kamillecscellick

Energy Bars

I can recall ubiquitous labeled ‘energy bars’ everywhere in the 90s. It seemed like they popped up in all shapes, sizes, flavors or non. I also recall most them making me want to gag. They were full of healthy ingredients, but a little too healthy that you wondered why they didn’t just call it a multi-vitamin bar instead.

That being said, I’ve never been a big fan of Luna bars or crunchy granola bars. What was left was soft, yet sugar filled granola bars. All of them lacked various components. When I think about an energy bar, I don’t want to see sugar on the label, or carob, alfalfa or cooked so long that it chips a tooth. Luckily, I married a man who agrees with me on all accounts, which is probably why he found Great Harvest Bread’s energy bar stellar. It was chewy, a bit moist, but not crumbly, rounded flavor and filling. Everything an energy bar should behold.

Here are the ingredients in order on the G.H.B.’s energy bar: rolled oats, dates, natural peanut butter, honey, almonds, oat bran, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, vanilla & sea salt. Of course, we don’t know how much, but that’s what my job is–right?! I cracked a code and came up with a pretty darn close replica. I used a full 6 cups in this recipe, but after baking them, I think 5 cups would have been better. I had planned on using 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter, but only used 1 cup. If I had used 1 1/2 cups, then the 6 cups of oats might not have been a problem. But enough with what I did–go on and make them and let me know what you think. They’re sure to be a hit and be gone more quickly than you can make them.

Energy Bars (printable recipe)

These are great to tie you over and quite filling. If you’re vegan, then try using maple syrup or agave nectar. If you have a peanut/tree nut allergy, you could always use sunbutter.

Ingredients:

5 – 6 cups; 17.5 – 21 oz; 500-600 grams rolled oats

2 1/4 cups; 8 1/2 oz; 236 grams medjool dates (seeds out)

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup; 8 oz; 226 grams natural smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup; 6 oz; 170 grams honey

3/4 cup; 3.5 oz; 100 grams almonds

1/2 cup; 2.5 oz; 65 grams oat bran

1/4 cup; 1.25 oz; 34 grams whole wheat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp kosher salt

Directions: Soak your pitted dates in a bowl with the hot water and cover with a plate for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and dump dates into a food processor. Puree it up. You will need to scrap the sides occasionally. Add the peanut butter to the dates and puree again. While the machine is running, add about 1/3 of the honey (save the rest for later). The mixture will clump into a ball and that’s okay.

Remove as much of the date mixture into a small bowl–set aside. Put in the almonds and pulse at 3 second intervals until they are coarsely chopped.

In a large bowl, combine 5 cups (or 500 g or 17.5 ounces) of rolled oats, leaving the additional 1 cup of oats aside, oat bran, w.w. flour, almonds & salt. Mix it all up.

Put the date puree mixture into the rolled oats bowl. Add the vanilla now & using your hands, begin to mix the ingredients altogether. This will take a bit to incorporate the oats into the date puree. You want the oats to be completely bound by the date mixture. Go ahead and add the rest of the honey to help soak more of the oats & bind it all together–mix some more.

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and press mixture into the pan. You will want them to be about 3/4 inch thick.

Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. The underside of the bars will have more of the toasty look. (You can cut them and turn them over & bake for an additional 5 minutes) Cut them into squares (or bars). Serves about 12-15.

Healthy Fish Tacos (but good)

Have you ever gone without sugar (refined sugar) for a while to see what hold it has over your life? Yes, but only during Lent? Or to lose weight? Well, I was beginning to see a trend in my life of treating myself daily, sometimes little things like a mocha I made at the 1:00 hour (sound familiar to anyone else?). And other times a bit bigger like making these to eat a couple, hopefully give the majority away and then, post them here. Monday morning came and I felt old. Maybe it’s the bed (it is a bit), but I think it had stronger correlations with sugar.

