Farm Fresh: Here & There
It’s been an exciting week for me regarding local and organic foods. Not only did we visit the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco (while we were out in California visiting family), but we also received our first order from Farm Fresh Delivery.
For the first week, we went with the default delivery which included cabbage, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, apples, pears and more. Next time, I will customize my order a little more to fit both my personal taste and also my cooking abilities. The produce is all organic, and even is labeled if it is local or not. They also include some recipes in the bin, and encourage you to leave your paper bags in the bin (when it is picked up) so that they can be reused.
As for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, you can see the photos I took at the market, posted at our Flickr account. Coming from a land (and season) of corn, squash and pumpkins, I was envious of the stands full of avocados, pomegranates and persimmons. We picked up a whole lot of food and had a great local meal that night.
Go, Go, Gojis
Lycium barbarum anyone? That’s Latin for Goji Berries, or Wolf-berries as they are occasionally called. A powerhouse of antioxidants, the Goji has been used for thousands of years by herbalists in China and is a great source of complete protein, beta carotene and vitamin C. They make a great healthy snack on the go and or you can toss them into smoothies, salads, trail mix, or goji granola. But for a real treat, try these Raw Goji Cookies.
Raw Goji Cookies
These are quick, easy and there is no baking required. Substitute agave nectar for the honey to make them vegan.
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 tbsp. honey
2-3 pitted dates
flaxseeds (optional)
almond butter (optional)
Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients except dates and process until well mixed. Add 2 pitted dates and process until mixture starts to stick together (add another date or two if necessary). Make tablespoon size balls and flatten to a cookie shape on a plate. Chill for and hour or so and enjoy.
To get your supply of Goji Berries, try these or you can even try your hand at growing your own!
Keeping Produce Perky
I’m always so irked when I find something in my produce drawer that is starting to shrivel, and as I try to work more and more local foods into my diet, I seem to go overboard sometimes at the Farmer’s Market and buy a little more produce than is really needed for just my husband and I. So recently, I started using the Ever-Fresh Green Bags to help extend the life of my fruits and veggies and they really work!
I’m no scientist so I’ll tell you that Evert Fresh explains that the natural minerals within the bags minimize moisture and absorb the harmful gasses like ammonia and carbon dioxide before they start attacking the fruit or vegetable. This not only extends the flavor and texture of the produce but it extends the nutritional value by slowing down the ripening process. All you have to do is wash and thoroughly dry your produce and then place it in separate bags, folding over the top of the bag. Once you have finished the produce in the bag, you can rinse, dry, and re-use! Get a pack in one of three sizes here or here.
Shave Off
Did you know that our skin is the largest organ in our bodies? So it makes sense to me to wise up about some the products I am putting on (and thus dumping into it) everyday. Do you really want to be depositing a bunch of potentially harmful chemicals into your skin?
I’ve made an effort to switch to less “toxic” products to replace the chemical land-mines in my beauty regimen. One such switch I started experimenting with was shaving cream. I’ve tried the two ”natural” products pictured above and I have to report that the “Kiss My Face” brand was the superior in my book. It foamed up extremely well and was very moisturizing, while the “Alba“ brand stayed creamy and wound up clogging my razor! However, since my amateur testing experience I have discovered neither product gets a top billing for safety according to the Environmental Working Group’s huge cosmetic database, Skin Deep.
So, while I do think the Kiss My Face product is a safer alternative compared to my old stuff, and much better than plain ol’ soap, I may try another swap to one of these. But, I will definitely continue to gradually make the switch to safer, more natural products for all my personal care products. Stay tuned for my product reviews as I plow through them…
Local Made Easy
I think I can honestly say that I am hooked on local foods. I have noticed that in the past month since our going local challenge I consistently and effortlessly continue to buy local foods. One reason I say effortlessly is because the places I choose to shop make it easy for me. While Rhaya and I have mentioned some of the places we find our local foods as we go along, here are a few ideas on how to start to finding your own local foods:
Farmer’s Markets - Obviously the Farmer’s Market is a great place to get all kinds of local foods from veggies and fruits to cheeses, meats, wines and sometimes even specialty items like soaps and pottery. While some are just winding down for the year, many move the market indoors for their customers to enjoy year-round. Find one near you at Local Harvest.
