Crab Fritters and Avocado Salsa!

*I am posting this out of turn, but I just couldn't wait to put it up here!*

Crab Fritters with Avocado Salsa

Organic Seasonal Cookbook by Liz Franklin – pg. 79

Autumn - Serves 4

Ingredients:

Crab Fritters:

• 2 cups lightly cooked corn kernels
• scant ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 10 ½ oz cooked white crabmeat
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 3-4 tbsp grapeseed oil (or any other oil that has a high smoke point)
• salt and pepper
• lime wedges, for serving

Avocado Salsa:

• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 firm but ripe avocado
• 1 firm but ripe mango
• 4 firm but ripe tomatoes
• juice and finely grated rind of 2 limes
• 1 large bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. First make the salsa. Put the onion in a bowl. Remove the stalks and seeds from the bell peppers, and cut the flesh into ½ inch dice. Add to the onion. Peel the avocado and mango, then remove the pits and cut the flesh into ½ inch dice and add to the other ingredients. Stir in the lime juice and rind and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Put the corn kernels, flour, and eggs in a separate bowl and stir until well mixed. Lightly fold in the crabmeat and parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large skilled over medium-high-heat. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and cook in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crips and golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the salsa and serve with the lime wedges.

Variation:

For salsa with a little more bite, add a small finely chopped red chile or a shake or two of Tabasco sauce.

Tips:

• Tossing the ingredients for the salsa into a food processor is much faster, I recommend this when there are hungry bellies waiting for dinner.
• Purchase a fruit juicer, the glass kind that has the reservoir to catch the juice - juice by hand, not by machine. You will get so much more juice than if you squeeze the limes.
• Do half of the parsley and see how much it takes up in the batter, add little by little after that. I had too much parsley from one bunch, so just be aware.
• Please do not use Olive Oil as your frying Oil... or canola or vegetable for that matter. Best try to use grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, or any other oil that has a high "smoke point" - we have no need to make our food carcinogenic. 
• I used a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop my batter and plop it into the pan. With a large sautee pan you can plop about 4-5 at a time to fry. That makes the process much faster... particularly useful, again, if you have hungry bellies waiting. The tablespoon was a perfect size, squishing it down to be more flat once it was in the pan.
• Eat!!

With Love,

~Birdie

Spaghetti with Fresh Pea Pesto and Fava Beans

It was delicious!

Spaghetti with Fresh Pea Pesto and Fava Beans –

Organic Seasonal Cookbook by Liz Franklin - pg. 63

Summer

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Pea Pesto:

3 cups fresh shelled peas

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 ½ oz Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated, plus extra, shaved, for serving

2/3 cup blanched almonds, chopped

pinch of sugar

Spaghetti:

9 oz shelled fava beans

1 lb dried spaghetti

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. For the pesto, cook the peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese and process to a coarse paste. Add the almonds and process again. Add the sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Blanch the fava beans in a saucepan of salted boiling water until just tender. Drain and let cool. Peel off the dull skins.
3. Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions, or until al dente. Drain, then stir in the fava beans and toss with the pesto. Add a good coarse grinding of pepper and serve immediately with shavings of parmesan cheese.
   
   
   
   
   Yum,
   ~Birdie

Restaurant Styled Organic Salsa.... mmmm...

There is this blog that I follow pretty much religiously. I think she is the pips. This Pioneer gal is my role model. She home schools her kids, lives on a huge cattle ranch, has a hunky husband (just like me!), has two bassett hounds and is equally obsessed with them as I am with Izzie, and she cooks, writes books, gardens, and eats delicious food. She is awesome. 


While stalking... I mean.... perusing her website I stumbled across her recipe for home made restaurant styled salsa. It seems that she is just as picky and obsessive about salsa as I am. I gave the recipe a shot a few months back and it was pretty spot on. I am a spicy kind of girl, so I added some extra kick to mine to satisfy my needs. 

Flash forward to now. While at the grocery store this morning I was struck with inspiration to make it again. Few things compare to delicious home made salsa! This time, knowing now what I know, I bought organic veggies. Yum! 

I have been trying to learn how to do things from scratch when cooking so instead of using out of the can ingredients like she suggests I bought some roma tomatoes and tossed them into a pot of water and set it to boil.

I sent my cilantro, jalapenos, and onion through my food processor and waited for the tomatoes to be soft enough to turn into tomatoey mush. 

With the tomatoes ready to make said mush. I tossed them into the food processor and made mush.

Combine all the ingredients. Throw in the spices that she suggests (mmmm cumin) and give it a stir. Because I made such a large batch I had to up the ante on the spices to make sure it all came out right. I love that I have been cooking for long enough that my measuring spoons are pretty much dust collectors. A dash of this, pinch of that, glob of this... that's how it works these days. 

After mixing the ingredients together I tossed it back into the pot to simmer. Roasted salsa is so delicious... mmmmm..... 