So that evening I said to God, “Okay God–I’m making this covenant, or vow or whatever we call it, to abstain from sugar until Ben and I go on our weekend trip. I think this is the only way I’ll stick to this no sugar thing. I’m starting tomorrow morning.” Tuesday morning came and it was fine, but I’ve abstained from sugar before and it isn’t until day 3 that you really lose it. It’s more mental than physical at that point. You think thoughts, “how can I celebrate if I can’t have a cookie…or…man, this whole love of baking really isn’t working for me right now…or…could I bake something, post it on my blog even if I never tasted it, but had someone I trust tell me their thoughts?” The good news is I didn’t surrender fruit or all breads..simply limiting my bread/starch intake.

The other good news is I’ve taken on cooking as my creative outlet this week, which makes my family happy come dinner time. I took a couple pictures of my guacamole & tacos tonight before the feast fest began. Unfortunately, our beloved camera that I was actually feeling wasn’t great has departed. Now, I mourn it and realize how good I had it. When I ventured on the blogging scene+food blogging scene in particular, I soon was amazed at the velocity of food photos foodie bloggers create. Most have cameras that are a bit more expensive than what I can shell out. Yet, their cameras were whispering discontented words on my little Canon that served me well. Wouldn’t you know that our little Canon was misplaced in La Jolla back in April. We know it was left in the rental car (to which I called multiple times and no camera to no avail) and the rest is history. Someone in San Diego has some pictures of the beach, probably my food and definitely our kids.

**What to do now? Well, I have an old digital camera. It’s ancient in digital years, but still a digital camera. I feel like I can’t complain with so many bigger things in life and at least we have a camera–right?! But can I say this to get it off my chest. It’s video capacity is only 20 seconds long with no sound (can’t capture my kids). The macro setting captures like far zoom with complete blur (which makes for horrible food pictures). We got it the year we were married (we’re celebrating 8 years on the 14th), so you do understand that digital life ages like dog years–right!

So please forgive me of the one picture I have of these fish tacos. It was the only good one I had to post. It doesn’t do it justice. They were really great and you knew they were healthy, but I didn’t care, because it had that fresh, satisfying–fish taco not fried to death feeling at the end of the meal.

Healthy & Nummy Fish Tacos (printable recipe)

Make sure you only marinate for 20 minutes. Fish is so delicate that the acid from the lime will start to eat it. Have fresh limes on hand to bring out the real lime flavor. You can top with chopped cabbage. Use a comal or cast iron skillet to warm up your corn tortillas for a better flavor all around.

Taco Ingredients:

2 limes, squeezed of juice

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

1 pound halibut

Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped

Guacamole Ingredients:

4 radishes, diced

1/4 cup diced red onions

1 lime, squeezed

kosher salt

2 ripe avocados

1 jalapeno, chopped or Tapatio Sauce (however much until it hits your heat intensity)

1 Tb fresh cilantro, chopped

Mango Topping:

2 mangoes, cubed

1-2 Tb red onions

1/2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped

pinch of salt

Corn tortillas, warmed

extra lime wedges

chopped cabbage would be nice too

Directions: Marinade the halibut with the juice of two limes, kosher salt & pepper for ONLY 20 minutes. Grill on medium heat until halibut is no longer clear (about 6-7 minutes on both sides). Flake or cut apart with your hands to the desired size. Garnish with cilantro and a touch more of salt if desired.

While the halibut is marinading, make guacamole & mango topping. Add avocado to a medium bowl, along with onions & radishes. Mash up the avocado, while leaving a bit of chunks intact. Add lime juice from 1/2 a lime and taste. Add more lime juice if need be. Add kosher salt (about 1 – 1 1/2 tsp), cilantro & jalapeno or Tapatio sauce.

Cut mangoes and put in a bowl. Add the onion, cilantro & pinch of salt. Combine the ingredients.

Take your warmed tortilla, put about 1/4 cup of halibut on top, 1-2 Tb guacamole & just a bit of mango. When it’s all together it’s a dance party in your mouth.

