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Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Prepping Lifestyle is Fun and Easy
January 20, 2015
— 3 Comments
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- marinated cherry tomato salad
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- roasted garlic cherry tomates
You probably know about the doomsday preppers, who build bunkers and buy machine guns and prepare to survive Armageddon. This has no interest to me. However, the other popular group of preppers, the ones who prepare food ahead of time to make sure they have healthy meals ready when they want them, are very attractive. I started following this idea in 2015 as a way to branch out of my food habits and try new dishes. I had a bad habit of making too much of one dish and tiring of it before we finished it. This was such a waste of time, energy and money. The remedy is simple. Make exactly the amount you need for each meal, or deal with any excess on the spot. I have not started a good freezer regimen, but I have managed to come out even with prepared food. This was one of the benefits, but not the only one. I decided to make at least two different dishes from each basic staple I cook.
I created a calendar in order to finish all my meal preparation in 4 days in order to leave the kitchen clean and undisturbed for 3 days a week. This is such a great change because it means a lot less clean up for the same amount of food. I make a big specific mess, clear it out, and enjoy the meals in the fridge ready to heat or add dressing. I think I can move toward 4 days out of the kitchen if I concentrate. Most of my fellow preppers do a whole week in one day, so surely I can pick up my pace on this. It does not take that much time, but it does require planning and strategy. The time off feels like I have hired a chef to make all my favorites. The fact that I am the chef does not intrude on this fabulous feeling when I waltz into the clean kitchen to find dinner. There is no drudgery involved because the prep days are very creative with research and invention. The magic chef days are wonderful because I reap the harvest of time as well as the pristine kitchen.
I have been a vegetarian for 65 years, so I am not planning to implement any new phase. I am fine as a lacto-ovo vegetarian eater. I have no desire to be gluten free or vegan, but I do really appreciate all the available recipes in those categories. I go very light on wheat, eggs and dairy, so many treats I enjoy are raw, vegan, and gluten free. I also happen to have a kosher home, but I go to no extra effort. This week we came into a giant harvest of cherry tomatoes. I am drying them, roasting them, marinating them, and next I plan to make a salad dressing from some of the roasted ones. I also saw a good looking focaccia recipe with cherry tomatoes and olives on top..That will be a new way to use them. If you have interest in trying these methods or learning about the food prep movement, find everything you might want to know on Pinterest. Happy prepping, gentle readers.
dried cherry tomatoes
Food Preparation for Better Nutrition
January 3, 2015
— 2 Comments
I have cleared out my fridge and started a food preparation calendar for 2015. My first inquiry into this popular practice started on Pinterest, where there are many enthusiastic plans to use time and ingredients more wisely. I notice that most of the preppers favor a style of doing the work on Sunday to have planned healthy meals all through the work week. This is brilliant for anyone with a 9-5 job Monday through Friday. I am lucky enough not to have one, so my goals are slightly different. I still want to concentrate the effort into a compressed time slot, so I save time on clean up and on presentation later. I plan to keep the cooking and cleaning to a bare minimum 4 days a week. I can afford to have 3 active preparation days, and spread out the tasks as well as the freshness. I also am dedicating a day to drink preparation. I have been making shrubs, bitters and other infusions. I want to expand my repertoire in the beverage department. There are so many fun recipes to try, and a tasty beverage stands on its own for a pick me up any time of day.
For the first week I have planned (subject to revision in the future):
- Sunday- Start sprouts. They are ready to eat in 3-5 days, so they will liven up the salad offering late in the week. This takes virtually no time. Make recipe decisions based on food on hand.
- Monday-Juice, beverage mixes, and salad bar. By mixing up a few new drinks and dressings new each week, this can be creative and educational.
- Tuesday-Soak beans and make soup- beans add texture and nutrition to everything, and soup is flexible
- Wednesday- Biscuit, muffin, or bread production. Create pickles and condiments. This is another area of cooking I enjoy, and want to make a regular habit of fermenting or pickling foods for healthy and more interesting cuisine.
The rest of the week I am planning to enjoy the fruits of my labors and find out how well I have estimated the proper amount for the week. I already love the organized fridge and the new outlook I am adopting from the food preppers. It is a solid way to improve the way I shop, cook, and eat. I like restaurants, but honestly I prefer pretty and delicious meals concocted by my own hand. I can suit my own whims and moods. The advantage of the food prep practice is having something healthy and ready no matter what happens. I believe it will remove stress and extra money from the whole process of eating. If you have an interest in leaning more about my new found hobby, I can direct you to some highly educational pins:
There is a plethora of information on this subject. I think it offers me a way to structure a long time interest, making and eating food, into a more elevated and pleasurable experience. I think I will learn a lot. Do you use a meal planning and food preparation schedule? This is a first for me. I am sure I will tweek it, but it is a superior way to look at diet.
