Sweet Sustenance

Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did. William Butler (1535-1620)
Oxford dictionary of quotes

Some days I feel like I can’t get anything “important” done, because of all of the daily, mundane tasks I must first accomplish.

Tasks such as getting gas, buying groceries, stopping by the post office, horsekeeping, housekeeping, innkeeping, (geez all this keeping !) greenhouse gardening the weekly menu line up, getting the car’s oil changed…these are all regular, everyday activities, which seem to leave little room for creative expression.

Or, do they?

Perhaps this every day life stuff is what sets someone apart from the crowd.
Perhaps it is about the way you treat people, and the way you face each day, which makes you who you are.

If you grocery-shop with a scowl on your face…what does that say about you? If you wait in line at the post office with your hands on your hips…what does that say about you?

How can we make our “everyday life” reflect our extraordinary qualities? It’s something I strive for everyday. I’m not quite there yet. I might be guilty of an occasional grocery store scowl, or find myself in an occasional hands-on-hips sort of mood…

But I want to create a better realty, because this islife; it’s not a dress rehearsal. So on to the weekly menu with my all time favorite fruit… guaranteed to inspire creativity and smiles..

When To Buy Strawberries
From: Handling Tips From The NASGA Fresh Strawberries Booklet

If you cant or don’t grow ‘em yourself, of course, choose locally grown strawberries during the harvesting session, they will be the freshest and the most flavourful. When picking strawberries, try to pick early in the morning or later in the day when the fruit is cool. Strawberries are best used within 2-3 days of picking. Cover and store them unwashed in the refrigerator. Do not crowd or press.

What To Look For When Buying Strawberries
From: Handling Tips From The NASGA Fresh Strawberries Booklet The best strawberries are the ones you pick yourself or buy from your local strawberry fields. Farm fresh strawberries are hours old with little or no handling and no travelling. Enjoy the flavour and fragrance of fresh-picked strawberries. Look for plump, bright red and fully ripe berries. Caps should be attached green and fresh looking. The size of the strawberry is not important. All strawberries, large and small, are equally sweet and juicy.

How To Store Fresh Strawberries
From: Handling Tips From The NASGA Fresh Strawberries Booklet
Sort and remove any bruised or damaged berries as soon as possible and use in sauces, purées or jams. Place the berries in cool, well ventilated containers (32 to 40°F / 0 to 5°C). The moisture content of Fresh Strawberries is high, so store uncovered or loosely covered. Hull strawberries and rinse gently JUST before serving. Careful storing and handling will maintain their maximum flavour, colour and texture.

They start pointing their nose out around mid-may and disappear by the end of July. We are lucky have real-ruby-red-home-grown strawberries as soon as the beginning of May.

Strawberries are so versatile from a mousse to a soup, from a compote to a posh tart A so many strawberries, too little time.

So basically what happens is that you end up making a new strawberry thing everyday and everyone — except you — gets bored with strawberries.

It’s Monday …. so let’s have a healthy start to the day and week. Not to worry, decadence will take uh root during the week, no doubt Blend strawberries, blackberries, a banana, a small pot of strawberry yoghurt and orange juice for 30 seconds.

Served with whole wheat toast or muffins . you’re ready to roll. While you’re sipping…more fruit for thought.

Freezing Strawberries Without Sugar for Jam and Other Uses
From: Handling Tips From The NASGA Fresh Strawberries Booklet
Fill freezer containers with prepared sliced, or washed and dried berries to within 1/2″ (1 cm.) of top. Combine 4 cp. (1 L.) cold water with 1 tbsp. (15 mL.) of lemon or lime juice and pour over berries before freezing. Seal, Label and Date.

More strawberry induced fixin’s on the inn menu this week.

Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast

Serves: 8

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
12 slices home style white bread cut into 1-inch cubes
16 oz. cream cheese (cold) cut into 1-inch cubes
1 dozen large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup Canadian maple syrup
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. butter

Steps
Slice the strawberries. Arrange one half of the bread cubes in a well greased 13″x 9″ baking dish. Arrange all of the cream cheese cubes over the bread cubes, and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups strawberries on top. Arrange the remaining bread cubes over the strawberries.

Pour the half-and-half Into your blender, then add the eggs and blend. Add the maple syrup and blend. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, strawberry and cream cheese mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the dish from refrigerator 45 minutes prior to baking. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes; remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until French toast is puffed and golden.

To prepare strawberry sauce: In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and 1 cup water. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Stir in the strawberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until berries have softened. Add the butter, and stir the sauce until butter has melted. Serve hot over the Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast.

Waffles with Fruit
Ingredients

* 2 cups sifted flour

* 3 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 eggs, separated
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 5 tablespoons melted shortening
* 1/2 cup strawberries, blueberries or whatever fruit you’re adding

PREPARATION:
Mix and sift dry ingredients. Combine beaten egg yolks, milk, melted shortening and; add to dry ingredients, beating until smooth. Stir in sliced banana. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour or spoon batter into each section of a hot waffle iron.