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

If you’re a chocolate lover then proceed. If you’re not, well I’m sorry, but maybe you will be a chocolate liker after trying these. I made well over 200 of these Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes for my friend’s wedding (Jason & Tina) while I was 7 months pregnant. I realized two things after that baking extravaganza of ’08. One is no matter how much I love someone, never again will I say yes to baking all the desserts for a large party while that pregnant and carrying for a 20 month old. Two, is how easy these are to make–no one will know otherwise.

I think I can get these out in 40 minutes, which is pretty excellent for a sophisticated dessert. They are also very adaptable with your chocolate liking. You could use all bittersweet (typically 60%), semisweet, or milk chocolate. You can mix different varieties as well. You can make them gluten-free. You can make them in big muffin tins or miniature ones. If you want to add a bit of espresso to bring out the chocolate flavor even more–then do it. I love these for all those reasons. And I can’t understand why I haven’t shared them until now.

Before we go onto the recipe, I should share a bit about my gluten-intolerant friend Tina who these were intended for and I’ve written about before. We met through one of her ex-boyfriends and I knew we were kindred spirits. She has a quiet reserve about her (at least when compared to her husband), but she is full of life with joy emanating from her. Although she seems to fill administrative jobs, which she’s wonderfully gifted at, her heart is passionate for women fulfilling their God given talents & calling. We have spent many hours talking about our dreams of what we will become when we grow up and I can depend upon her to watch very cheesy movies together. I can always count on her to be supportive, honest & spontaneous with me. So when she found out she was gluten-intolerant, I knew my job was set to bake GF treats for her.

Double Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes (printable recipe)

Recipe is inspired from Martha Stewart. This is also the time to use good quality chocolate, since it is the star ingredient. However, don’t let that stop you if you only have chocolate chips on hand. I’ve used semi-sweet chocolate chips before and they turn out great.

Ingredients:

5 Tb unsalted butter

7 ounces milk chocolate chopped, Belcolade

7 ounces 71% cacao dark bittersweet chopped, Valhrona

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb brown rice flour (or all-purpose flour)

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

Butter & extra flour for muffin tins

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter & flour a 6 slot large muffin tin & set aside. Set a heat proof bowl over a pot with simmering water. Add the butter & chocolate. Stir to melt and combine. Remove from heat.

Add the eggs & sugar to a food processor & process for 2 minutes until light in color & foamy. Add flour & salt, process to combine (10 seconds). Add about 1/4 cup of melted chocolate to eggs & process till combined. Continue with 1/4 cup until all of the melted chocolate is mixed with the egg mixture.

Evenly distribute chocolate mixture to the prepared muffin tin. Gently pat down tops with the back of silver spoon. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Loosen with a knife around the edges and serve.

**12 cup regular muffin tin bake for 13-15 minutes.

**24 cup miniature muffin tin bake for 10-12 minutes.

Great topped with sliced strawberries, fresh raspberries, a raspberry puree, or ice cream.

Poached Rhubarb

There are times when all you need is simple but good, fancy but easy, fresh but cheap. That would be poached rhubarb. Yes, I’m a little obsessed with this vegetable turned fruit; but, seriously, is there anything more wonderful than seeing these green & red stalks at the Farmer’s Market or gardens whispering, “yes–summer is coming!” You haven’t even begun to see the many uses I’ve made with this humble stalk.

I needed to make desserts for a banquet of 80+ people this past Saturday. I knew rhubarb would be the star. However, when given full range of what I could make for a dessert is like telling a child they can have any toy in a toy store, but just one. Seriously! Only one of the many calling my name. Options are limitless (well, not quite–there was a budget & time constraints, but you understand–right?!)! I ended up making a deconstructed white chocolate cheesecake with gingersnap crust topped with poached rhubarb.

There are a couple things I love about this poached rhubarb:

It holds its lovely shape, not being cooked down to mush.
It’s lightly sweetened maintaining that perfect tang we know as rhubarb.
You can dress it up or down (reminds me of the sales lady at the Gap telling me why the boot cut jean was perfect for the same reasons).
You can eat it for breakfast & dessert and no one will ever bat an eye.
It doesn’t take that long to make.

