Finally Asparagus

It has finally arrived. Ours came a little later than some of our neighbors'. This is because we mulch heavily (to maintain moisture). The mulch keeps the ground a little cooler, meaning we have to be patient while neighbors are chowing down.

We had hoped, when we moved in, that there was an existing asparagus bed tucked away somewhere on the property that was still producing. No such luck. So, we planted our asparagus bed the first spring we were here- four years ago. Last year was the first year we ate what we wanted and Jamey even planted more, from seed, last spring. Our goal is to be swimming in asparagus in a few years. People strive for lots of different things. Us? We want asparagus. Bad.

The first day we picked there were about seven spears to bring in. They were washed, chopped into 1 inch pieces and sauted with butter and salt. Then, since there weren't enough to eat by themselves, I tossed them into a quiche (in the place of the tomatoes and chard) I was making with some leftover ham from Easter.

Two days later, we had two quart containers in the fridge full of asparagus standing in water. Finally, asparagus for dinner. Our favorite way to make it is this...

Sauteed Asparagus

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet.  Add washed and trimmed (if you weren't able to pick it fresh) asparagus spears.  Cover and let cook on medium high to high heat until sizzling.  Turn asparagus every couple minutes and turn the heat down a bit if they are getting too brown.  Depending on the thickness of your spears, it can take between 10 and 15 minutes for them to cook.  They are ready when a sharp knife inserted in a thick spear glides in easily and they are a glorious light brown.  Sprinkle sparingly with salt and serve.

Just thrown in the pan

I think Sadie said, "More pairgus, please" at least four times. We're actually glad Sam doesn't like asparagus yet- more for us (is that selfish?). Our first fresh vegetable of the year. And it all begins.... Pin It

Questions, Anyone?

Jamey and I have been asked to speak to one of the Sunday School classes at our church about our lifestyle and food choices. The contact folks from this class have given us some questions that they'd like us to answer.

Making Salsa with Grandma during her visit last summer

We will answer those, but were also wondering if there are other things we could share/explain that would be helpful to folks wanting to make some food changes. We thought you all might be able to help us out here. If you were able to ask us anything, what would you like to know?

Canned Peaches

Please leave a comment with your question/s by this Saturday (we speak on Sunday). Next week, we'll answer your questions, too. You can ask whatever you want. Certain questions, like what our baby names are, will not be answered. But, you can try. Now, ask away. If you want to. That really wasn't supposed to sound like an order.

Roasted Tomatoes

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Slow Birth

As you can imagine, being almost 35 weeks pregnant, birth is on my mind. There's no fear involved, even in light of our adventure the other night. I've done this twice already and while I know this birth could be very different than the other two, I trust my body, the way it has been made, the way it knows what to do, the way it does it. I also trust my husband to be by my side and our midwife who helps us discern at each step of the way what is the safest and best course to take.

I have been reading Vancouver Doula, Jacquie Munro's blog. She writes about her experience as a doula and an advocate of Slow Birth. Sounds a little like Slow Food, if you are familiar with that movement. If we have a slow attitude toward food, why not a slow attitude toward another natural process?

The other day, Jacquie posted about an article written by Dr. Lauren A. Plante, a US obstetrician, entitled, "Mommy, what did you do in the industrial revolution? Meditations on the rising cesarean rate."

Important: Now, neither I, nor Plante, are against cesarean sections. I am so thankful, so very thankful, that that option exists for mothers and their babies (and me and my baby!). Please understand what I'm saying. What Plante points out in her article is another animal all together- the opting for a C-section when it's not medically necessary. Ok, I'm just going to be quiet now and let you read an excerpt. Below it is a link to the entire article- a very good read.

"As a reaction to industrial agriculture and food marketing, the Slow Food and locavore movements have recently been born. If de-escalation of our food production practices is healthier or more humane, why is intensification of our child production practices better than sustainable childbirth? I’m waiting for the birth of the revolution, or at least, the revolution of birth. Will women who are interested in Slow Food or cage-free eggs find their way to a Slow Childbirth movement? Imagine: educated upper-middle-class women who buy songbird-certified organic coffee and worry about their carbon footprint, just saying no to the quick-fix cesarean culture. If they’re not part of the problem, maybe they can be part of the solution. But the impetus must come from women themselves. Do we really believe that industrial obstetrics is the best model for ourselves and our children? We must clearly understand that real autonomy does not mean cesarean on request, but instead a spectrum of birth options that honor women’s authentic choices. Real autonomy also means, to borrow a sentiment from Gandhi, that women should bring forth the change they wish to see in the world."

