - Bus Tours - Giant Asian Lady - The Agora - Dogs - Double Decker Sightseeing Tour - "Where are we? Oh Yes...Thermopylon." - Big City - The Bar that was way too cool for us - Sleeping 13 hours - Eatotopio - Dogs - Line Cutters - Customs - Half Ass Security upon leaving the airport - Metro - Attempted Pickpocket, Twice, by the same guy! - Grafitti - Bad Vibes by old Greek guy with our check - Lamb in Lemon Sauce - Beef & Macaroni (aka Patsitsio) - Marital Advice from our host - Confusing Streets - Grafitti - Free Breakfast - Terrible Basketball on TV - Badgers Eating Bunnies - Columns - National Gardens - Changing of the Guards - Tavernas - Sprawling City Landscape - Much Needed History Lessons - Little Tourist Trains - Police - Traffic with Little Regard to Follow Any Sort of Rules - Hadrian's Library - Ermou - Exapini - Free Yoghurt with fruit & honey.

Mykonos
Paradise Beach - Techno - Cats - Camping - Blue Star Ferries - Aussies - Amstel - Tequila - Way too Drunk - Ernesta - Tropicana - Techno - Cats - Souvlaki Plate - Mykonos Dancing Queen - Free Breakfast, Terrible Orange Juice - Freddy's Restaurant - Sun Bathing - Swimming - Topless Women - Cutting my Foot - Relaxing - Renting Scooters - Returning Scooters - Bus - Windmills - Sunset - Little Venice - Mykonos Town - Winding Streets - Getting Lost - Aussie Movie - Cappuccino - Gelato - Bus Ticket Vending Machine - Ramrod - Overpriced Caprice Sea Satin Restaurant - Delos - Phallic Statues - Ornate Floors - More History Lessons - Cats - Go Zips! - Tiny Church - Techno - Stargazing - Shooting Stars - Frappes - French Fries with Everything! - Internet Cafe - Emailed Home - Running into Aussie Movie constantly - "Kings of Mykonos" - "I Dream I Can Fly...Like a Rainbow so High in the Sky." More Techno - Booshi, Booshi, Booshi, Booshi, etc.

Ios
Hotel Glaros - Great Room with Amazing View - Quiet - Relaxing - Steep Steps - Piperri - Seafood Pasta & Chicken Bake - Pesto Dip - Walking on the Beach - Super Dense Pancakes with Fruit Topping - ATV - New Windmills - Energy Saving Hotel Room - Yak - Cows - Goats - Bees - Local Honey - Isolated Beaches - Manganari Beach - Tiny Shell Collection - Quiet - Peachful - Sunny - Topless - No Techno - Hora - Fiesta Restaurant - Sunset - Relaxing on Porch - Old Windmills - Homer's Tomb...we didn't see it - Flying Cat 4, Business Class - Solar Power - Bar on a Pirate Ship - Meatballs in Sauce...Best on the Island - No Techno - Shuts down in afternoon, Starts up after 5, Crystal Clear Water - Great Coffee @ Glaros...and Marmalade - "Very Bad Dirt Roads." - Christo's Taverna - Minor Sunburn.

Santorini
Santorini Camping - Nice Pool - Cliffs - Highspeed 1 - Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline - Nice Pool - Volcano - Lava - Lucky's Souvlaki - Dodging Traffic - Sunset - Double Bed - Amstel - Fava Dip - Cherry Tomatoes - Capers - Music Store with nice Bazoukis - Hiking "The Eyebrow of the Caldera" - Stacking Rocks - Hiking Dogs...great guides - Frappe - Oia, Very Nice - Marble Walkway - Scary Public Bus Ride - "Move Back, Move Back" - Good Omelette with Cappuccino - Special Gyros - Urban Hiking - 3 Hours? - Cable Car - Donkeys - Dancing Donkey Puppets - Bull in a China Shop (Aka Mark in a China Shop) - Socrates View - The Red Book - Angry Toilet Stickers - Spoiled Brat Brits - Laundry! - Skala Rock - Black Sand.

After this was back to Beirut (aka Pireaus) and then back to the airport...HOME!!!!

Kris & Mark

Off to Greece!!!

2009-09-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

So this will be my last post for about two weeks...we are headed to Greece for our honeymoon tomorrow morning and we will be there until Sept 22nd!! YEAH!!! Nice long relaxing vacation. We are starting in Athens, but on the advice of locals, will only stay there for 2 days and then head for the Cyclades. I am a little nervous about the Ferry boats...being not a fan of dying a watery death, but I am looking forward the beautiful beaches and zipping around on a moped.

We will take tons of photos and make a slideshow upon our return. And we will probably have lots of stories to tell...and there will likely be Ouzo involved in each of them.