Conserving Tucson
October 27, 2014
— 2 Comments
home tour
composting toilet
hand washing
okra
chicken run
We attended the open house and garden tour offered by Watershed Management Group in Tucson this weekend. We are interested in finding ways to improve our soil and conserve rain water since we live in a time of drought in the desert. We have come a long way toward awareness that we need to make use of the storm water that causes erosion and lots of damage to our paved streets. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the interest is growing and the available resources are expanding. Home owners who contribute labor to projects at the homes of others can earn credit toward completing their own projects though the Green Living coop program at Watershed Management. Volunteer opportunities abound, and the coop gives homeowners a more thrifty alternative to hiring a contractor.
The homeowners were gracious showing us gardens, chickens and systems they have installed to capture grey water and rain water. The outdoor bathroom with solar shower and composting toilet was comfortable and had no objectionable smell at all. The agriculture thrives with the help of extra rain water. The plants show obvious signs of good health. Our favorite home display was the aquaponic garden. This system uses a few fish to provide the food needed to grow plants in water. The cascading system is very low in water use since it is all recycled and pumped through the fish tank and back to the garden all the time. We would love to have a system like this, and will go back to visit the aquaponic system to investigate getting our own. The homeowner also had some ingenious use of rainwater for orchard trees and a wood fired hot tub with a charcoal filter system.
aquaponics
aquaponic kale
wood fired hot tub
The most developed and well funded display we visited was the Nature Conservancy headquarters. They have taken out the asphalt, installed giant cisterns under the parking lot and in metal tanks. The parking structures are solar electric panels that provide most of the electricity for the facility. The mission of the Conservancy is wonderfully fulfilled by the educational aspects of the campus. The public can visit and learn about water harvesting and conservation any time, but during the harvest tour we were accompanied by a docent who was very well informed and helpful. This well respected institution takes the lead in teaching and practicing ecological sanity. The building itself was built from recycled materials. The non native plants were removed in favor of native landscaping. We are lucky to have this shining example of conservation in our city.
cistern Nature Conservancy
solar electric
cistern
Nature Conservancy
Nature Conservancy
Nature Conservancy
Food for Ascension, Tucson
October 21, 2014
— 4 Comments
On 7th Street near 4th Avenue in Tucson stands a Moorish style building complex that has housed a dance/movement/or yoga studio as long as I can remember. Today the space is serving as a gallery, coffee shop, and farm to table restaurant as well as providing space for movement classes and other events. Today I tried Food for Ascension for the first time and I am very happy I did. This place has several qualities that set it apart from other restaurants in the area. The fact that all the food comes from no more than 150 miles away is notable. The pure plant based recipes sometimes include eggs, but substitutions can be made for vegans and the gluten free people. The menu is short but several daily specials as well as a good selection of small plates provide more than enough variety. I could not choose, so I ordered two entrees knowing I would bring some home with me. Servings were generous. My server suggested the half order of biscuits and gravy because she could tell I was going to have plenty of food. She was right about that.
biscuits and gravy
She brought a bottle of water, which I always appreciate, and I enjoyed the wonderful view while a waited for my root and seed burger. At this intersection it is possible to see a least a little of three different mountain ranges that surround out city. Being upstairs to dine is truly a pleasure, especially when the weather is perfect like it was for lunch today. The domes and the downtown skyline view, along with 4th Avenue bustle make ascension to the upper deck a super treat. Perched above the noise of the street with plants and servers who make you feel very well attended is like finding a secret hide away in downtown. I plan to go often to try everything on the menu.
root and seed burger
I can report that the innovation and care is obvious in the food preparation. Both burger and biscuits arrived hot and beautifully presented. I made my way through about half of each of them, and was super satisfied as well as stuffed. The root and seed burger had great texture, unlike the mushy veggie burger that can sometimes happen. This flavorful version had a nice char and crust on the outside which is a big plus. The fresh greens on the plate had a lemon vinaigrette dressing that made it work as a salad, but also was tasty when applied to the sandwich as extra stuffing. The oyster mushroom gravy on the sage biscuits was delightful. The sage flavor is strong in the biscuit, but it is complimented perfectly by the rich gravy. It is highly evocative of Thanksgiving, with no turkey involved. I loved both the dishes, and may have trouble choosing between them the next time I order. I packed the rest..well, the gravy was kind of gone…to take home for Bob to taste. I am excited to return with him next time because I know he will like it, and they do have some very rich desserts on the menu that will make him happy. I was way too full to try any of that today. I have found a new favorite spot, and am a little surprised it took me so long. Food for Ascension has been open for about a year. If you have a chance to try the food, as well as the fabulous ascension, I recommend it. Take the upgrade, Tucson!
