The Fruits of My Labor

This is the first harvest of my garden for the year . A lovely,vibrant English cucumber , a pale striped Caserta zucchini squash , Blue Lake green beans , Cherokee wax beans , Purple Queen beans , grape tomatoes and a handful of blackberries. They are arranged on a handmade Seminole basket i received from a friend many moons ago.

My garden is 100% Organic and i have very little trouble with pests as i have quite a few helpful birds, insects and arachnids that help keep them at bay. When i have aphids galore i find a good squirt with the hose does the trick . As a last resort i use a bio-degradable organic garden soap but i am not so sure it doesn't hurt the helpful bugs so i only use it when in dire need. I find hand -picking helps , too. While i am out admiring my handi-work it is easy enough to toss a beetle ot two to the hungry birds trying to feed the newest clutch of hatchlings.


I must give some credit to my two year old son , as well . He helped to plant the Heirloom seeds that produced such lovely fruit . I hope to instill a love of the earth and gardening in him that will stick . It is in my blood , my family has a long line of farmers and Native gardeners in its history but my Dad and his love of gardening ( and willingness to share it with me as a young child ) is what sealed it in my heart to this day . A seed planted early is guaranteed to sprout roots.
Thanks , Dad .

New Favorite Organic Dairy Foods

These two 'Super' foods are delicious , tangy and unbelievably good for you i can't believe they can help you maintain a healthy weight , too. Recent studies have proven that dairy can help burn fat as part of a healthy low-fat diet.

Kefir is that ancient food of the gods from the Caucuses that keeps the old folk living into the hundreds of years. It is available in several lowfat versions as well as whole milk .
It makes a mean smoothie , too.


Skyr is an Icelandic delight akin to Greek yogurt but even better AND it has a whopping 16 grams of protein per serving , zero fat and is thick and creamy enough to be used as a dessert.

I am so happy to add back some dairy to my diet . I am slightly lactose intolerant and have pretty much stuck to organic yogurt so it is nice to have new options.
(Thanks Whole Foods ! )

I now eat both of these everyday and highly recommend them .
They adapt well to recipes and are luscious just as they are , too.

Sage and Mint Tea

Botanical images from Botanical.com

Steep an equal handful of fresh sage and fresh peppermint leaves in boiling water for 5-6 minutes . Add honey to taste.

I am in the process of weaning my two-year old son and this tea is traditionally used to help dry up a nursing mother's milk but is truly delicious and refreshing and will not harm anyone who does not fit the above description. That's why i share it here .
A sympathy cup , anyone ?
A cup of hot tea seems to help soothe my sadness...

Pure Comfort Food

This is a dish that i dream about on cold, winter nights.
It takes a few additional steps but is oh , so worth it . It is good to make when you are bored or lonely or even sickly. I dragged my miserable achy body out of bed to make this last night and never regretted the effort it took .
Goodbye , flu here come the troops ...


A word to the wise - don't over work the dumpling dough if you like fluffy light, melt in your mouth dumplings and use all organic produce if you can for a really outstanding dish.

Chicken & Herbed Dumplings


Ingredients

for stock -

1 4-6 lb. organic or free-range chicken ( make a HUGE difference )
2 bay leaves
1 tblspoon of Crazy-mixed -up salt ( this is my secret ingredient)
a handful of peppercorns
the tops of one bunch of celery ( with leaves)
4 carrots , unpeeled
2 onions chopped into quarters, unpeeled
Fill a large stockpot with water to cover chicken adequately

simmer all of the above for an hour or more until chicken is almost falling off the bone
(on medium-low heat - NOT boiling )

Cool and strain , reserving liquid which is now the stock for the base of this dish, carefully removing chicken carcass and stripping to remove all of the meat.

for the chicken stew -

In a large enameled casserole stock-pot Heat the following ingredients :

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
5 large celery ribs , chopped
4 large carrots , chopped
1 large onion , chopped
when softened add 2 tablespoons or more of flour to coat and heat until lightly browned
add enough vermouth to deglaze the bottom of pan then-
add enough stock to fill three quarters of the pot , add the reserved chicken , a good handfull of chopped fresh parsley and 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas, stirring until well mixed

to make the dumplings -

Mix 2 cups of flour , 1 teaspoon salt , 1 tablespoon of baking powder , chopped herbs of your choice ( about 1/2 cup) - add 3/4 cups whole milk , 1/4 cup buttermilk and three tablespoons of butter that have been heated and stir into dry ingredients , folding carefully to keep mixture airy . Dollop into simmering stew and cook for 15-18 minutes covered .

Voila !
Comfort for the cold , weary and infirm ( and just plain sick of Winter folks )

For Your Sweetheart

Creme Brulee

9 egg yolks 3/4 cup superfine white sugar plus 6 tablespoons 1 quart heavy cream 1 vanilla beanPreheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Pour cream into a medium saucepan over low heat. Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle, scrape out the seeds and add them to saucepan. Bring cream to a brief simmer, do not boil or it will overflow. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by gradually whisking the hot vanilla cream into yolk and sugar mixture. Do not add hot cream too quickly or the eggs will cook. Divide custard into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, about 3/4 full. Place ramekins in a roasting pan and fill pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until barely set around the edges, about 40 minutes. You may want to cover loosely with foil to prevent browning. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. When ready to serve - Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each chilled custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above surface to brown the sugar and form a crust. Garnish with cookies and fresh fruit, if desired. Serve while still bubbly and warm ... recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Wish List

Thinking about ...

Expresso/Cappucino

Being a Mermaid and all , the SIRENA really calls to me ....

for your own cold weather test-drive go to : Sirena

Need inspiration ?

The City of lights is always a good place to start.
Here is what it looks like in Paris right now via the Eiffel Tower...


Why not add this to your homepage and fly to Paris on a whim ?
Paris Live