Too Hot to Handle...

The overpowering heat is sticky and humid. As beads of sweat start to form on my brow, I wonder yet again what I am doing in the kitchen during this monumental heatwave. Why am I doing this to myself? Am I subliminally punishing myself for some misdeed?

Whatever the case, I stare blankly at my friend's glut of apples on my counter. Their tree was overproducing and they were kind enough to share the wealth and their canning pot. But this is the kind of wealth that you need to work for- and frankly, this is the kind of wealth that I don't usually care for. But since we are trying to live on a budget (still working on what that means), and want to eat as locally and as healthfully as possible, this seemed like a good idea.

And "to preserve earth's bounty" sounds so endearingly sweet and retro. Everyone is doing it nowadays. Getting back to the basics. Saving money and fossil fuels. No need to purchase carbon offsets for the can of peaches from Thailand- I will make my own this year!

But then I remember that this all requires unforgivably hot work in a kitchen that is already a balmy 30 degrees- without the stove on! With lightweight clothes on (no apron, it is just that hot!), a jug of ice cold water waiting in the fridge, the kids occupied, and recipes in hand, I forge on (momentarily sticking my head in the freezer before I proceed).

I decide to try my friend's family's recipe for applesauce, but because I have an aversion to sticking to recipes as written, I decide to alter it just a bit to make it my own.

This is what sits on the counter anxiously awaiting consumption:

Michelle's Spiced Applesauce (by way of Dave & Val)

3 lbs. peeled, cut, cored and chopped apples (a big bowlful)

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup demerra sugar (what I had on hand, brown sugar was recommended)

1/4 cup white sugar
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

2 tsp vanilla

1. Combine apples, 1 cup water, sugars in large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occassionally.

2. Reduce heat, simmer until apples are desired tenderness and liquid is evaporating.

3. Add lemon juice and cinnamon. Mash if desired but I didn't- I prefer it chunky.

4. To preserve: If freezing, put into freezer containers when slightly cool.

If canning, pour into hot, sterilized jars. Then seal with hot, sterilized seals and thread on rings. Heat process for 20 minutes. Remove from water, let cool to room temperature. Check seals- if inverted they are sealed properly for the next 6-12 months. If not, put in fridge and eat within the week.

~Turns out that this wasn't the only person with a glut of fruit- I noticed a neighbour was collecting crab apples from their lawn every morning and tossing them in the garbage. I decided to go on a rescue mission and save them before they became trash and not treasure. I was on a mission to find an easy yet tasty recipe and spent hours pouring over various canning books. The foolproof recipe was found in the Joy of Cooking: All About Canning & Preserving.

What I discovered was that, with a little prodding, crab apples can result in the most glorious jelly- a luminscent, glowing pink hue that makes my heart flutter. Could I have made something this gorgeous?

I started with a double recipe of Crab Apple Jelly from Joy and with the next attempt, I adapted for my diabetic father using Pomona's universal pectin (http://www.pomonapectin.com/) as it requires less sugar and gels very nicely with a natural pectin.

Here is the original recipe from Joy, slightly adapted for ease of prep (easy to double):

3 lbs unpeeled, washed crab apples, cut in half
about 4 cups sugar

2 tbsp bottled lemon juice (clearer and more uniform)

250 or 500 ml jelly jars

cheesecloth, strainer

1. Place apples in heavy saucepan with 3 cups water. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, mashing and stirring frequently, until fruit is thoroughly softened (mushy) about 25 minutes.
2. Strain through a jelly strainer or through a fine mesh strainer (lined with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth) for about 2 hours. Lightly (!) press on solids. Too much pressure can cloud the jelly. This should typically result in about 4 cups of liquid.
3. For each cup of liquid, add 1 cup sugar and stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice. Boil rapidly, stirring frequently, until gelling point (lightly sticks to spoon or test on a cold plate).
4. Remove from heat and pour the jelly into hot, sterilized jars. Leave a 1/4" headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

~Since then, I have been making use of my borrowed canner. Making another experiment every couple nights- raspberry jam, apricot preserves, cherries in syrup, and dill pickles. I keep reading more recipes and having more ideas...can't wait to try sourkraut and other funky preserving techniques. Fun stuff! Luckily the heat has subsided and I can work more happily in the kitchen.

