Proposal to Shut Down GM Rice in China

http://m.current.com/technology/93678599_china-to-completely-shut-down-gm-rice.htm

Happy Cows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KaltD0Z6ww&feature=player_embedded

I love this video, and had to share.  It makes me happy to se that even cows can appreciate spring, open air, and pastures.
I bought some cheddar cheese from Britain a few days ago, the store had a few varieties, and none of them were orange.  All the British Cheddar was white, like it should be.  Cheddar cheeses from other European countries were also white.  Is N America the only place that sees some point of adding orange food colouring to cheese?  Don't we have enough chemicals in our food?!  I hope that there will be a Food Revolution in my life time.  Not because of a shortage, and how could there be a shortage with all the lab created foods.  One day people will finally say enough, we want real food with naturally occurring nutrients.  No more synthetics, preservatives, additives, substitutes, colours.  Properly grown food has all the nutrition we need.  Wake up and smell the GMOs.  Oh wait, you can't, because all these modified foods barely have a smell any more.

Lemon Lavender Shortbread

I've been craving shortbread for about two weeks now, which is odd, because I only crave shortbread around Christmas time, or at least during winter.  I know it's March, but it feels like May outside, so these cravings don't make sense.

Anyway, I enjoyed them with whipped cream and Earl Grey tea.  I ate at least 8 pieces, but at least my cravings were satisfied.

Here is the recipe I used, more or less:
http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-ca/foodandrecipes/pages/lavender-lemon-shortbread-cookies.aspx

I skipped the chocolate and caramel, because like my ice cream, I prefer shortbread without too much stuff going on.  I can't think of anything that I like more when dipped in chocolate.  Chocolate is good on its own.

Enjoy!

The Absurdity of Raw Milk Prohibition

I'm all for raw milk, this is just another article supporting raw milk and the ridiculous obstacles farmers wanting to sell raw milk are faced with:


http://www.carolinajournal.com/jhdailyjournal/display_jhdailyjournal.html?id=8879

Indoor Gardening

A few weeks ago I started a mini indoor garden.  I try to have some fresh herbs, I do mostly outside when the weather is warm and stable.  I say stable, because for about two weeks we've had 20+ C outside, about 4x the seasonal norm.  It's the middle of March.  Today is cooler, hopefully winter won't be back.  I didn't want to take chances with planting seeds outside just in case it went below zero again.

Here is a photo of my mini indoor garden:

What you see there are 2 pots of heirloom garlic, I used my last 2 cloves, parsley, and mixed greens.  The fluffy green plant on the left is a decorative asparagus fern.  The garlic is growing very fast, so I knotted the leaves so the plant starts focusing more on the bulb, as opposed to the foliage.  I haven't decided yet, if I'm going to let one grow seeds, or if I will use both for the garlic cloves.  I might do that, and then just re-sow a few of the cloves, instead of growing it from seeds.  Last night I actually added two more cans, one with chives, and one with green sweet basil.  I love fresh basil.  Chives are delicious chopped on a fresh piece of crusty rye or pumpernickel with butter, farmer's cheese or cottage cheese, and s&p.  I prefer chives to green onions, they have a slightly milder flavour, and are significantly thinner, you can also dehydrate them.

I came across this nifty idea for indoor planting and reusing/ recycling:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150745621612053&set=o.189287804456890&type=1&theater

If I get my hands on some pop bottles, I will definitely try this.

BTW, this is what I've got blooming in my yard to date (this year):

The crocusses came in first, and the blooms are already gone, I only had 3 flowers, so I didn't bother collecting the saffron.  For those who don't know, saffron are the yellow (reproductive) bits inside the crocus flower.  I didn't actually plant them, they were there from previous owners, or possibly squirrels.  Super tiny and just poking from below the shrub you see in the background.  The mini daffodils, I planted last fall, in a not so straight row.  I love them all.  Instant smiles.  My winter rose has small buds, I planted it last year, so I didn't even expect any flowers this year.

Happy gardening!

Baked Oatmeal

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/baked-oatmeal-with-blueberries-and.html

I got this recipe last week from a friend, and made a half portion for Sunday's brunch, to test it out.  It was quite tasty, so I made the full portion last night for dessert.

Here's what I changed:
- used butter instead of oil
-used whole non homogenized milk
-used more blueberries and pecans
-used less honey

The first time I made it, I used some clover honey and some agave nectar, because I didn't have enough honey.  Even though I used less than 1/4 cup between the two - I didn't measure, but I know it was less than 1/4 cup, I found the dish too sweet.  So, the second time I used about 2 table spoons of lavender honey, and it came out ok, could be a bit sweeter, but since I used pecans, I can drizzle maple syrup on top to achieve a sweeter, more dessert like, taste.

The first time, I also used aluminum foil for the whole time, the first 15 min and the final 30 min, mainly because I assumed I should.  The second time, I noticed it only says to use foil for baking the bananas, which makes sense, because the foil traps in heat and steam, so they bake through quicker and remain moist.