Poached Rhubarb (printable recipe)

This recipe was inspired by Tartelette. I am in awe of her photography, many variations of macarons & desserts I salivate over. It’s an art form. I have found serving directly on top of plain yogurt to be completely satisfying.

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced rhubarb, 1/2 inch slices

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons honey

1-2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Directions: Place water, lemon juice & honey over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve honey. Once it boils, add rhubarb. Stir around and allow rhubarb to poach for about 4 minutes. You’ll want to be near the stove to keep an eye on it. Don’t allow it to cook too long. Once the red parts turn pale and a fork can pierce through (but not mushy through), remove rhubarb from liquid and place in bowl. It will cook a bit longer.

Add demerara sugar to liquid and cook liquid down to a syrup if you’d like, or simply until the sugar dissolves. I think I prefer it to be less syrupy. Top on ice cream, yogurt, cheesecake, or by itself.

Banana Waffles

I got back late last night from Oregon. The trip was with my dear friend Hilary, while Ben was in full charge with our girls. Of course, they were complete angels for him. But, I cannot complain as Hilary and I spent Saturday afternoon in Portland; where, we took in the tastes & smells ofContinue reading “Banana Waffles”

Poached Eggs

If there was one thing I am truly proud of as a mother, it’s the basic necessity of my girls loving runny egg yolks. Before giving birth to my oldest, I was either an omelet or scrambled eggs lady. In my postpartum blur in the dreary month of January (there was ice & snow covering the ground for a whole week after V’s birth), my dear father-in-law Steve made me two over easy eggs with buttered toast. Most things are a blur from that first week (who am I kidding–first couple months), but those eggs. I never knew they could taste so good.

The whites were set, while the thick, fatty yolk burst out. I cleaned it up with the buttered toast and I have never looked back. In fact, I could never be vegan due to the egg. It’s the most rounded of nutritional value, keeps me more satisfied throughout the morning & the myth of the yolk being a bad cholesterol is probably debunked on snoops.com.

I got this book, The Good Egg by Marie Simmons in an auction last year. I love how Simmons writes about her love affair with this protein punchers. I’ve moved on to the poached egg since those postpartum days. Not only are poached eggs just as easy, they’re so versatile in how you prepare them or eat them. For breakfast, we eat them with buttered toast or make a sandwich out of them. I don’t want you to be intimidated by the process, because once you make them again and again–you’re culinary prowess will be more grand.

Poached Eggs

When making poached eggs, you will want to use the freshest eggs possible, because the egg whites won’t scatter everywhere when you slide them into the simmering water. If you don’t have the freshest eggs, then I would advise not making them. However, Simmons says you could do a “preboil” with the egg still in the shell. Bring your water to a boil and immerse the egg in the water for 8 seconds & remove. Then, proceed with poaching instructions.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

white vinegar

kosher salt

freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

Fill a deep 10-inch skillet with water. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 Tb of white vinegar for every 2 quarts of water.
Heat the water until it starts simmering, barely.
Using cold eggs, crack one egg at a time into a small dish/bowl/plate. Gently slip into the water. Continue adding eggs clockwise, in order to remove them in the same order, along with equal cooking times.
You can adjust the temperature, in order to keep the water at a bare simmer. If the water starts to boil, then it will cause the egg whites to toughen & feather.
Cook eggs for 1 minute, then gently loosen them off the bottom of the pan. I turn my eggs in the water, but it’s a matter of preference.
Poach the eggs for 3 to 5 minutes until desired doneness.
Remove them with a slotted spoon in the order they went into the pan. Gently put them in a shallow bowl, trying to drain excess water.
Salt & pepper them. Serve with buttered toast, make eggs benedict, or in a salad.

Rustic Rhubarb Cake

Although I promise to give you a recipe, allow me to ramble a bit. About the weather, glories, & redeeming the times (and later some rhubarb cake). I’ve been loving this weather we’ve been given in Bellingham of late. It makes being a mama so worth it, along with the dreary months in winter. The sun in full swing, slight breeze, dirt-painted toes in sandals, happy little girls in search of flowers or climbing towers too high for their hands to reach–blissful. The backdoor is open, while the girls run in and out.