This is one of my favourite pics- raspberry jam and apricot preserves served atop mini cheesecakes. All of my own making...even in the heat of summer! Anyone else canning anything?

Herbivore

Like everyone else this time of year, I have been getting excited about getting my hands dirty. Last year I started with some hanging cherry tomatoes that did fairly well and some herbs in the garden and this year I am trying to expand our horizons with more herbs, lettuce and broccoli. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

After a few weeks of waiting patiently for the herbs out front to yield some of their bounty, I was anxious to use them in new and exciting ways! Sure, you can toss them in pasta sauces, salads and dressings- but I wanted to try something a little different.

I remember reading a cracker recipe that I wanted to try for some time that had flat-leaf parsley in it, so I went a snippin'. I decided to also throw in some chives. As I deviated slightly from the orginal recipe, I was thrilled that it actually worked! They weren't too time consuming and yielded what I would deem a perfect cracker- crispy and full of flavour and fiber. I was thinking they were entirely delicious and couldn't wait to share them with others- until, of course, M grabbed one, made a face and quickly declared: "It tastes like dirt!" But since her little brother seemed to love them, I chalked her distaste up to being a finicky 3-year old with an ever-changing palate. As I was munching on them and some organic cheddar cheese with E, I could only imagine how wonderful they would be with a nice glass of wine...maybe later.

But as I thought of that little break from reality, I began thinking about how I needed to get into the front wee garden and do some weeding. When I got out there, I realized how the Lemon Balm has been spreading. It is amazing how it re-seeded itself from last year and was now occupying some formerly vacant spots. I was trying to figure out how I could make use of this lovely and fragrant herb. I decided that since it smelled like lemon, it would probably make a lovely lemonade. I googled it and found some recipes for lemon and lemon balm "lemonade" but I decided that today I would be a purist and only try to make a lemon balm-ade.

I collected a handful of the leaves, swirled them in some water to lightly rinse them and then I put them in a glass jar and poured boiling water over them. I left it for a few minutes and then I muddled it with a wooden spoon. I set aside the leaves, stirred in a little sugar and poured into a lovely glass bottle. Then I chilled it for several hours. Served over a tall glass of ice and some of the reserved leaves, this was a refreshing tonic! (As an aside, apparently lemon balm can be used to treat anxiety, promote sleep and relieve indigestion- among other things!)

After this foray into medicine making, M and I took an art break and decided to make some solar prints with the new paper we bought down in Steveston the other day. Since I was preoccupied with the herbs from earlier in the day, M insisted on raiding the herb pot for the print-making. At first I didn't really want to sacrifice any more of my lovely greenery for the day, but when I saw the results I was really amazed. I am in love with herbs- in food, drink and now, art! Viva la herbivore!

Here is the recipe for the herb-flaxseed crackers:

1/4 cup whole flaxseed and 1/4 cup flaxmeal (or all flaxmeal as I did)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt (plus more for seasoning)

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp finely grated onion

2 tsp finely chopped parsley

2 tsp finely chopped chives

1/2 cup milk (I used buttermilk)

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. In a large bowl with electric mixer on medium, beat flax, flour, baking powder, salt and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in onion and herbs. With mixer on low, pour in milk. Mix until dough comes together. Divide in half and refridgerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out each piece into approx. 9" square (1/8" thick). Transfer to 2 baking sheets (mine was lined with silpat). With a fluted pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut each square into 36 crackers (1 1/2" square).

