Tomato circle

Tomato circle

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Improving your digestive function

This is a great article on 5 things you can do today to improve your digestion.


Poor digestive function can cause nutrient deficiencies and numerous health problems like fatigue, emotional instability, skin disorders and more.


http://www.naturalnews.com/029668_digestion_tips.html

Farmers Market Sept 11 2010








This week we had a solid plan of getting to the market by 9am because I NEEDED onions and have not been able to find any for weeks. We did manage to set the alarm for 8 am but we had played Wii and done shots the night before so - Im just gonna admit it - I was WAY hung over this shopping trip.

We got there by 9:45 at least! We were met by our friends - the Cokal's - Miss B and Erhan and their lil Aydin. It was his first shopping experience at the farmers market and he was a pro with his lil bucket and love for peppers!

This week we stocked up on meat - chicken, pork and tuna steaks! Also - we got pie from Pie Fixes Everything - it was so adorable and so tasty! Im not even a pie person but the cherry was tart and how can I resist the lil cherry's on top of the pie. Hooray for tiny pies!

I stocked up on jalapenos and canned 2 jars today. They are a cheap price and will taste so good once we are out of season. Also made a large amount of salsa today b/c the tomatoes I got this week were much more ripe than I thought. It was enough to enjoy this week and to freeze a small jar too!

This week from the market - we got the elusive white onions, Sun dried tomato pasta, homemade chips, cantaloupe, 2 lbs of ground pork, free range chicken, tuna steaks, zucchini, jalapenos, tomatoes, bell peppers, black bean hummus, peaches, sourdough bread, apples, peach cobbler, mini cherry pie, goats milk, and oatmeal cookies. Today was a good day.

Had such a good time with our friends and so many items were "in stock" by the time we got there. I have read that we should expect asparagus, sweet potatoes, and shallots. Ive very excited to experience fall in a new way!

Thanks for checking into the blog!!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

How to Make Your Own Chicken Stock




Since we are addicted to our free range chickens and eat at least one a week - we thought we would try making our own chicken stock. It was very simple. Just toss the fresh chicken carcase in a big stock pot and cover with cold water. Add carrots, celery, garlic bulbs, onions & parsley. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 and half hours. Pour through wire colander. Discard all veggies and bones. Pour clear liquid into jars - let cool - and freeze. Easy and making the most of all you got! ** You get a bonus point if you have a compost pile and compost all the items from the stock pot.

Homemade Apple Sauce




There is a really great vendor at our market - Bat Creek Farms that has tons of apples this time of year! Today - I asked if I could have any of the imperfect apples at a discount and he gave me half off - 3 lbs for $3. And the apples looks great - not a brown spot in the bunch!

I used this simple recipe at my first attempt - although I did revise a few things:
#1 - I added 4 stripes of lemon peel - after the boil - before I pureed it - remove the lemon peel and discard.

#2 - I added a splash of nutmeg and a decent amount of Cinnamon, It made for a very tasty and flavorful apple sauce.

#3 - I ran mine through a food processor rather than a masher. It came out great!

Hope you enjoy this simple recipe and make sure to make a double batch since this freezes so well!




HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE
4 med. apples
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. sugar (brown or white)
A few shakes of cinnamon
Peel, core, and cut the apples into quarters. Put cut-up apples, sugar, cinnamon, and water into a 2-quart saucepan. Cover and cook at medium heat (simmering) for 15-20 minutes. Let apples cool, then mash them with a fork. 4 servings.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Farmers Market Sept 3 2010 - Diggity Dog






We took the pups out to the Farmers Market this week! Its something we have been wanting to do all summer but since it was so busy and hot, we thought it might be a bit much. Saki our chihuahua tends to get overwhelmed with big crowds. Since the market crowds have thinned a bit and it was a cool 85 degrees so it was perfect. They did great! Both pups met many dog friends including a very sweet German Shepard and Sushi our doxie was amazed by the huge Great Dane. They also did good with kids who were all about "petting the doggies". Only once when they had kids surrounding them on all sides did they get nervous. Sushi was also very excited to see that her birthday photo is now on display sign for Poochie Trends - we always told her to get out and get a modeling job and now she has! Cant wait to take them as much as possible in the fall.

I noticed a few new vendors this week including a home baked good - Lil Mama I think? We got cheese bread and a few cookies from them - very nice people! We also spotted the new Gelato vendor but so far they have been sold out within about 45 min. Hoping that they make more or we get there super early. Speaking of - I have noticed that getting there any later than 10 am - there is a much less of variety. Our meat guy was down to 1lb and out of eggs. No onions anywhere. Now that we are in between seasons, we've got to get movin faster in the mornings!

This weeks groceries are: Apples, Eggs, Goats Milk, Bell Peppers, Pasta, Dog Biscotti, Chips, Cheese Bread, Jalpenos, Tomatoes, Sugar Cookies, Cantaloup, Ground Pork, Cilantro Cream Salsa, Mexican Corn Salad, Pralines, Bread Pudding, and Fresh Mozzerella! So good!!