The recipe also specifies ripe bananas, which I used the first time, but the second time my bananas weren't very ripe, they still worked, but I'm thinking the super ripe ones add extra sweetness, an they bake through better.  I say either works, but if you're using light-med yellow bananas, adjust the sweetness, and expect some unbaked bits.

The second time I used foil for the first half and removed it for the second half - more or less - of the 30 minute baking.  The top pecans didn't get as soft, but otherwise it was fine.

When I made the half batch, I still used a whole egg, and I think I liked it better, so next time when I am making a full batch I may use 2 eggs, or one big one from the farm.  I'm waiting for my order to come in  :)

In the end, this is a great idea for oatmeal.  James liked it enough to want me to make it a second time, and he doesn't like oatmeal or blueberries.  I love finding ways of making him eat things he says he doesn't like, and having him ask for seconds, and I didn't even have to disguise the oatmeal or blueberries.

In the future I may use different fruit and nut combos.  I think this would be great with peaches and / or plums with walnuts, and plain yogurt on top when serving; or raspberries and almonds; or even chocolate chips, banana, and hazelnuts, with whipped cream, for an even more desserty alternative.

Enjoy!

Eggs

Eggs are awesome.  They are indispensable in baking and so versatile on their own.  Packed with taste and nutritional value, they are a staple in my kitchen.  I grew up with chickens running in our yard.  I used to feed them and would get in trouble for trying to squeeze the baby chicks and ducklings we'd have delivered each spring (late winter/ early spring).  I miss those days and that apron.

I recently got some eggs from my mom's friend who gets them from a farmer well outside the city, and he doesn't grow them commercially, just enough for himself and some friends.  They were very different from store bought eggs, even the free range, hormone and AB free eggs, which are significantly more pricey than plain eggs.  I don't get why brown eggs cost more than white eggs, when the colour depends on the chicken's feathers.  It's ridiculous how much marketing tries to brainwash people not just with earthy toned packaging, but associating egg shell colours with health.  It's what's on the inside that matters.  All the fat and (good) cholesterol are in the yolk along with 40% protein, the other 60% of protein is actually in the egg white.

Look at the colour of these yolks:

The eggs were also significantly larger than the large eggs I usually get from the supermarket.  I put in another order, but my mom's friend is in Cuba, so I didn't get any this week.  Luckily I still have four left from last week.  So many things you can do with eggs, but my fave is scrambled in butter with a pinch of salt, or just using salted butter.  I also like them hard boiled and sliced on buttered rye, as well as poached.

Eating To Be Acne Free!

Eating To Be Acne Free!

Great little video, presented by Kristen Ma of Holistic Vanity, www.holisticvanity.ca, and Joy McCarthy, a holistic nutritionist, who can be found at www.joyoushealth.ca.  The video highlights top foods for detoxing our livers, and how in turn we can heal our skin and prevent acne.  Very easy suggestions.

I love my glass of lemon water first thing in the morning, after I brush my teeth of course.  If you're drinking or eating highly acidic foods - any time, you shouldn't brush your teeth right after, because you'll be causing abrasion - mechanical damage, which adds up over time, and can wear out enamel.

I'm glad that they mentioned avocados and their health benefits.  I can't wait for the "fat hate" to go away already.  Stop eating junk and fast food, start eating butter, lard, avocados, linseed, sesame seeds, flax seeds, coconut oil, walnuts, etc.

International Women's Day!

To All the Ladies, including the ones who may not know that today celebrates their hard work.

Long live LARD!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/feb/15/consider-lard?INTCMP=SRCH

I recently wrote a post on lard, so I don't have much else to add, except that for all those non-believers, you should try it first.  Lard is real food.

Proper prep for grains and beans

http://www.westonaprice.org/beginner-videos/proper-preparation-of-grains-and-legumes-video-by-sarah-pope

Watch this short video (about 7 minutes) with great tips on how to prepare grains and various beans the old fashioned way.  Proper preparation should decrease gluten sensitivities, as well as bloating, and gas, and increase the uptake of nutrients and enzymes.

Chicken schnitzel

I had a piece of a jalapeño ciabatta left over from over a week ago, so I made bread crumbs out of it the other day.

Today I made chicken schnitzels.  I'm not a huge fan of chicken, but I sure love the buttery taste of a schnitzel.  Please don't fry it in anything other than butter.  I went to a chop house about a month ago, with some friends who have been there before, and I had a burger.  I'm so glad I did.  James ordered a schnitzel, and I had a piece and hated it.  It was awful, and all I could taste was oil.  I bet it was deep fried too.  He didn't hate it, but said my home made schnitzels are far better.  I think I have a long way to go with his taste buds, but at the same time, they have come a long way already.

I'm fairly limited when it comes to vegetables that James will actually eat.  The list of produce he will eat is much shorter than the stuff he won't.  I still eat stuff I love, either when he's not around, or sometimes I make us separate dinners.  It's not a chore, because I love cooking.  

The above mushrooms were panfried with a bit of butter, just so they wouldn't stick, and once they start cooking they release a lot of water.  Fry them until the liquid is pretty much gone.  I used a small amount of Provence type herbs, sometimes I make them plain, or with salty butter.  The red lentils I made with cumin, coriander and a bay leaf.  I'm so into bay leaf right now.  I've always liked it, but I use it as much as possible lately.