3. Brush with egg white; season with additional salt. Bake until slightly firm, about 20 minutes. Rotate sheets; flip crackers. Bake until light brown and firm, 18-20 minutes longer. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Eco- Gruber (or How to make the husband happy)

I call my husband MacGyver because that is his era (or MacGruber depending on your slant). Some people have significant others that climb mountains, deep sea dive, or jump out of airplanes- mine risks life and limb to create inventive replacements for things we need or want, but don't want to shell out the cash for.

Our recent "want" was a channel or two on the telly. The husband delivered- he managed to craft an HD antenna that picked up some very clear HD channels without any cable! Some people are very impressed by this (namely, Uncle Al) but I haven't been lately. This new obsession with antennas is a bit scary because they look like some sort of torture device that I am sure the kids will find and manage to maim themselves with. As I write this, he is working on version 3.0 of THE Super Antenna with "less interference this time" http://www.tvantennaplans.com/. Scary. See pic for evidence of this.

But, I digress.

This week I wanted to buy a nice little gift for myself and the Earth, for Earth Day- a wooden plastic bag drying rack: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E8OQNK/ref=s9_sims_gw_s1_p79_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1SXW0QZK022V5Y6Y1WEM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938131&pf_rd_i=50784631&pf_rd_i=507846

Isn't it nice?

I checked with husband to see if we could have it shipped to his friend's U.S. address. Was this a mistake?

He freaked. Yes, freaked when he saw it.

"They charge 20 bucks for that?!? I can make you one!" I said that I liked the look of the one on Amazon- and I wasn't sure I wanted any of his contraptions on my counter. As most of them are amazing in their own right, they are unsightly at best. He thought I was crazy- because afterall, it was just wooden sticks.

That made me think. True, 20 dollars is a bit of money to spend on something that should be saving me money. Also, in my haste to be "green", I really wasn't considering the environmental impact of having that package shipped to me from somewhere in the U.S. (the plastic, cardboard, fossil fuels, etc.) and I was being yet another mindless consumer.

I stepped up to the challenge. What would MacGruber do? Well, he needs to dry a plastic bag before the wet one explodes and kills the segment before yesterday's band comes on to play their dying swan song. That is a lot to do in the mere 38 seconds he has left.

I started researching my options online- plastic bag drying rack: 58,600 hits!- one a tennis ball with chopsticks stuck in it- inventive but kinda ugly, some chopsticks in a glass of rice- wouldn't that rice get wet and yucky?, and a wooden spoon in a glass milk bottle- I've done this before but I need multiple drying areas and this is why I wanted to buy one in the first place.

So I walk into the kitchen and scope out my options- lots of chopsticks from take out sushi- a little on the small side but would work for the smaller ziploc bags. But that wouldn't work for the bread bags. I managed to scrounge in our miscellaneous drawer and found some great bamboo skewers (from kebobs of summers past) that were the perfect height and thickness!

Now what to put them in? A tin can, a glass, a bottle, hmmm...the options seem endless. But none seemed to work very well. Then I remember a craft I did with my daughter with air dry play clay and chopticks. Eureka! I got so excited with the first one that I also crafted model 2.0 (Owl). Can you believe I made this in 38 seconds? Well, just about. Pretty MacGruber if you ask me. But I do need to paint it once it has dried so add another few seconds tomorrow.

And I am happy to report that the husband is thrilled to finally see me engaging in his kind of fun. I have to say that this really could be more of a bonding moment than our marriage course.

I am feeling especially minty green now that I discovered that with my own invention, I could fuel my love of new "domestic technology" with my love of saving the environment and saving money!

My challenge to you: invent something today. The Earth will thank you!

Happy Earth Week, earthlings!

Food for the organic manic...on a budget

Recently my sister referred me to a friend who was writing an article about eating healthy on a budget. It just so happened to follow a timely appointment with a financial planner who reviewed our monthly budget and gasped at our grocery bills.

I defended my spending habits, citing organic foods as a priority in our household. Interestingly enough, the financial planner agreed with my passion for organics but gave me some tips on saving money by shopping at organic clearance markets and cutting non-essential spending (i.e packaged foods). We don't spend a lot of money on meat as we eat mainly vegetarian but I've realized that I like the finer things in the kitchen- organic olive oil, good quality sea salt, organic herbs, big blocks of parmesan cheese- and these cost. But it is worth it.