It’s days like this that I’m reminded of how glorious creation is & my homebody nature sheds off. I become more aware of the little things, birds singing, breeze wisps my hair, the hues of golden & red in my youngest hair. It’s lovely! It reminds me of how grand the universe is and how little I am. This is a verse from the song, ‘Lovely,’ by the band Waterdeep:

Lord when you sing your song

all of creation will know

Lord when you show your strength

let justice and righteousness flow

when we see your holiness

every tongue confess–You are lovely

God continues to bring me back to him, while he tells me I’m valued, treasured, & I can feel free to cry or laugh in his presence. I hear the birds singing praise. The trees lifting their hands to worship. And feel the breeze dance over me, enrapturing all of me–hushing the fear & empowering the dreams–his Spirit. Today I’m melancholy with joy. Maybe it’s hormones. Although I’m breathing in the beauty of the day, I’m exhaling like an asthma sufferer. My heart is thinking of the marriages dying in this world, the mother who cannot feed her children, the very real fear of war standing outside the door. And then, I glanced and saw this verse popping out:

He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. he feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. he will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.–Psalm 72:12-14

No matter how much I can get sucked into the pit of despair (for myself or others), I have to remind myself of this verse. It’s when life can’t seem to get any worse–it does, but I remember telling Ben in the midst of one of those moments, “I have to remain hopeful, because Jesus still sits on the throne & he’s capable of redeeming the least hopeful of situations or people.” So maybe you’re having a melancholy day, or a simply wonderful, singing on mountaintops sort of day. You could easily make this cake. It’s one of those “one-bowl” wonders sort of cakes. Plus, you could pass it as breakfast too.

Rustic Rhubarb Cake (printable recipe)

This recipe was given to me many years ago, but I am greatly indebted to the source. I turn on the oven, spray my pan, & throw everything in the bowl to mix & pour into the pan. I’ve changed some things up a bit. I used Rapadura sugar, but you could use granulated sugar. Instead of hazelnuts, change it out with what you have. And instead of using whole wheat pastry flour, use all-purpose.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup Rapadura sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

For Topping:

1/2 – 3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 pan. In a medium bowl, combine cream, eggs & sugar and mix to combine. Add flour, baking soda, salt & rhubarb to the bowl and stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and then the hazelnuts. Bake for 28-30 minutes. If you’re using Rapadura sugar, then you’ll really start to smell it at which point use a toothpick to check to see if it’s done. If a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean–take it out.

Serve it warm, room temperature, dollop of whipped cream, yogurt, for brunch, ice cream–whatever you fancy.

Local, Seasonality, Farmer’s Markets

I don’t know what it’s like in your neck of the woods, but here in Bellingham, many people within the community adhere to a buy local, seasonal, fresh food, know the source of your food, truly organic & natural sort of lifestyle. I’ve mentioned here & here about the book Animal Vegetable Miracle, which is both inspiring & thought provoking when it comes to eating seasonally & locally. It wasn’t until recently that I actually watched Food Inc. I know, I know–I figured I knew the jist of it & had read other books about the subject, so I wasn’t in any rush to watch it. Plus, it’s one of those films that you really need to be in the right mindset to sit down to watch. And in case you’re not much of a reader, or in general you haven’t viewed it yet–then please do. I think it will make you question the sources of your food & what you can do about providing yourself, your family & others with truly good food.

Food Inc Poster

I wouldn’t call myself an animal rights activist and I’m definitely not just an herbivore. However, I think over the years in reading Genesis & seeing one of God’s commands to Adam & Eve was being a steward of the Earth–it’s about treating the source of our food well. In looking at the Israelite tradition of sacrificing an animal, they were given specific instructions from God on how to be humane about the kill & use the whole animal (meaning they did not let this animal die for nothing & throw away the animal’s meat). Well, after viewing Food Inc. I wasn’t comfortable seeing how the chickens, pigs, & cattle were treated, in order to give food to the masses. It was as though sanctity of life was thrown to the wind. The chickens were bred to get fat more quickly than is actually right, in order to produce more chickens in less amount of time. Meanwhile, these overstuffed birds are too big to walk more than a couple steps.