Thanks to everyone for helping us out...taking us to the airport, watching Sammy, feeding kitties, picking us up from the airport, helping to fund our trip, etc. Thanks!!

Take Care!

Kris

CSA Week 17

2009-09-08T09:55:00.001-07:00

This week we got: TONS of tomatoes, Green Beans, Green Peppers, Yellow Squash, Corn, Okra, Shallot, Garlic, BUTTERNUT SQUASH (yeah!), and flowers.

Seems like this was the most we have gotten so far...or at least the heaviest stuff we have gotten so far!! Good week!

Kris

More Good Food - Week 16 CSA

2009-09-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

Hello from down on the farm...last night we had yogurt marinated chicken with roasted vegetables (potatoes, zucchini, onion & green pepper) and a few heirloom tomato slices. Another delicious and fairly easy meal made from local foods.

I am getting worried about the end of the CSA...our meals are going to be bland and boring. Probably just beans and frozen kale. I should have frozen more for the winter. I am still learning how to be a homesteader...this winter we starve :(

Kris

Muy Delicioso!!

2009-09-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a CSA Meal from both week 15 & 16 bounty. Fresh corn on the cob. Roasted Butternut Squash (which was amazing!) An Italian Sausage with a spicy tomato & onion salsa.

I am going to miss all of the fresh veggies in a few weeks...good thing we have had to freeze so much...we can eat Kale till the cows come home.

We are taking Jodi & Larry to Green Dog Cafe tonight...it may be the last time we see them before she pops out the baby. They are planning to induce her on 9/9/09...what a great birthday!!

Kris

Patches O'Houlighan & CSA Week 16

2009-08-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

So Mark came rushing into the house Friday after work with his eye in a great deal of pain. We hurried off to the Urgent Care place in Oakley and found out he scratched his cornea. The doctor put an eye patch on him and gave him a prescription for ointment. So we went home and Mark fell right to sleep at 6pm and slept through the night. Poor guy...pain really wears a person out!

We were supposed to go camping this weekend but felt that it might be too dirty to keep his eye clean, so we stayed home. We did run some errands on Saturday...shopping at Ikea and the new outlet mall on I-75. And by Sunday he was all healed up and we ditched the eye patch to go canoeing. So he is all better :) Yeah!!

We also picked up our CSA food for the week. More good stuff: Corn, lots of tomatoes, parsley, potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, various peppers, wacky beans, shallots, garlic, basil & Flowers.

Kris

Green Dog Cafe

2009-08-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

Mark and I had big plans last night...take the motorcycle to dinner and then over to Ault Park to Mina's Fundraising Beer Tasting event. Well...on the way there it started raining...so we pulled off on Stanley Ave to see if it would stop raining. We ran into Michael Mav just hanging outside (what a big small town we live in!) so we chatted with him and then wandered over to Green Dog Cafe.

I had read about this place on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cincinnati-OH/The-Green-Dog-Cafe/91727650953?ref=mf), but hadn't been there yet. WELL...let me tell you...AWESOME food. I had the Chiuaua Bowl - beans, rice, salsa, monchego cheese and fresh from the cob corn. It was so light and fresh...totally yummy. They do all local, in season, fair trade foods and the vibe of the place is really cool. It is very similar to where our friend, Dan, takes us for breakfast up in Columbus - Northstar Cafe. I am not sure if they do breakfast, but if they do...LOOK OUT! I am sure it will be super yummy.

Mark wasn't feeling well...so he didn't have anything except a soda. So we decided to just head home. Poor Marky B :(

This weekend we are taking the poochies camping...Zep's first time...Yikes! But it looks like it is going to be cool and mostly rain free. Exciting! I will be sure to post photos.

Kris

Next Step: The Family Truckster

2009-08-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Mark and I bought the family car camping tent: The Kelty Green River 4...it arrives via UPS today. Technically it is only a 4 person tent, but it is 9'x9' and also a 5'11" height...so basically I could park my car in it.

I guess this is a step in the "Family Planning" direction. We already have 2 dogs...so our tiny 2 person backpacking tent was not going to cut it. But now with this huge tent, we can put the poochies outside in the screen room...and maybe 2 kids in the inside with us?? EVENTUALLY, mom...don't start freaking out yet :)

But I am excited to try out the tent and see how Zep is at camping...maybe we can go this weekend...Mark doesn't have any gigs for a change.

UPDATE:

We set this up in the backyard last night...and it isn't as big as we thought. It is definately big...but not "park the car in it" big. I love that you can stand up completely...that is a new thing for me...not crouching over to crawl in. The rain fly is a little challenging though and take a little bit to set up & tear down. Other than that...looking forward for the test run this weekend.

Kris