When the journalist asked about our meals, I spouted off the common things that I would guess most families (especially with little ones) eat regularly just like us: rice, pasta, some soups, stews, and any form of tortilla-wrapped, mexican-inspired food. As an aside: for kidlets the quesadilla/burrito/taco theme is very well-received: it is hand-held, can be self-served, is dip-able (very important to my crew) and can be easily customizable (no spice? no tomatoes? no problem!)

The article is located at: http://www.straight.com/article-206500/foodie-foresight-eat-well-and-budget?

What I failed to mention my love of the super-food quinoa- high in protein and all the essential amino acids you need in a nice little grain. And I failed to mention my love of barley. And my love of red lentils - and white beans too. So these aren't always well-received by the toddler and preschooler, who would much rather have a bowl of Annie's Bunny Pasta. I am sure one day they will appreciate the goodness of these vegetarian delights. They have already embraced the garbanzo...it shouldn't be long.

Anyways, here are some of my favourite budget-friendly, healthy, lip-smackin' recipes:

Michelle's Quinoa
A great side dish or wonderful on its own.

1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter (can be omitted)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed several times
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
pinch cumin (or any other herb that strikes your fancy)
1 small tomato, chopped
parmesan cheese

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil and butter over medium heat.

2. Add rinsed quinoa to the pot and saute until moisture is absorbed and the grains become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add broth and cumin. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all broth is absorbed.

4. Fluff with fork, add tomato, parmesan and any other add-in (corn is really good!) Season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

Green Rice
Another great side dish.

1 cup basmati or long grain rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
knob of butter

1. Rinse rice. Bring to boil with broth and then simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add herbs and butter and fluff with fork.

Mushroom Barley Soup
I don't usually love mushrooms but they are quite good in this stewy soup. The kids will eat this one.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. white or brown mushrooms, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 -2 tsp dried thyme leaves (I love thyme so I would use 2 tsp!)
2 tbsp flour
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1. Melt butter and oil and saute vegetables over med. heat for about 20 minutes.

2. Add flour, barley and thyme. Cook for a few minutes then add broth.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for about an hour, stirring occassionally.

4. Season with salt & pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Red Lentil Dal
This is pretty quick and delicious with some whole wheat naan. It is easy to sneak extra veggies into this one.

1 cup red lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1" piece ginger root, minced
1/2 can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp curry
1/4 tsp chili powder (or more for adults only!)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Optional: grated carrot or grated yam

1. Boil red lentils in broth for about 15 minutes in a medium saucepan. Add grated carrot or yam for extra nutrition.

2. In a frying pan, saute onion in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute more. Add spices, saute for a minute and then add tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes and then add to the saucepan. Season with salt.

3. Serve with yogurt and cilantro.

White Bean Hummus
Serve with pita, pretzels or carrot sticks.

1 can canellini beans (or equivalent of cooked canellini beans)
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic (or more!)
fresh or dried, crumbled rosemary (revive dried rosemary with a quick saute in a bit of oil)

1. In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients. Whirl around for awhile.

2. Add enough water to reach spreading consistency. Season with salt.

Bowties with Salmon and Peas
The kids like this one...

1. Prepare 1/3 -1/2 box of bow tie pasta, cooked according to directions
Add 1 cup frozen peas in last 2 minutes of cooking, drain.

2. Prepare 1 salmon fillet, steamed or baked, flaked and set aside.

3. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock, simmered and reduce to about 1/4 cup
Add:
1/2 cup whipping cream
dried leaf thyme, to taste (1/2 tsp)
1 lemon, juice and zest only
salt to taste
Bring to a simmer and keep warm until pasta is ready.

