Home Grown

I don't have much to write or at least I'm not inspired much at this moment to write, but I feel it is something worth noting, as I munch on these mild radishes dipped in ranch, that even though we aren't able to go to the local farmers market right now we can still get "local" foods from our supermarket. Beau and I usually go to the Saturday morning Farmers Market every weekend where we would buy all our produce and bread, pasta and granola for the week. It is a great tradition that we love very much. However, my work schedule has changed and I am working Saturday mornings. We have tried to go to other Farmers Markets in the area during the week, but they just didn't have same atmosphere as our Saturday Market. Needless to say, we have been shopping at the grocery store until my Saturdays are free again. Tonight, on such a trip, I took note of the labels on our food. I'm surprised I hadn't looked before, as I am becoming increasingly interested in knowing where my food is coming from and who produced it. Such a luxury of the Farmers Market, not so much the grocery store.

Grocery Cart

This is the beginning of our shopping cart. To the left (Red potatoes, carrots, broccoli, blueberries, mushrooms, radishes, apples, and onions) were all produced and grown in the United States. The items of the right (Plums, Avocados, tomatoes) came from Chile and Mexico. I was happily surprised to see how much of our food was coming from the USA. We were shopping at a grocery chain called Fresh and Easy. I challenge you all to check where your food is being grown. Keep in mind that the FDA and USDA have rules for our country (politics aside) regarding what kind of pesticides can be used on our produce. This means that pesticide companies can only use certain "non-harmful" pesticides on our food, however, this does not stop these companies from manufacturing illegal, extremely harmful pesticides and shipping them to other countries where the rules and regulations are not as strict. These countries, who are using these harmful pesticides, are shipping their crops over to the US where the American people are consuming the food and pesticides. This is creating a Circle of Poison. A small book was written by two scientists in the 70's-80's regarding the dangers of pesticides. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in making healthier decisions for themselves and their family. If anyone needed reason to buy organic, this book would give plenty.

Side Note:

Vegetables that Izzie LOVES:

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Radishes

Carrots

Lettuce

Spinach

Vegetables that Izzie HATES:

Celery

What are you eating?

~Birdie

Farmer's Market

This morning was a relaxing one made complete with a quick romp to the farmer's market in phoenix where we picked up our weekly groceries. We really enjoy coming to this farmer's market, mostly because they have a wide variety of produce as well as live music (typically). The atmosphere is light and fun and particularly enjoyable since the weather has cooled and we now experience the desire to be warm instead of chilly. It's a good feeling. We grab our usual produce: potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, romaine lettuce (or spinach, depending), green beans, apples, and lemons - all organic and grown in Arizona. Every so often we will pick up some plums or avocados, cilantro or squash, but today we kept it simple. The potato and garlic booth that we go to are one of our favorite vendors. The family is from Colorado and truly love what they do. It is always a pleasure stopping and talking for a little while. We also stop and get bread from The Great Harvest. This bread isn't your every day, run of the mill bread you could find at any store. This bread is Heaven! We get the "High Fiber" multigrain bread that is so dense and rich with nutrients one piece is enough to satisfy a grumbling tummy. We spoke with the owner of the franchise (yes, it's a franchise, but it's a franchise with a good message and practice) who made the bread herself... that morning. She beamed with pride in what she was doing and how she was contributing to the local economy with her hand crafted breads. The grain for the breads come from Montana, non-GMO, and are organic. The farmers are under contract with The Great Harvest, but are able to harvest their own seeds and reuse them the next year. Take that Monsanto. High Fiber is made with particular care, they grind the whole grains themselves by hand and then add it to the batter. All organic, all delicious! It costs a little more than your typical bread ($7 a loaf), but it is worth every penny and nothing goes to waste, we eat every last crumb!

Although I am vegetarian, my Beau is not thus we always stop at the booth of a local rancher and pick up some ground beef. We spoke to the rancher for a while to find out their process for slaughter as well as the growth, aging, and lives of the cows. The cows are grass fed and are free range. They are about 2 years old when they are taken to a specific slaughter house that the rancher researched and interviewed. He was specific that his cows be treated, not only humanely, but with respect and with care. As for the slaughtering process they use either a .22 pistol or an air gun (thing?) between the eyes. This sounds a little graphic, but I assure you- this is the best way to do it compared to corporate practices where the cows are taken to slaughter and done so without the least bit of humanity. (See Food, Inc.) Our rancher says a brief prayer over his cows before leading them onto his trailer just as his father did and his father before that. We were very pleased to hear how passionate this rancher was about his lifestyle and his cows. He went on to tell us that he stayed with his cows and saw them through the process after bringing them to the slaughter facility, stating "I feel I owe them at least that considering what they are giving of themselves." Now that is my kind of rancher. It was a great conversation that ended with an invitation to the ranch to see for ourselves how these cows lived and were taken care of.



Noodles and Bread. YUM!



Our last stop was at a new booth where they were selling "natural," hand-crafted spaghetti noodles. Again, not the least expensive product, but worth it. We bought 4 different flavors for $20 and are pretty excited about trying them out. The idea with the noodles is that they are made with flavor so that you don't have to eat them with a sauce, they are the sauce. When you boil and cook the noodles you drain most, but not all, of the water. What remains is a flavored sauce while the noodles are also packed with that flavor. You drizzle some olive oil, perhaps cooks up some fresh veggies, and serve. Yum! We bought: Habanero, Red Bell Pepper, Tomato Basil Garlic, and Spinach Basil Garlic. Yum yum yum yum!!

Unfortunately, with my new work schedule, we aren't able to come to this market anymore, but since it was a holiday weekend I was able to take the day off and spend it at the market with my Beau. Next week it is back to the rat race and figuring out where a different market is at. I hear there is one in Scottsdale on Wednesday evenings which could work. We shall see!

Buy local, eat local,

~ Birdie

Cha-Cha-Changes...

Recently, my household has made an informed transition away from processed foods, fast foods, and mainstream farming. We shop at farmer's markets, eat at locally owned restaurants, and grow our own organic produce when we can. Our household has made this decision based on many facts that have come to light in recent years. Facts regarding GMO (Genetically Modified Foods), Monsanto, animal cruelty at commercial farms and slaughtering practices, and corruption within the ranks of the FDA and USDA. Just google any of these items and you will find numerous articles, videos, and books explaining how tainted our food market truly is on a commercial level. The consumer suffers. The farmers suffer. The Earth suffers. A movie worth watching, Food Inc., explains how the United States food economy has lost its way and is now in the hands of some very serious corporations. The documentary does a wonderful job informing the individual and covering as many sides to the story that the producers could. I sincerely recommend this movie to anyone, particularly people with families who are being raised in this broken environment. My other recommendation is for education on all spectrums. Take a nutrition course at your local community college. It is worth every penny and you learn a wealth of knowledge. Why there aren't teaching nutrition at basice education levels is beyond me, but I am truly happy that I am taking one now. My intention for this post is not to induce fear among the masses (all 1 of my followers), but to show how easy the transition is to make and to provide a segway from the garden to the kitchen. Recipes, canning information, preserves, and dehydration are all on the list of things to post about so keep an eye out- my next post is about my earthy, homemade garden vegetable soup!


Shop local. Eat local. Grow your own,
~Birdie

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