Cook waffles until crispy and browned. Serves 6.

Strawberry Pancakes - From all recipes

Pancakes are the epitome of a decadent breakfast. Light and fluffy, sweet and doughy they are comfortable and fancy at the same time. Dress them up with some vanilla and a few slices of gorgeously plump strawberries and you have the perfect start to an amazing day.

ingredients:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 ¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
approximately 1 strawberry per pancake (~8), sliced into 8ths

* obviously these would work with almost any fruit: banana, blueberry, blackberry…peach…mmm. Anything works.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl beat the egg slightly, add milk, vanilla and 3 tablespoons oil. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until flour is moistened (clumps are okay!).

2. Heat non-stick frying pan over medium-high and brush lightly with oil.

3. Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto hot pan, making three pancakes at a time. Top each with strawberry slices and then cook until edges look slightly dry. Turn and cook other side until golden.

More fruits of my labour for next weekend, and the “doingness” takes my mind off pre-show nerves. Another show and go with Alle, here in Whitehall. Yup .. it’s showtime folks yet again…

Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit. Sorry couldnt resist
-Baltasar Gracian

Travel Lean and Green

Kermit had it right. It ain’t easy being green; and I’m not talking about the color . But wherever your travels take you now , with the help of the non-profit Green Restaurant Association, at least you’ll be able to go out to eat and not feel too guilty about stomping all over the environment. On average, the one million restaurants in the US generate 50,000 pounds of waste and uses 300,000 gallons of water annually. The Green Restaurant Association is working with a growing number of restaurants to transform them into “certified green restaurants.” It starts with a full assessment of the restaurant, then recommendations of what actions they can take, e.g. low-flow spray valves to reduce water use, LED lighting to boost energy efficiency, composting to manage food waste.

A growing number of restaurants want to green up their acts, with the help of the non-profit Green Restaurant Association, which is transforming food businesses into what it calls “certified green restaurants.” To date, 1000 restaurants in 23 states have become certifiably green.

Check out WBUR.org interactive tour for a complete guide on how a sustainable restaurant can be run, both inside the kitchen and out.

Neat! So next time you go out, look for a “certified green restaurant.” Just don’t drive 80 miles in your Hummer to get there Hit the road And while your’e summer traveling (or traveling anytime.. .some green travel tips

• Don’t buy an SUV. Unless you really need one. Don’t buy a car that’s bigger than your needs. In other words, don’t buy a Lincoln Navigator unless you really need something the size of the Titanic on a routine basis.
• Buying a fuel-efficient car is one of the easiest ways to reduce damage to the environment. Not only will you lessen all kinds of noxious emissions into the air, but smaller cars also use fewer raw materials in assembly
• Last but not least, buy a used car. If you’re getting rid of your old heap, consider donating it to a worthy cause. We’ve done that with each automobile we gave up. It made life easier the car will get reused, and you’ll be able to take a few bucks out of the IRS’s coffers in the process. More green car tips can be found at Cartalk.
• You can order the Montana 2007-2008 Montana Highway map here. UPDATE: If you do order the map via the link provided, you might want to indicate in the comments section that you want the 2007-2008 map

And wit hMemorial Day ust around the corner… it’s time to “get sconed … I get on a jag… especially since I ran a bakery once upon a time in Manhattan… Nothing like muffins , as a thank you to a friend, or for a whole rowdy group over for weekend brunch,t. But once you make them a few times, you start finding excuses to make them again and again.So bake them for no reason, enjoy a few yourself and then send the rest off with the first unsuspecting neighbor you come across.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones from ccoks.com
1/2 cup margarine or shortening
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup regular milk

Preheat oven to 375F.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in oats and raisins. Add milk and mix gently until a soft dough begins to cling together.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a 7 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place them on an ungreased baking sheet, or a sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar for extra sweetness.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and firm when pressed lightly in the center.

Makes 8 scones.

Sustaining Yourself

Despite all the campaigns to promote fruit and vegetable intake - only a third of Americans eat two or more pieces of fruit per day. 25% don’t eat any vegetables at all (ref).

Why not? Recent research from Mintel shows 5 reasons for not eating healthy:

1. Availability
2. Cost
3. Confusion
4. Time constraints
5. Taste concerns

there are a myriad reasons why we don’t eat healthy foods. One of these is the issue of convenience. Driving a long way to a farmer’s market to get fresh organic produce is not workable for some. We even have one here during summer months in Whitehall. Will probably hit it after the my horse show on Saturday with Alle in tow to come home for a few months.

However, if sustainable eating does interest you, here are some resources that may help.