Read the entire article here. Pin It

A Little Math for You

3 hours of low-intensity high-frequency contractions + 3 phone conversations with the midwife + 1 hour in a warm bath timing contractions= 1 trip to the hospital at 11:00pm + monitoring + hearing a baby born in the next room + 0 change in my cervix + 1 shot = no more contractions + 1 trip back home + 1 baby still safe inside= 1 husband who won't let me carry the laundry basket anymore + 1 tired, but happy, mommy Pin It

German Chocolate Cheesecake

The second cheesecake that my sister and her fiance chose was a German Chocolate Cheesecake. My brother-in-law loves German Chocolate cakes so much that he and my sister chose this cheesecake to hold their wedding topper and cut into at their reception.



German Chocolate Cheesecake (adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2001)

Crust:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. ice water

Filling:
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup hot fudge topping (room temperature)
1/4 cup milk

3 1/2 (8-ounce) blocks full-fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. coconut extract
2 large egg whites
2 large eggs

Topping:
2/3 cup caramel sundae topping
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

To make the crust, combine the first three ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the ice water and pulse again.



Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch spring form pan coated well with cooking spray. Gently press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a 400 degree oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Place on a cooling rack and decrease your oven temperature to 325 degrees.


In a small bowl, combine the cocoa, fudge topping and milk, mixing well. (Sorry this looks like a face- creepy...)

Set the chocolate batter aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese well until smooth. Add the sugar, flour, two extracts and eggs, beating well after each addition.


Scrape down the sides and beat again. Now, add the chocolate batter and beat well. Scrape down the sides, beat again.


Pour the batter into the pan on top of the baked crust. Tap the pan gently on the counter to even out the batter.


Place it your 325 degree oven on the center rack. It will take a little over an hour to bake. Set your timer initially for 50 minutes. Check it then and notice that the center is still shaky. Set the timer for another 15 minutes, checking it again. Once the whole top moves (just a little) as one when you shake the pan, it will be ready to come out. Set it on a cooling rack to cool and set your timer for 20 minutes (you can turn your oven off).


After it's cooled for 20 minutes, take a long-bladed, sharp knife and run it carefully around the edge, as close to the pan as you can. Run the knife down deep enough that you are skimming the bottom of the pan. Go all the way around, making sure you haven't stopped before getting all the way around. Gently open the spring form sides and lift the pan off the cheesecake. If it resists, run your knife around again until it lets loose.

Now, let it cool completely and then place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. You can store it there a day or two before serving, just make sure it's in a cake carrier or gently wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from absorbing other fridge smells. Read below for topping instructions.


If you would like to remove it from it's pan and transfer it to a plate or cake board OR if you would like instructions on freezing it, click here and scroll down to "Tutorial on Transferring a Cheesecake From the Bottom of a Spring Form Pan onto a Dish or Cake Board".

Do not place the topping on the cheesecake until you are ready to serve it. You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge in a plastic container.

To make the topping, toast the pecans and coconut in a pan coated with a bit of melted butter. Stir it constantly until the coconut turns light brown. Once it does, remove it from the heat immediately and continue stirring it for another 30 seconds or so to keep it from toasting too much. Set it aside to cool.

Once cooled, combine the toasted pecan and coconut with the caramel topping, then spoon it into the center of the cheesecake, spreading it out to within an inch of the edge. Since I'm not serving mine yet (they are chilling nicely in the freezer), I haven't put the topping on yet. Here is a photo of a photo of another one I had made.

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Diapering Dilema: Smelly Diapers

Sadie is still using cloth diapers at night (she wears underwear during the day). To see what system we are using, click here. We had a couple pee-leaks, but I was warned to use two liners for toddlers (by the Bumgenius website) and I was just using one. Once we started using the recommended two liners, the leaks were gone. So far, no poo leaks- yipee!