Food Co-op: From helpful signs like the cute chalkboard above to the individual handmade signs, the local Co-op makes it easy for me and I have come to rely on their extensive labeling of products to guide me through my local foods shopping experience. Co-ops are owned and operated by its members who collectively decide upon their principals which guide their decision making process. Typically, food co-ops offer high quality, affordable, products at the best possible price minus the sales atmosphere. Most co-ops do not require you to become a member to shop in their stores, but if you find yourself shopping their regularly, the shares are usually affordable and it may be worth it to have a voice in the operation and get a discount (sometimes up to 26% if you are willing to work a few hours). Find one near you here or here.
CSAs: CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. While its likely too late to sign up this time of year in most places, it is something to think about for next. Think of it as your very own farmer’s market delivered to your door. Early in the spring, you can sign up with a participating farm to purchase a share of their crop, then every week a you can pick up your own fresh box of in-season produce at a central location in your area. Check out Rhaya’s post about a Farm Fresh Delivery in the Indianapolis area. Find one near you here.
In addition to the above, you can always practice a few simple things no matter where you shop: 1. Read labels, as in go for the bag of apples that were grown in your own state rather than across the country; 2. Speak up, ask questions about where the food is coming from and ask stores to carry more local foods; 3. Eat in season; and 4. Support restaurants that support local foods. For more ideas, check out Sustainable Table for information on sustainable shopping, where you can find a directory of local food sources like many of the places mentioned here and even restaurants too.
Fur-less Furniture
Between Jackson, our cat, and Skyler, our lovable but very furry dog (shown here, with Scarlet and Parker), we have a bit of a “fur”niture problem.
While a Magik lint brush works great for getting pet hair off our clothes, our couches are a different story. I know how wasteful it is to use the those sticky paper lint rollers, but I didn’t know what else to do when it was time to de-fur the furniture — until now. Hello, Pet Hair Magnet!
I was skeptical of this product when I saw it at Petco, and even asked if I could return it if it didn’t work. But lo and behold, when I tried it out on our couch at home, it is no wonder that it gets so many good reviews. It quickly and neatly pulled up all the stray pet hair on the couch. So, while it might not be made from the most eco-friendly materials, I know that I will be saving a LOT of paper waste by using this instead.
Water, But Better
Now that I am starting to incorporate a few of my faves back into my diet after our going local week, Zico Coconut Water is sure to be included. Since it’s packed with electrolytes and a great source of potassium with no added sugar, it makes an awesome natural sports drink. It’s simple, just 100% pure coconut water.
I have been drinking Zico but I just noticed O.N.E Coconut uses environmentally friendly packaging. You can find it some groceries and most natural food stores, but I ordered a case online.
Make Mine A Mead
New Day Meadery has a stand at our local Farmers Market, but it wasn’t until we went to the Local Harvest Lunch that we actually tried this wonderful wine, made from raw honey.
New Day Meadery is always “going local” by only using local honey and fruit to make their wine. Some of their varieties include Dry Mead, Dry Peach Honey Wine, Dry Blueberry Honey Wine, Dry Red Raspberry Honey Wine, and Semi-Dry Mead.
So next time you are picking out some wine, instead of looking to Napa or across the Atlantic, see what local options you may have overlooked, and give something new a try — like Mead!
A Dog Do
Picking up after fido is definitely a “do” and in some cities it’s required! Dog doo stinks, but it can also take a serious toll on the environment and on your health. For starters, it contains bacteria and parasites which can transfer diseases like salmonellosis to humans. Additionally, pet waste not only attracts other instects and other pests when left lying around, it can end up degrading our water quality as it decomposes. Not to mention I walk our pooch daily and I don’t want to be known to all the neighbors as “the lady who leaves the dog poop in my yard.”
So what is a gal to do? While flushing it is gold star eco-friendly option, there are no excuses for not being ready when, eh-umm, nature calls with bio-degradable doggie clean-up bags by Bags On Board which have a great little bag dispenser that attaches right to your leash. And if this is still too much to ask, you can leave it to a professional like Stanley’s and at least keep your own yard clean.
Sam’s Yams
We try to avoid giving our dog, Skyler, rawhide, because although she loves it, we know that it could be a choking hazard or upset her digestive tract. So we were very excited to try Sam’s Yams - a veggie alternative to rawhide. Sam’s Yams Veggie Rawhide is made of dehydrated American-grown sweet potatoes, so in addition to being a safer alternative, they also contain all the good vitamins that come naturally from sweet potatoes.
Skyler gets very little “human” food, with the exception of carrots, which she loves, so it was no big surprise that she was a VERY big fan of Sam’s Yams.