1. USDA Farmers Market Directory
2. Local Harvest - Find local farms and farmers markets.
3. Eat Wild - Pasture-based farming
4. Eat Well Guide - Find restaurants, farms, and stores.
5. Heritage Foods - Find restaurants and stores supplying heritage foods.
6. Food Routes - Help source locally grown foods.
7. Co-op Directory - Find food co-ops.
8. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - Local food directory.
9. CSA Farm Search - Find farmers involved in Community Supported Agriculture.
10. Finding harvest calendars for each state (for eating local produce in season). This site also has an excellent guide to finding hormone-free dairy products

And now you can sustain yourself with today’s Fish Creek FindThe WoodGas Camp Stove A revolution in outdoor cooking, this tough stove starts quickly and easily; weighs only 2 pounds; uses 90% less fuel than ordinary stoves; and burns almost any plant-based fuel. You can even burn wet plant material.

Using a small (battery- or solar-powered) fan to draw fresh air into the unit’s dual stage combustion chamber, the WoodGas stove effectively burns fuel twice — allowing for a cleaner, hotter, more efficient stove.

Developed by a scientist with more than 30 years experience in biomass energy, the compact Stove is perfect for backpacking, hiking, camping, tailgating, hurricane preparedness, or making s’mores in the backyard. Get cookin’

Mom’s Day in the Kitchen

Kitchen gadgets aren’t just for cooking experts. Sure you can go overboard; after all, there are virtually thousands of contraptions to choose from. But here’s a list of some really useful kitchen gadgets you can buy for mom—and each one is under $50!

1. Silicone Oven Mitt: These babies are hot in kitchens right now. They can withstand temps up to 500 degrees and you can toss them in the dishwasher for an easy cleaning. Target these babies by Orka You will also find trivets made out of the same silicone, too. So useful!
2. Pepper Mill: If you’re still shaking pepper out of a plastic jar, you are missing out on a whole world of spice with fresh milled pepper. There’s tremendous variety to choose from: some are tiny and also sport a section with salt, others are 2 feet tall , and a bunch are even battery powered and do the milling for you. I prefer manual grinding with a simple twist of the wrist in a see-thru acrylic material that is easy to clean
3. Knife Sharpener: If you keep wondering why you’re ripping your tomatoes apart when slicing them, it’s because your knives are dull. I love this particular knife sharpener because it’s simple to use and it has no moving parts such as little wheels. Just three or four flicks of the blade through this and you’ll be slicing pretty again.
4. Wine Bottle Opener: Forget those crazy old fashioned corkscrews that leave you wrecking the cork and leaving bits of it in your wine. This full-proof opener works with a simple flick of the handle.
5. Silicone Basting Brush: This handy brush is wonderful when you’ve got to brush olive oil on a chicken, sweep egg white on a pie shell or a whole host of other important little tasks. Tons better than using one of those wooden brushes with bristles. Those darned bristles always shed and are nearly impossible to keep clean. Just pop the silicone brush into your dishwasher and you’ve got zilch to worry about.
6. Automatic Sugar Dispenser: If you drink coffee every day you’ll love this thing. No mess, no fuss—just push the button and an exactly measure ½ teaspoon falls into your cup of brew. Want more? Just push the button to clean; that’s it. And it’s easy to refill, too. Kinda fun for the person that needs a little taste of sugar each day, but doesn’t want to go overboard!
7. The Teastick: Perfect for that afternoon spot of tea. It holds loose tea leaves tight and allows them to steep in hot water. Must be some scones out there somewhere.

Don’t forget the flowers… especially when you see a large company like Sam’s Club get behind the Fair Trade program. They’re now offering Fair Trade flowers for sale on their website. You can read all about Fair Trade flowers here, but the important thing to know is that in addition to labor and environmental standards, a portion of the purchase price goes directly to the workers for a community development project (like a microlending program, a program to supply families with livestock, computer education, etc.)It seems that more “high-end” farms that participate, meaning that you may be getting higher quality flowers from Fair Trade farms. Really, this is a winning situation for everybody, and the fact that Sam’s Club is participating means that some very big buying decisions are being made that reward these farms that really make a difference. Check the Fair Trade Flowers website for more sources of Fair Trade flowers. Yeehaa.

And yes. there are some scones bakin’ for that afternoon tea (or breakfast for that matter!) right here from Recipezaar

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg white, additional sugar for top

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Cut in butter to coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in raisins and buttermilk.
4. Stir just until moistened.
5. Place on floured surface,knead a few times (6-8).
6. Pat into an 8in circle,cut into 12 wedges.
7. Place on greased cookie sheet.
8. Beat egg white until foamy, brush scones.
9. Sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Top with jam of choice

Tons more kitchen gadgets and tools here.. you’re only limited by your imagination.. or your budget and storage room.

Trot on friends, trot on.