But the part that hit me the most as a mom was seeing a mom who’s son died after eating a burger on a family vacation, due to e.coli found in the meat. Her son, Kevin, was around the same age as my oldest. It made me think of stopping eating fast food in general, where I’m getting my meat sources, & how much would it cost to get meat sources from local families/businesses.

On Meat: I know that when you look at grass-fed beef, open-range/pastured chicken & eggs, & pork–it can get rather expensive. At least upfront costs are much more expensive. However, if you take seriously the command in the garden to be stewards of the Earth and look at factory-raised chicken going for $4.00 for a whole broiler–they aren’t factoring in:

environmental impact
health implications upon the consumer
the farming practices of raising the chicken
the money going back into the community you live

I’m sure there are other hidden cost factors that I haven’t mentioned as well. One option is searching your farmer’s market, 4-H, or internet for local resources of buying a share of a beef cattle, pork, broiler chickens & turkeys. You can typically buy a quarter, half or whole beef cattle & pork, while buying the whole chicken or turkey. As for the beef & pork, it is cheaper to buy the whole versus the quarter. In which case, you could go in with another family (or more). Check out Eat Wild to find out what is available near your home.

Pastured eggs

On Eggs: Our family probably goes through two – three dozen eggs a week. We don’t buy as much meat, so I make up in the protein department with eggs. My oldest absolutely loves them and I’m happy both my girls are runny yolk lovers (is there anything better?). If you are fortunate to raise your own hens to get eggs–well more power to you. Here are a couple things to note about egg terminology:

Just because it says “Organic,” does not imply that the hens are free roaming, or even see daylight. It’s unfortunate to see how this word is more of a marketing plow than standing for the spirit of the word.
Cage-free does not mean the hens are free roaming either. Nor does it mean they see daylight, get outdoors–it simply means they don’t live in a “cage.”
Free-Range, you would think this would mean the hens are free roaming; however, it’s not necessarily true. Some just might; but, it is more along the lines of the hens living in a barn with the doors open to a limited bit of outdoor space. This does mean they get to go out; yet, it could also mean the door is only open at certain times, which limits their intake of bugs & insects to enrich the yolk. This could also mean that they are in a caged area outside to protect them from predators.
Pastured eggs means the farmer allows the chicken to be outside everyday. You would have to ask the farmer as to how long they are outside. The hens eat earthworms, bugs, & other protein enriching critters, which enriches their eggs. For more info on pastured eggs, go here.

The right is pastered egg

I bought two dozen eggs at the Farmers Market this Saturday. Today I poached eggs for breakfast and the yolk was totally superior to the other types of eggs I have bought in the past. It was a bright orange color, while other eggs have been a pale yellow. One thing I do know is how much more expensive it can be to buy pastured eggs versus factory farmed eggs (sometimes a $3.00 difference). Here are pastured egg farms in Whatcom County:

Frianeza Farmstead
Jordan Creek Farm
Misty Meadows Farm
Bellingham Farmers Market (you’ll find a list of vendors)
Holistic Homestead
Local Harvest

On Local & Seasonality: I really do delight in going to the Farmers Market in Bellingham. It’s more than just vegetables, artisans, farmers, etc. It’s the experience. I have a bit of a ritual in going with my three year old. We both have our baskets and I look at what is available (in season), while seeing what I actually need in our house. If you are one who is an aesthetic, than know that you can only use a fraction of what you buy. I can easily get overwhelmed by the peak of the season availability.