4. Toss all ingredients together, cook over med. heat for a few minutes and season with salt & pepper.

Enviro-Girl in the Making

"Mom! Stop wasting water!", this from my 3- year old daughter as she sits on the potty and wags her finger at me as I am brushing my teeth. Seriously? Seriously. I guess I am doing something right if she has decided it was her turn to be the enviro-cop in the house.

I thought it was really great that my kids were growing up with these earth-friendly habits at a young age- not like my young, wasteful generation. I know it took me some convincing when I started recycling and was put off by the sorting and learning what could and couldn't be recycled, and it took many reminders to husband to turn off the lights and turn down the heat...but they would never experience this shock of reversing a past ingrained behaviour. They would never see the heaps of plastic bags, plastic containers, and food waste that were routinely thrown into the garbage when I was a child. They know and have always known that there are places for recycling, compost and, if all else fails- the garbage bin. They also know we try to use things more than once before throwing them out.

Well, I thought that all this ingrained training was a good idea until I was getting the private shaming! I admit I deserved the admonishing that I received, but at least I knew the message was getting through to M through all the little things we were doing.

Maybe she wouldn't use half a roll of toilet paper for a toilet paper+ toilet+ water= science experiment anymore. After reading the (appropriately-titled) kid's book called "I Can Save the Earth" about a little monster that turns "green", she is more aware of her use of t.p. It was a timely message considering how much t.p. we were going through and the new realization that those were "wasted trees", was not wasted on her!

http://books.simonandschuster.com/I-Can-Save-the-Earth!/Alison-Inches/Little-Green-Books/9781416967897

Not only were we saving toilet paper, but also other paper products. I bought a large stash of bamboo washcloths for the kitchen- after-dinner wipes for little faces that are naturally anti-bacterial and were quickly reducing our use of paper towels. M is used to using these now and will ask for a "wipe" instead of a paper towel- plus it is much softer for those more sensitive-types like her. http://www.alongcomesababy.com/store/shop_product.php?UPC=400000001536

After running around after runny noses with tissue boxes in tow, I realized that I needed to convince husband we had to invest in something else that would lessen our impact on the earth and our pocketbook- hankies! At first the idea took me back to my university days and I remembered when my stodgy old UBC profs would sneeze and sniffle and yank these well-used workhorses out of their pockets and I wasn't sure I really liked that remembrance all that much.

But, I quickly got over that as I realized how many tissue boxes we were going through when it seemed that colds are par for the course with a preschooler bringing home all those lovely viruses! I decided it was time to get over my fear of this (as with many other things that parents routinely learn to deal with) and give it a try! Well, I am happy to report that our family has now adjusted to using hankies most of the time. Our pick: Organic Hankettes. You can actually buy these in a box that you can use just like tissues, wash with towels (or anything else) and they get softer over time. M now knows that we are saving trees one nose at a time!

http://www.hankettes.com/qs/product/8/148/23383/0/0

One day, as husband was sorting recycling, I suggested that our little enviro-cop may be well-suited to a new chore to really foster some of this new enviro-enthusiasm that M was displaying. What seemed like a good idea - sorting is supposed to be a good preschooler activity - quickly turned into a barrage of comments and questions that husband wasn't really ready to handle.

"Oh, I like this can!...This would be a good instrument!... Can I have this one?... This one is better!" and then the moment of truth, "Dad, Why are we recycling THIS?" (forlornly holding up her scribble on a piece of torn paper that obviously held more value at that very moment than it did when the initial inspiration hit). Yikes. Husband frowns and M is upset that this is the fate of many of her beloved art projects. Of course, this was quickly forgotten and she still knows where the recycling bin is. She loves to contribute to it but we won't be having any of that sorting business for some time.

There is still confusion over the whole water-wastage talk we had after she had run the tap and enjoyed the sudsy soap bubbles for a little too long in the bathroom last week. We talked about how wasting water is bad for the Earth, how it uses up water and that we just shouldn't do it. Later, sitting on the potty she spouts, "Mommy, don't worry, I am putting water back in the Earth now!" Hearing the faint tinkle...yes, she gets it...kinda.