The one thing I am still working on and would LOVE advice on is what to do about the ODOR. It's an odor that goes beyond putting your nose right up to them (the liners, covers, etc.). It actually gives her room an odor- where only the clean ones are stored. The bucket is in the bathroom.

Here is what I've tried:

Thus far, I have stored the soiled liners, etc., in the bucket shown above, in a solution of a few drops of detergent, a cup or two of white vinegar and water. When it comes time to wash, I pour off most of the water, then dump the contents into the washer and spin the rest of the yucky water out. Then, while clean water is running in (I've tried cold and hot water), I add a little detergent, baking soda and more vinegar (vinegar in the fabric softener reserve to be released during rinse). Then, I run the 10 minute cycle and rinse a second time. I then hang them outside to dry.

Yes, there is still an odor. Even in light of this little problem, we are thrilled that we are no longer using disposables. Not having to shell out money for diapers has felt liberating. I know they desperately want to jump into our shopping cart, but nope. Not anymore.

What I am currently trying:

I read that the dry bucket method is less smelly and easier. So, currently, I am putting soiled liners, etc. in an empty bucket and sprinkling baking soda on them.

Open the floodgates of advice. I am ready. Pin It

Dervaes Family on Oprah

Did you see it? Did you see it? For those of you who didn't or don't watch TV, I am referring to the fact that The Dervaes Family from Path to Freedom were featured on the Oprah show today.

Oprah's show was in honor of Earth Day today and she talked about ways to reduce waste and energy as well as how to have a positive affect on the world through our eating choices. She spoke with Michael Pollen (author of Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food) and showed a video clip of The Dervaes Family. You can watch the video clip here.

This family has been an inspiration to us. Browse their site and I'm sure they will become one to you as well.

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White Chocolate Red Raspberry Cheesecake

I haven't yet written about this here, but on occasion, I make cheesecakes. Before living here, we lived in a development and our next door neighbor was a caterer. Occasionally, I would make cheesecakes for an event she was catering.

Then, there was my sister's wedding. She didn't have a traditional wedding cake. She had cheesecakes- mine. I made four different kinds (Orange-Glazed with a Ginger Snap Crust, German Chocolate, Lemon-Swirled and White Chocolate Red Raspberry).

There were more back in the kitchen. These were for display.

My baby brother is getting married (in two and a half weeks!) and he's asked if I would make cheesecakes for their wedding rehearsal dessert bar. Happily. I gave them some choices and they chose two kinds- German Chocolate (recipe to be posted later) and White Chocolate Red Raspberry.

While these cheesecakes appear light brown on the outside, they are creamy white and lovely on the inside.

These cheesecakes are a bit more involved than your run-of-the-mill refrigerator cheesecakes. But, oh my. They are so worth the effort. Just a couple of things to keep in mind...one, allow yourself plenty of time. Rushing through will bound to lead to mistakes. And, two, take each step one at a time. Don't try to multitask. These deserve your attention and you will be rewarded if you give it.

White Chocolate Red Raspberry Cheesecake (adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2001. Among other changes, it is not "light" anymore.)

Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 8 rectangles)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. butter, melted

Filling:
3 cups red raspberries (I find that using my frozen raspberries works perfectly if they are not in season. This works because I do not wash them before freezing and I use them in the recipe before they have thawed, a.k.a have not become mushy.)

3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, full-fat, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 ounces white chocolate, melted
3 large eggs

Topping:
3/4 cup red raspberry jam (bought or homemade)

Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl.


Mix well with a fork and then press the crumbs into a 9-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.


This part is fun. Arrange the red raspberries on top of the crust. Here they look sugared- they are not. They are still frosty from the freezer. They won't become mushy if you use them half frozen. Fresh raspberries work well, too. Now, set your pan aside and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, flour, both extracts, and salt. Beat well.


Place the 3 ounces of white chocolate in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted. Give this chocolate your FULL attention. No need for a double boiler if you have a little patience and stay with it while it melts. As soon as there are no lumps, pour it directly into the cheese mixture and beat well.


Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well once again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again. Now, pour the cheese mixture into the pan, on top of the raspberries.


Tap the pan gently on the counter to level the batter. Next, place your jam in a small bowl and whip it up a bit with a spoon. This will soften it up and allow it to be swirled easier. Drop spoonfuls of the jam on top of the batter.

With a table knife, swirl the jam around. Don't get too carried away. If you swirl too much, all the jam will fall below the batter and be hard to see. Once it's swirled, place it in the center of your 325 degree oven.


It will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes for it to bake. Start checking it after one hour. You will notice at that point how shaky the center is when you jiggle the pan. Put it in again for another 15 minutes and check again. You will notice it has firmed-up, but is still jiggly. Set the timer for another 5-15 minutes and remove it from the oven once the whole top moves gently as one when you shake it. Set it on a cooling rack, turn your oven off and set your timer for 20 minutes.


After it's cooled for 20 minutes, take a long-bladed, sharp knife and run it carefully around the edge, as close to the pan as you can. Run the knife down deep enough that you are skimming the bottom of the pan. Go all the way around, making sure you haven't stopped before getting all the way around. Gently open the spring form sides and lift the pan off the cheesecake. If it resists, run your knife around again until it lets loose.

Now, let it cool completely and then place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. You can store it there a day or two before serving, just make sure it's in a cake carrier or gently wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from absorbing other fridge smells.


Tutorial on Transferring a Cheesecake From the Bottom of a Spring Form Pan onto a Dish or Cake Board

When I began making these for other people, I realized that I needed to figure out a way of getting the cheesecake off the pan and onto a cake board. I needed my pans to make more cheesecakes and slicing cheesecake off a pan is not very graceful. It tends to slide all over the plate you may have it setting on.

So, I called around to local bakeries asking their advice and no one seemed to know what to tell me. Not many of them sold cheesecakes.

After some trial and error this is what has worked very well for me.

Start with a cheesecake that has spent the night in the refrigerator. Spray a light-weight cutting board (the same size or larger than the diameter of the cheesecake) with cooking spray. This keeps it from sticking to the cutting board. Center the cutting board (sprayed side against the cheesecake) on top of the cheesecake.


Next, holding onto both the pan and cutting board at the same time, flip the cheesecake over. Now, it's upside down resting on the cutting board.


Find your thinnest and longest knife. Insert the knife between the cake and the pan bottom, keeping it as close (actually, right up against) the pan. Insert it up to the handle. Gently slide it out and repeat this every inch or so all the way around the pan until the pan lifts up and off on it's own. Don't pull it off or you'll have crust coming off with it.

If your pan bottom has a little lip around the edge, you'll need to angle the knife point up initially as you go in and then flatten it to get most of the crust separated.


Your pan has lifted off! If you have bits and pieces of the crust stuck to the pan, gently lift them off with the knife and pretend you are putting a puzzle together. Gently lay them in their rightful place and pat them in gently.


Next, center your plate or cake board upside down on top of the bottom of your cheesecake which is now facing up (quite a sentence if I do say so myself).


Holding the cake board and the cutting board at the same time, flip the cheesecake over and lift off the cutting board. It's ready to serve.


This type of cheesecake freezes very well. If you would like to freeze it, wrap it gently but thoroughly with plastic wrap (all the way over and under to make a tight seal) and freeze. Let it thaw in the fridge for 8 hours or longer before serving.

I'll try to post a picture later of a slice, showing the raspberries lining the bottom. I'm not cutting into these, no way. Even though I like you all a lot. Pin It

Too Smart

You all are too smart. Yep, the funny-looking sprouts growing out of our basket are blue potato sprouts.

The smaller, difficult-to-use blue potatoes lived in our pantry all winter at the bottom of that basket and began to sprout about a month ago. We decided not to grow them this year, so those sprouts have become chicken food.

Pretty cool-looking chicken food. I wonder what the chickens thought they were. I'm pretty sure they're not as smart as you.

Stay tuned. Later today...cheesecake. Have a fork handy. Pin It

What is it?