We buy a $1.00 brown sugar shortbread cut out cookie with icing on top from Mt. Bakery about midway through the trip. We check out what single flower we can get (or find on the ground). And then, I want to get vegetables that will be out of season before I know it and savor it. I have been only buying a small portion, in order to spend my money on the best of the best. Asparagus for instance. It only has about a 5-6 week window, so we get it. Eggs are always used in our house, so I buy two dozen. When strawberries become available, that will be on my list. I’ve been thinking a lot about eating the fruit & vegetables when they are available and having it constantly in our home while we can. There is such a difference from eating strawberries farm-direct in June versus ones shipped from Mexico in February. This is what I’ve been trying to do in our family.

However, is that to say we haven’t eaten strawberries from California recently? No. I guess I just don’t make a habit out of it, but I do buy them when my three year old puts them in her little “customer-in-training” cart. Because I value her want & need to be my helper at the grocery store.

We have used a produce delivery service, Dandelion Organic, which I have been very pleased with. I have chosen a delivery every other week. They have a personal bin & a harvest bin. We get the personal bin and it’s full of organic produce. They give a list of recipes, in case you don’t know what do with sunchokes, kale raab, or beets. I have been getting this delivery for over a year now & I’ve been impressed with them a lot. I might be ending our delivery for a while, because I am wanting to get a CSA instead.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is basically buying a share of the farm. There are variations as to how much you want to buy, how long you want it to extend to, and if you want to add extras. Here are some CSA options in Whatcom County:

You can go to Community Food Co-op for a complete listing, as some do not have a website, but have information on their farm.

This whole eating healthy, living in an economically unstable environment, making ends meat is a tough paradigm to live under. My friend Hilary said to me a while back about her friend saying, “Well, buying organic or locally is a nice idea, but not everyone can afford to do that.” She replied, “Yeah, I know, but maybe it’s up to those of us who can, in order to bring the costs down.” That has got me thinking about what is my role in this Slowfood/buy local/in season/organic movement. What do I compromise and what do I not? Do I buy pastured eggs, but not organic milk? Do I buy grass-fed beef, while not caring as much about organic produce? It is hard to draw a line.

What I do know is I am called to be a steward of the Earth. There are many non-Christ followers doing a better job at this than Christ followers, and that’s a shame when given the Genesis story of the creation. I’ve seen many blogs devoted to eating this way (Christian and non) and I cannot help but think, how do they afford it? What is unreasonable & reasonable when it comes to buying food? Considering your family budget, do you think buying organic or grass-fed or pastured meat is even an option? How have you made it work? Do you do most of the preparation of your food–how much time does that take you? Please add to the discussion.

Carnations

When the second Sunday of May hit, I don’t think I ever truly recognized how wonderful this day should be for my mother. We would go to Sunday service where it seemed every year Mrs. McCloud would lead us kids through the making of the tissue carnation scented with some perfume to give to our mothers. I would proudly give my mom the special carnation, while just moments before sitting in the service (pre-sermon) receiving real carnations. They had white ones, red ones, & pink ones.

Now, it just so happens that my mom’s favorite flower is a carnation. Nothing spectacular about the carnation really, but seems fitting that on Mother’s Day, she was guaranteed to get at least one real one and 2-3 tissue ones. The red carnation was for the women who held the long-honored job as mama. The pink carnation was for those who’s mother was living & celebrate her. While the white, was for the people who have lost their mother–to honor them & recognize the mourning which comes for those who don’t get celebrate that special woman.

My Grandma Cox, brother & me

On the way to church service today, with my two girls in the back, me actually dressed nice & Ben (the best husband & father I could ask for), I began to ponder what it would be like to hold that white carnation on a day like this.

I spoke to Ben about my Grandma Cox. She died at a very early age to cancer. When I was a kid (and even a teenager), I never truly grasped how death robbed her in her young age. For me, 57 seemed old. My mom was 31 when my Grandma died. I’m 30 and I cannot imagine my mom not being here the same time next year. There was my mom, holding that white carnation & red carnation at 32–bittersweet.

I’m thankful I have no white carnations in my bouquet. I’m thankful to be a mama, which I take for granted as many women long for this prized gift, yet have not seen their hope fulfilled. I’m especially thankful & grateful for my mom & my mother-in-law, Cherie.