Once it is nice and toasty, you let it cool a moment, plop some in a nifty bowl, and dig in. As for me... I canned the rest - Three 16 oz. mason jars of salsa to put up on the shelf. Yum.

Siesta Time!
~ Birdie


Neat little find: GMO Free tortilla chips! It's a good day.

Also. Izzie isn't a fan of the pressure cooker.

Sad eyes.

Ada, however, doesn't care.

Please note my little darling's tongue... which is sticking out. That is how much she cares.

The Power of Flower Essences

Snapdragons from last year's garden.

Flower Essences are highly medicinal and all too often over-looked. There is so much life in a plant that they are dying to share with us all, waiting for us to return to our natural roots of medicine and rekindle that loving relationship between (wo)man and plant. A Flower Essence is quite special and so very very simple. The flower is by far the most expressive part of a plant. It says: "Look at me! I'm here!" or it might say "Go away!" or "Please, be gentle." When we take the bud and leaves of a plant and place them in pure, clean water a transference begins to happen. By placing that glass bowl of water and buds into the sunlight the sun helps to magnify that transfer by warming the petals and pushing that flower/plant's energy into the water. In short, we are collecting the energy of the plant in the water. This energy and (natural) chemicals are what make the water capable of healing. Need proof that there is a some form of transferring happening? Take a sip of the water- can you taste the flavor? Rose Water is often made this way- very refreshing, yummy, and medicinal. It is quite similar to making sun tea with dried herbs.


Perhaps the best way to explain what they are is to explain how to make one yourself. (It is SO easy and such a wonderful experience.)


There are many schools of thought on how to make a flower essence. Some practice strict guidelines while others are more willie-nillie about it. My advice: do what feels right to you. That is one of the most amazing parts of creating and using Flower Essences. They are created by you, with your intentions, with your heart, and with your needs in mind. For the tutorial below I will focus on the more relaxed version as this is how I intend to gather my own essences. You can choose the plants in your back yard, at the park, or out in the "wild." Wild flowers and plants are likely to give you cleaner energy as they are further away from most pollutants such as pesticides, herbicides, and carbon monoxide. 

Supplies:

• 4-16 oz. Mason Jar with lid and ring (Makes for a great travel container)
• Clean water - fill jar with water ahead of time.
• Notepad and pen/pencil
• Extras- always, ALWAYS use precautions when out in the sun- bring lots of water, a snack, a hat, and guard yourself from over exposure to the sun. Vitamin D is wonderful for you, but too much can make you sick. 
• 80-100 proof Vodka (can remain at home for the second part of essence collecting)
• 8-32 oz. glass jar (You will need it to be double the size of your water jar)
• Glass dropper
• Amber bottles to put your essence into

Some supplies. Don't forget the big hat!

The Process:

When you arrive at the location in which you will be searching for your plant of interest take a moment to pause and clear your thoughts. Take a few deep breaths and close your eyes. Listen to what is going on around you; the birds, crickets, flies, water, and wind. What do you smell? Breathe in deep and concentrate. What do you want to find today? What are you looking for? Set your intention for the day.


Our intentions can range from the specific to the all encompassing. Connect with your inner self and begin your conversation: "Today, world, I need to heal my heart." or "Show me what I need most." It can truly be anything. There is no wrong way to do this. All that is asked is that you allow yourself to be in this moment. Own the journey you are about to embark on. Take your time and embrace your environment. 


Begin walking. Keep your eyes sharp, but also pay attention to your inner-energy. Are you being pulled in one way or another? Is something encouraging you to take the left fork instead of the right? Where are the animals leading you? It is known that, visually, we will be most attracted to the flowers we need. Once you have found that plant or flower that has caught your attention, go to it. Explore it for a moment and take a few more deep breaths. Try to align yourself with the plant and begin your conversation with it. Ask it "What would you like to share with me today?" Now, like most, you likely won't get a clear "Hello there, I am made for curing the whooping cough and other ancient illnesses." BUT if you sit near the plant and start to explore yourself, the answer to your question will come to you. So take a seat and enjoy being in the presence of your plant.


Once you feel you have connected with your plant friend (this can be however long it takes, 2 minutes... 20 minutes? Only you know when you are ready.) Open your jar and place it at the base of the plant or nearby, so long as it is in full sun. Ask the plant if you can take some of it's flower buds or leaves. (Very rarely will you get a "No.") Remove only as much as you feel you will need. Some use only a few buds, others will fill the surface of the water. Again, it is up to you. Place the buds in the water and let the water charge in the sunlight for however long you feel is necessary. (45 minutes is usually a good minimum). 


While letting your water charge, meditate with the plant you are using for a while. What words would you use to describe this plant/flower? Friendly, protective, stubborn, playful, whimsical, dominant, shy.... the list goes on forever. Write these words down. Be sure to record how you are feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically while working with the plant/flower. Take note of how the plant interacts with its neighbors. Who are its neighbors? What animals or insects are mingling with the plant/flower? 