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- Antigone’s Books and Catalinas
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- dome and downtown
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- courtyard
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- Catalina Mountains
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- Dome and Rincons
Sonora, Bald Eagle of Scottsdale
October 8, 2014
— 6 Comments
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- outdoor car
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- human friendly
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- enjoys the view
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- wind under her wings
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- enjoys the view
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- wind under her wings
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- wind under her wings
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- wind under her wings
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- human friendly
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- Sonora poses
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- Sonora poses
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- enjoys the view
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- Sonora wins hearts and minds
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- wind under her wings
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- enjoys the view
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- wind under her wings
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- enjoys the view
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- Sonora poses
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- Sonora poses
I drove to Clarkdale, AZ last weekend to ride the Verde Valley Railroad with Sonora the bald eagle. She was brought to wildlife rescue as a very young bird with her wing badly broken. Today she can fly in her enclosure, but her wing never healed well enough for her to return to the wild. I have to say for a captive eagle, this girl gets around and continues to enjoy nature while she rides the train through the canyons. Her enclosure in Scottsdale is at Liberty Wildlife Refuge, at the home of a former vet of the Phoenix zoo, and her two handlers that accompany her on field trips obviously love her dearly. She is a pampered (not that it was her choice) suburban eagle with a soccer mom schedule of school events, train appearances, and other symbolic and educational obligations. She seems happy, and everyone who gets to see her up close and personal is ecstatic while in her presence. I was completely out of my mind. She flapped me on the head with her wing while I was standing next to her, which I consider to have been a super magical gift. She didn’t hurt me at all, but I did get a sense of her power. I want to say I am her greatest fan, but I suspect we all adore her at the same very high level. She is just awesome. If you have a chance to meet Sonora, don’t miss it. She rides the train once a month for now. She began her programs on the train in 2010 when she was 3. Now she is a seasoned model and train enthusiast. I can’t tell you how fun it is to meet her.
Fall Food Fiesta, Pecans
September 30, 2014
— 2 Comments
Pecans grow abundantly in Arizona, with large commercial groves to be found both north and south of the city of Tucson. Green Valley Pecan Company is the largest pecan farm in the world. I love the organic pecans from our neighbors just 20 minutes south of Tucson. They sponsor the Sahuarita Pecan Festival to celebrate the harvest and get festive with the local population. This year the festival will take place Nov. 8, 2014 from 9 am to 5 pm at the farm. Parking is free until 8:30 am, and $5 per car after that time. I adore food festivals. I am a bigger fan of nuts than I am of wine, so this local festival is particularly appealing to me. I am not waiting to start eating my organic Green Valley pecans. I have already polished off half of the first bag I purchased eating them straight up. That is honestly my favorite way to have them. I do cook with them, and when I was in Austin this summer I heard about a pecan syrup being used in bourbon cocktails that intrigued me. My friend made a wonderful concoction of bitters by using a whole pecan in the shell as one of the local ingredients she was testing. The flavor of the nut came out nicely in the final product, the shell lending some bitter notes. My mother used to shell loads of pecans each year and give them to me as a holiday gift. It was the best thing she gave me, and she kept doing it until she was very old. She would spend a month or so shelling pecans in the fall for her holiday gifting. She was from Texas, so I imagine this came from her childhood. She made a decent pecan pie, but my mother, Ruby, specialized in pralines. She made no other kind of candy, and it only happened once a year (for the holiday gifts). She put pecans in her fruitcakes too, but then she ruined them with fruitcake (I was never a fan of this extremely labor intensive preparation).
Here are some savory examples of pecans for fall festivities:
Most of the classic pecan recipes are for sweets:
If you have made the ice cream you can them have a:
What is your favorite way to enjoy pecans, Gentle Reader?