My mother-in-law, Cherie, Me, & father-in-law, Steve

My mother-in-law, Cherie is certainly the best second mom I could ask for. Ben takes after his mom with her quiet demeanor and steady/patient love. She has always welcomed me into their home. One thing I love about her is how important sending cards in the mail is to her. That’s part of her welcoming me in & making sure I’m cared for. There is always a birthday card for me before my birthday, or cards for the girls, or Ben. She makes a big deal of these days & it means so much to me. Her attention to detail is truly phenomenal. When we go to a restaurant, she is sure to have Grandma toys in her purse & snacks. She’s a devoted wife (36 years). She works without complaining and is very insightful about life in general. She is completely smitten over her granddaughters & turns a $5 Goodwill find into a treasure. Happy Mother’s Day Cherie–we love you!

Me & my mom

And my mom. She has taught me how to be gracious and ask forgiveness when she’s wrong. I can recall many instances where she lost her temper, but came to me in tears admitting her wrong & asking for forgiveness. Her humility has imprinted itself upon the way I parent. She knows how to have fun & not take life so seriously. She has defended me & is probably my biggest advocate. She is quick to heap words of praise upon me, give me fresh perspective or wipe away doubt in my parenting troubles. She respects me as a person. I’ve seen our relationship blossom more & more over the years, as she takes heart to what I say & doesn’t undermine me. My mom has an approachability about her. She has a teachable spirit. She has had a tough life. And although she’s definitely not perfect–I think she’s done the best with what she’s been given. She adores her children & grandchildren. If you ever have a chance to meet her–I’m sure you’ll be at ease right away & be laughing. I love you mom!

Both my mom & Cherie have said, “I’m not a kid person,” or “I’m not very good with other people’s kids…but once I had my kids, well that’s different.” Thanks to my two moms who have sacrificed with sleepless nights, terrible twos (3, 4, 13-18), worried, prayed hard, cried & cried, released us out of your hands, taught us, encouraged us & never stopped loving us. We love you!

Chicken Chilaquiles

What do you do when you don’t know if you should make chicken tacos or chicken tortillas? You do the most sensible thing and make Chicken Chilaquiles. If you’re not familiar with chilaquiles, it is typically fried tortillas topped with a green or red sauce then simmered to break down the tortillas. Chicken can be added, but isn’t always the case. You can top it with queso fresca & crema and refried beans.

In my rendition of chilaquiles, I’ve used corn tortillas (no frying), a simple green sauce with chicken & cheese. This is one of those so easy, yet so good–you’ll wonder why you’ve been making tacos or enchiladas this whole time. I didn’t make mine very spicy as I only had one can of puree green chilis and who would’ve known that the salsa in the fridge was moldy (it was Organic–I blame it on that). You can easily make it spicier by adding jalapenos, chili flakes or some other tongue burning inducer during the sauce stage.

We ate this & drank Strawberry Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo, because I didn’t want to make anything too complicated. If that’s you–then enlist in this quick. Plus, you could easily buy a rotisserie chicken to save on time.

Chicken Chilaquiles (printable version)

I used a can of pureed green chilis from Trader Joe’s, which you can add more than one can to make the dish more spicy.

Ingredients

2 Tb canola oil
1 onion, sliced
2 Tb kosher salt
3 – 4 cups water
1 can green chilis
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, plus additional for topping
3 cups chicken, pulled off fashion (I roasted a chicken, pulled off the chicken & used some breast, thigh & drumsticks)
10 corn tortillas

**Toppings: sliced radishes, fresh chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, lime

Directions: Put the canola oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to the pot until nicely browned. Add the can of green chilis & 3 cups of water until it hits a roaring boil. Add the sliced corn tortillas & shredded cheese. Stir & thoroughly mix. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, then add the chicken. You will want to stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. The chilaquiles will thicken, the cheese will melt, & the liquid will soak into the tortillas & soften them. Serve once most of the liquid has been absorbed. Top with cilantro, radishes, shredded cheese, sour cream & squeeze of lime.