Ok, folks. Here is little something to make you think. Or maybe you're so smart, you won't even have to think.

What is it?

The Answer: Blue Potato Sprouts. Great job, people!!

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The Fort

The new flow to our (sunny) day goes something like this...

Mornings include breakfast, the kids and I doing a few chores, Sam and I doing school while Sadie watches PBS, then lunch at noon. After lunch, I clean up dishes, lather sun screen on all of us and out of doors we go. I set up two chairs. One for my bum and the other for my feet (I've been experiencing more swelling this pregnancy). I sit and read while keeping an eye on Sam and Sadie.

They migrate between the swings, the sandbox, our neighbor's 8 x 10 foot slab of concrete/basketball court (this is where they ride their bikes- our driveway is stone) and their new fort (a.k.a. "our house" and "club house").

Our neighbor (with the concrete slab whose grandfather built our house 110 years ago) has told us that this "fort" was once a hog pen. Ever since we moved here, we knew that one day it would become a club house of sorts. It was just a matter of waiting and watching our kids to see how soon it's new purpose would evolve.

The magic time was a little over 4 years after moving here with Sam age 6 and Sadie age 3. A few weeks ago, to be more precise, Sam decided to make it their fort. He drug an old dirty oriental-looking rug from another outbuilding (left here by previous owners) into the fort which only had a dirt floor. He even swept the rug. Then, he found some boards and nails and a hammer in Jamey's shop and nailed the boards up to cover some holes in the walls. Next, they brought folding chairs into the fort. Then, Sadie picked flowers and set them on the ledges inside. That same day, Sam was asking if Jamey could build them cabinets in the fort to keep their snacks in. Um, no.

On Friday, we were outside again for the afternoon. The kids were pretty sandy from playing in the sandbox with water for over an hour. Then, they moved into the fort. Before long, I saw dirt being thrown out the windows. No one was screaming or even crying, so I let them be. Soon they emerged, looking very sheepish. They were covered in dirt. From head to toe. Very thoroughly covered. Intentionally, thoroughly covered. So I had to ask, "What were you doing?" Sam's response was, "We were pretending we were abandoned."

One would think this might have been the result of reading too many Box Car Children books, which Sam does have and read. But, most recently, he's read through the Little House series. I don't remember any abandoned kids in those books, but it has been awhile.

I wasn't upset. There would have been a time when I would have gotten upset, but those times are well past. Now, if they are happy and quiet and safe and not making too much more work for me, I'm just fine with it. And it's funny, a good friend just posted about her kids' new found activity.

It must be that time of year. Pin It

Mini April Photo Tour

Let me take you on a little mid- April tour. Put on your open-toed sandals. It's warm today.

All these haphazard green plants, growing and strengthening are our strawberries. There are no blossoms on them yet, but last year we started picking around the end of May, so those blossoms should be on their way.

Here we have some blossoms. This is our lone pear tree. We chopped down our old Keiffer pear trees last fall out of spite and because the pears were hard to reach and the trees rather ugly. In a couple years we hope to replace them with new trees (probably not Keiffer pears).

Here we have garlic and little rows of sweet lettuce- both of which I can't wait to sink my teeth into.

Emma and her three three-and-a-half-week-old chicks are still doing great in the chicken tractor. The chicks aren't looking so chick-y anymore.

They are pushing real chicken feathers and act just like their mama...chasing the occasional fly that enters the tractor and dusting themselves in the little hollows they've dug out.

Not much to say here...other than I love tulips.

Remember that Name That Sprout contest? Well, those sprouts have turned into plants and are awaiting a move outside.

Red raspberries pushing leaves. I can just imagine Sadie, red-fingered and red-mouthed.

Here come the troops, making sure that the camera in my hand isn't a little bag of bread crusts.

I really wanted to show you pictures of our asparagus poking their beautiful little heads up out of the ground. They are just starting to poke through, but since we mulched them a bit heavier this spring, their little heads are gourmet-white (scroll down, past "Asparagus and Urine", to the second paragraph under "Cultivation"). We've picked a few spears and are patiently waiting for more.

Once they start coming, they will be honored with a post all their own. Pin It