Pomegranates and Persephone
September 23, 2014
— 3 Comments
pomegranate
pomegranate
pomegranates
One of the most symbolic of all the foods we harvest in the fall is the pomegranate. This is the fruit of the dead Hades gave the goddess Persephone before she was retuned to her mother. The pomegranate seeds she ate in the underworld created a magical bond she could not break. She was doomed to return to Hades for three months each year. This complicated story is about birth and death, cycles and seasons, sabotage and fate. She was kidnapped and raped by her husband Hades who planned to keep her forever. Persephone’s mother, Demeter, goddess of fertility, went into such a tizzy about her daughter’s kidnapping that Zeus, her husband, finally relented and brought Persephone back to her. The entire incident could have ended at that, but the pomegranate seeds she ate magically sealed her relationship with Hades and the underworld. She was, after all, since her kidnapping and rape, the queen of the underworld. Now we have three months of winter, and during that time Demeter will not produce crops or warmth for the land. Each spring when Persephone returns from her underground realm life begins anew and Demeter gets busy providing ample food for humans.
The ruby red color and the delicious taste of the pomegranate makes an exotic ingredient in all kinds of dishes and drinks. Here are a few ways to honor Persephone and enjoy the season:
- Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad
- Cranberry and Pomegranate Bruschetta
- 5-Ingredient Pear Pomegranate Salsa
Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores, and is a wonderful ingredient. It is very handy at the bar. This beautiful alcohol free drink is named after the queen of the underworld:
Last but certainly not least I leave you with a recipe for an exotic cocktail with chocolate covered pomegranate seeds:
Enjoy!!!
Heirloom Farmers Markets-Tucson
September 14, 2014
— 2 Comments
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- Organics
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- Heirloom Farmers Markets
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- dates
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- lemon squash
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- eggplant
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- garden plants
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- eggplant
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- selection
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- beans
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- tomatoes
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- heat!!!
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- tomatoes
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- squash
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- fresh produce
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- chiles
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- apples and cider
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- vendors
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- cheddar cheese
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- students who grow plants
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- honey
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- local honey and pollen
In September Arizona agriculture is peaking with abundance. There are crops that grow well in serious heat, like melons and okra, that are finishing the season. Many more crops enjoy the long slow slide into winter that we have and will be ready soon. The grapes for wine are soon to be harvested, the apples in Wilcox are being picked, and some date varieties are now starting to be ripe and ready to eat. There are a large variety of squash being grown around Arizona that are never seen in regular grocery stores, and you can even get fresh squash blossoms to prepare. More vendors come out in the cooler weather as more customers show up to shop and dine at the food trucks. We like to go for unusual gourmet finds as well as for entertainment. We see people we know and sometimes take the dog. It makes a good outing and supports the local farmers in the process. Today we came home with some very special smoked salsa homemade by smoking all the vegetables on mesquite wood before combining them. We bought a baby blue Hubbard squash..a mini version of the giant winter squash with the rich flavor. I got some cayenne, garlic and some extra hot jalapeño chiles because our own chiles in the garden are ripe and ready to go to become salsa at home. I will use the little green tomatoes, the garlic and the chiles to round out the flavor and make different levels of picante for different tastes. We are drinking fresh apple cider today from Wilcox. The little lemon cucumbers will make a sparkle in salads and the light colored pickling cucumbers are good straight up why themselves as a snack. We did not get dates because I have a few I need to use from last season before I start on this year’s. I don’t mind paying extra in order to put the mooney right into the hand of the person who grew or made it.
How is the farmers’ market scene where you live? Are you able to get to one on a regular basis? I like both the specialty prepared foods and the fresh produce. They both serve the local farming community and let us have some extra special meals enhanced by products and produce not to be found at standard grocery shopping outlets. When I travel I make it a point to attend a local market if at all possible. I think they are growing in popularity and in variety of available products. Some have musical entertainment. It is fun to meet the farmer and know your food is as fresh as it can be.
Fall Food Fiesta, Pears
September 5, 2014
— 2 Comments
bartlett pears
Peak Pear season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier. These Bartletts will be perfect to slice and bake with brie and port wine for an evening bite. We have that simple combination a few times during the season with different varieties as they ripen. The versatility of pears makes them good from breakfast until midnight snack.
Very simple pear preparations include:
If you want to do some special baking pears will enhance pastries, cakes and other desserts:
Don’t for get the cocktail hour:
Pears keep well so we will have them all winter from different parts of the country. I hope you will enjoy the season as much as we do at our house. What are your favorite ways to eat pears? Do you have a favorite variety? Mine is Comice, very hard to transport, but worth the effort if you can find them. Bon appetite!!
Fall Food Fiesta, Grapes
August 27, 2014
— 3 Comments
Thomcord grapes
The seedless varieties are less intense in flavor but lend themselves well to:
I would use the real concord with seeds and full flavor for the perfect versions of:
I am looking forward to some deep purple cocktails this season:
What are your favorite varieties of grapes and how do you like to use them? I always love learning new customs and recipes.
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