Prosciutto di Parma

I love this photo:

I don't have the link for it, but I found another site with a similar photo:

http://agferrarifoods.wordpress.com/tag/prosciutto-di-parma/

I buy Parma prosciutto at an Italian deli, I like it on a plate with other snack type foods, like rye or pumpernickel bread, pickles, sauerkraut, other meats, various vegetables, sometimes cheese.  It's like a sampler plate, but adds up to a meal.  Takes little time to put together, but is filling, healthy, and most importantly yummy!

Spaetzle and Sticky Rice Treats

It's Monday and it's one of those days.  Super sunny out, but also super cold.  I've had better days.  I'm kind of craving everything right now.  Here are a couple of tasty fast treats.

Spaetzle are soft egg noodles, usually used as a side with meat dishes, alone or with various things, like mushrooms, onions, cheese, lentils, spinach, etc, depending on the region.  They come in three basic shapes, long and stringy, short and wider pieces, or short little knobs.  When I was a kid my grandma made egg noodles from scratch a lot, especially for dinner parties.  They aren't hard to make, but are more time consuming than opening a package.  You can buy egg noodles in most markets, German, Polish, Swiss, Hungarian, French, even general grocery stores.

I use egg noodles instead of pasta a lot; they taste better, with tomato sauce, for mac and cheese, for soups, cream sauces, etc.  Sometimes I like to boil the egg noodles, drain, fry in butter and then sprinkle with sugar.  When I was a kid, living in the country with loads of seasonal fresh fruits, we would pick whatever fruit, say red currants, or poppy seeds, or berries, and mash them up with a bit of sugar, then add noodles.  It was a great snack.  A lot of the "weird" stuff I eat, is from my childhood.

Another version of a yummy sugar and butter snack, is sticky rice.  Same idea as with the egg noodles, but minus the frying.

These photos don't look like much, but if you've tried either, you'd be salivating like me right now  :)

Cauliflower recipe that is great for your health

Click here for the recipe and enjoy!

...from www.chatelaine.com

Pig lard and lardons

I love pig fat.  If you know me, you know that.  I love pig skin, whether it's cooked or roasted or in jelly.  I buy pig lard with the bits at a Polish deli, but sometimes I make my own.  I made some recently.  My bf got me this grease pot, which is for dumping grease into, it has a sieve, so the solids stay on top, then when it solidifies, you can scrape it out and dispose of it, without clogging your plumbing with hot grease.  Naturally when he gave it to me, and I saw it said GREASE on it, I was super excited, thinking it was a pot for my fat.  Then he explained the above to me.  I said, who does that?  Why would you want to throw out lard?  When I was a kid, my grandma always had a jar of home made lard.  Sometimes she would fry rye bread in it, and it was so good.

So every once in a while, I fry rye in lard, and either eat it with my home made sauerkraut, or with sliced dill pickles.  It's insane how good it is.  Just to clarify, dill pickles by my def, have no vinegar, just natural brine.  If you're buying "dill" pickles at the supermarket, read the ingredients.  Also, if you're buying rye at the supermarket, read the ingredients, wheat flour is usually a huge component, and to give the bread a denser feel and "healthier" look, they add caramel colour.  Food regulations should be much stricter, especially labeling.  Somehow though, the gov't seems to think that infringing on our privacy (SOPA/ACTA) is more important than labels on our food.

Here is my story in pictures  :)

Those lardons, skwarki (Polish) or scruncheons, as they call them in Eastern Canada, especially Newfoundland, are so yummy, they are like little crispy squishy sponges filled with pig fat.

Another option is just lard on rye with sea salt, I used maple smoked rock salt from BC:

Give it a try, let me know what you think.
Bon appetit!

Beef Stew

Stews are an easy dish to make, mainly because it's a one pot kind of a dinner.  They are perfect for cold days, healthy and hardy.  It's like a soup, but more filling, and who doesn't love soup.  They are convenient too, because you can pretty much put anything into a stew.  When you're in a pinch, you don't even need much meat, or any meat for that matter, veggie stews are delicious, and you can include various beans to make them more filling and increase the protein and extra fibre.

I used grass fed, AAA, ribeye steak, cubed it and seared it in spices.  I love marjoram with red meat.

In a pot, I fried up some fresh garlic in butter.  I found an Ontario grown heirloom variety, it's amazing how much flavour there is in such small cloves/ heads compared to the majority of standard supermarket garlic from China, and sometimes from the USA.  When I was a kid, and my grandma grew a lot of stuff, her garlic was also small.

I added diced carrots, potatoes, dry polish sausage (Krakowska), some peas, spices (bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, s&p), and a bit of water, enough to barely cover the stuff.

Once the beef cubes were about half way cooked through, I added them to the pot.

Then as it was cooking, I made a roux (flour and butter) to thicken up the water, and make it into a sauce, otherwise it would be a chunky soup.

It was delicious, nutritious, and filling.  Now I'm waiting for my brownies to cool down  :)