Your descriptions are a crucial part to this process because they will ultimately tell you what this plant is for. When you feel it is complete and you are ready to go, be sure to thank the plant/flower for sharing with you and offer it some water (other than from the essence) as a sign of gratitude. Take the plant parts out of your essence jar and put the lid on it. Return home.


*For those who are looking for a more precise and exact method of Flower Essence harvesting, pay attention to the phases of the moon- new moon, full moon, eclipse, etc. Let the flowers set in the water of a glass bowl and charge in the sun (or moonlight) for 2-4 hours, under the plant, on the soil that surrounds the plant. Let the energy of the Earth help you charge the water with the essence of the flower.*

In process Flower Essence charging.

Preserving:

• Pour the flower essence water into a jar double its size (ex: 4 oz jar into an 8 oz jar, etc.)
• Add in the vodka to fill the remaining space of the jar (ex: add 4 oz to the 8 oz jar)
• (You could also use Brandy and vegetable glycerin, but I don't recommend it as Brandy has a very strong, distinct taste- to me at least. Yuck!)
• This initial mixture is called your Mother Essence. This is your stock jar that you will make your essences from for this particular plant. It will last you many years. (How cool is that?)

Dilutions and Dosages:

• Mother Essence: 50% Water (+Flower Essence) + 50 % Vodka in jar.
• Practitioner's Bottle: 7 drops of Mother Essence + 50% Water + 50% Vodka in 1 oz amber bottle
• Dosage Bottle: 7 drops of Practitioner's Bottle + 25% Alcohol + 75% Water in a 1 oz. amber bottle
• Take 5 drops from this bottle 5 times daily.
• This dosage will last about 3 weeks.
• If not 5 drops 5 times daily, try 25 drops in your morning tea/coffee or your water bottle.
• Important: 
• Store in a cool, dark place. 
• Label your Mother Essence, Practitioner's Bottle, and your Dosage Bottle.
• It is safe to use only the Mother Essence if you are looking for a little more bang-for-your-buck.

Most people need at least 21 days to make a shift internally, although it can occur sooner. If you begin to feel an aversion to the mixture this is your body telling you that you don't need it anymore. 

Benefits:

• Will not counter-indicate pharmaceuticals, blood pressure, psych meds, etc.
• Will bring you back to your natural balance.
• Won't make you feel something you are not (unlike the Rx Drugs)
• Babies LOVE Flower Essences and this can be very calming for them
• First 6 months - 5 drops in your hand and gently rub on the crown of baby's head.
• After 6 months - can be taken internally
• Works with pets - calming, healing, energizing - it all depends. Can be taken internally
• Plants benefit from them too! Put in a spray bottle with water and watch your plants grow faster!
• And, of course, the Medicinal properties for us humans. They heal the mental and emotional as well as the physical!

Some Desert Marigolds.

Additional Tips:

• Don't leave in the car or in the sun after creation. It will fry the essence.
• Psych meds may delay the break through, but it will happen.
• It's great to combine flowers together while charging, be sure to label them appropriately.
• Driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere and a flower/plant/bush catches your eye!? 
• Pull over, hop out, and collect an essence. Don't have time to sit around and connect with the plant beyond a few minutes? 
• Thank it gently, give your offering, and take your jar (with the flowers still in it) to the car- make a "Dashboard Essence" 
• Try to capture the plant's essence when it is at the peak of its bloom.
• If the plant blooms at night, allow the plant to charge in the moonlight instead of the daylight.
• If the bud can be bent at the stem, gently, and held in place in the water, do that instead of picking the buds- why take from the plant what we don't need to?

Great Resources:

• Organic Alchemist: Katie Hess of Lotus Wei - explore her website and take the flower quiz found on the homepage. She provides you with a journal that you can download to monitor your emotional health; as well as some of her products. Also partnering with Katie is Lisa Reinhardt of Wei of Chocolate (Delicious organic dark chocolate infused with flower essences!)
• Rhonda PallasDowney - founder of Living Flower Essence and author of numerous books about Flower Essences and their powers. Rhonda has a lifetime of experience working in harmony with the Earth. She loves to share her stories and help others begin their own journeys. Rhonda uses Brandy to preserve her essences which she takes straight from the Mother Essence. Perhaps most importantly, Rhonda connects our Chakras with plants that best embrace them. 
• Mimi Kamp - I participated in a nature walk and flower essence workshop with Mimi and was so glad that I did. As much as it was informative, it was also spiritual. We, as a class, bonded with nature and collected flower essences (blog to follow). Among her many talents, she also provides her own essences that she has collected and created. Mimi favors the desert and works closely with cacti and other desert plants. Never underestimate the greatness of a cactus - they, too, have so much to offer us! She can be contacted at: jumi@theriver.com.

Blessings in Your Journey,

~Birdie

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

Click to find a Farmers Market near you!