Starting Fresh with Compost
Posted by Casey Barton on Growers and Grocers
People have started confessing their compost failures to me. Not sure why. I’m no genius of rot and I like to think I don’t proselytize. Maybe my grubby garden jeans confer the appearance of moral authority.
I’m surprised by how many people quit composting after one bad experience. That’s no way to get anything done. If you don’t want to compost I won’t judge, but if you want to start or try again, here’s my unsolicited composting advice based on ten years’ experience. All you need is some dead stuff and a willingness to forgive yourself as you learn.
What to Expect When You’re Composting
Begin with realistic expectations. A compost pile is a bunch of rotting dead things: grass clippings, salad greens, whatever. It’s going to look funky sometimes and if things go badly it may stink for a while, but the same can be said of any of us. Be at least as forgiving of your compost pile as you are of your loved ones.
Able Grape
Posted by Colin Smith on The Spirit World
I’ve recently discovered a wine related search engine. It is used the same way as you would use Yahoo or Google but, as it is wine specific, all you need to do is key in “Spain” rather than “Spanish wine” and you will get all relevant wine related results.
The developers say “We aim to be the world’s most comprehensive, up-to-date, and authoritative source for online wine information”. It’s not for comparison shopping but for learning research. They have built their database by indexing 36,000 sites and 11,000,000 pages so far. It is only a beta version at present and they welcome comments for improvements and suggestions for inclusion.
Green Up Your Grocery Shopping
Posted by Jerel Jacobs on Fit Fare
While the saying it’s not easy being “green” still holds true in some areas, it is becoming easier to be green than ever before. That’s because of an increasing education of the general public regarding the environment and the growing willingness of local governments to take on greater ecological responsibility.
Whether you live in one of America’s greenest cities such as Eugene, Oregon, or, in a place where the infrastructure isn’t so environmentally friendly, you can still have a positive impact on the environment at the grocery store. Here are a few ways to make more environmentally friendly choices.
Bring Your Own Grocery Bags
One of the worst things for our environment is plastic. Most plastics take hundreds of years to decompose. An easy way to limit the amount of plastic bags that you use, and ultimately, throw away, is to purchase reusable grocery bags.
Hot Weather, Cold Brew
Posted by Robin Wheeler-Barber on A Nice Cuppa.
Until last summer I had never been much of a fan of iced coffee. The coldness muted the subtle flavors in the coffee while accentuating the bitterness. By the time I’d get to the bottom of the glass, melted ice created a watery mess that barely resembled coffee. What was the point? I’d sweat through my hot cup in the morning then switch to iced tea.
Around the same time this article extolling the virtues of cold brew iced coffee appeared in the New York Times last year, my barista friend Raquel introduced me to the wonders of cold-brew coffee and I became a cold coffee convert.
Often called toddy coffee in the U.S. after a patented brewing system created by Todd Simpson in 1964, cold-brewed coffee uses less energy than most methods, since it only requires cold water, a filter, two vessels and some time. Coarsely-ground coffee beans are steeped in cold water to create a thick concentrate with less than half the acidity of hot-brewed coffee. This lack of acidity creates an extremely smooth, naturally sweet brew that’s easy on the stomach.
Pure Food
Posted by Brilynn Ferguson on Paper Palate.
Pure Food
Port Not
Posted by Melanie Mitzner on The Spirit World.
If you’re not a captain of industry or you don’t have celebrity status, then you might want to check out my Artists Picks, great moderately priced wines under $10. I’ll be reviewing a different wine in each post, describing the terroir, region and providing tasting notes.
The Douro Valley in Portugal is a spectacular landscape of steep terraces carved into granite hills sloping down to the banks of the Douro River. Although famous for Port, sweet fortified wines, my preference leans toward very dry reds (no fruit bombs, please!).
So I was thrilled to find the inexpensive but tasty Porca de Murca 2005 from producer Real Companhia Velha. Made from a blend of indigenous grapes it is rich ruby in color and medium bodied with subtle notes of cherry and black berry and a pleasant, slightly astringent finish reminiscent of Darjeeling tea with just a hint of pepper and spice. Not bad for just $5 a bottle.
If you’re so inclined to explore the region, check out Like-A-Local and travel like a native!
Cooking for Real and Garlic Hasselback Potatoes
Posted by Patsy Kreitman on Edible TV
When Food Network announced the addition of a new show, Cooking for Real with Sunny Anderson, I set my DVR so I wouldn’t miss it. I love checking out the latest shows, because you just never know what you can learn from the latest Food Network discovery.
Sunny Anderson has a bright and cheery personality which is easy to watch. I think the only problem I really have with the show, is that she repeats the same phrases quite often. That may be just something she does all the time or a nervous habit, I’m not sure.
Baby Food Dilemma
Posted by Sarah Caron on Growers and Grocers
My daughter is just beginning to eat baby food. So far, it’s Earth’s Best Organic Rice Cereal and First Apples. But ultimately, I would rather be making her baby food with fresh produce.
Therein lies the dilemma: Is it better to make fresh baby food with grocery store produce, since the growing season in the northeast U.S. isn’t yet in full swing? Or is it better to buy organic, GMO-free baby food from the store? If this was the Fall, there would be no question: I would make her food with produce that we picked ourselves at local pick-your-own farms.
Creamy Dill Dressing
Posted by Jacki Dyrholm on Fit Fare
Now that the weather is warming up a bit, we have started eating more salads. Before going gluten-free we used to buy all the creamy, fat-laden Ranch and Italian dressings, but ever since finding this recipe in a magazine I don’t buy any store-bought dressings anymore. It is very light and perfect for those warm summer nights. And the good thing is that it is very easy to make!
Creamy Dill Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream (either regular or reduced-fat, I use whichever is on sale)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed (depending on if you like a hint of garlic or a lot)
1 tsp. dried dillweed (or you can experiment with fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Pulse until all ingredients are blended together and there are no lumps.
- Let chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
Variations: I also use this dressing over tilapia and other seafoods.
Food Safety: Leftovers can be stored in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Plain Old Fruit Never Tasted So Good
Posted by Alisa Fleming on Fit Fare.
To be honest, I had quite the pessimistic attitude when I first came upon these little pouches of fruit by Peeled Snacks. Packaged dried fruit, so what is new? It is just dried fruit, so simple, no wow factor … but to my complete surprise so [counter] revolutionary.
I used to be an avid dried fruit snacker, but with all of the added sugars and sulfur dioxide, I reasoned that fresh fruit was probably the only way to go. But Peeled Snacks has taken a step back in time, serving up dried fruit without the preservatives and sugar. That’s right, just fruit. As I unfortunately discovered in a prior Peeled Snacks taste test, this means a shorter shelf-life. But as long as you don’t hold onto these babies for several months, they are still pretty shelf-stable.
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