3191 Miles Apart

2010-03-14T16:46:59Z

It's quiet here this week. Hope you don't mind. Thanks for stopping by. —MAV 14 March 2010

2010-03-14T16:46:28Z

2010-03-14T16:46:07Z

It's quiet here this week. Hope you don't mind. Thanks for stopping by. —Stephanie 14 March 2010

2010-03-06T08:51:03Z

I had the pleasure of watching Jamie Oliver's TED talk, Teach Every Child About Food, this past week. I am grateful to Jamie for bringing these issues to national attention (I believe he even has a reality TV show in the works). I feel pretty passionately about fresh, cooked from scratch food—mostly because I really, really love to eat—but also because I think our health, quality of life and the sustainability of our resources depend on it. You should know that In our household, we don't really have healthy, fresh eating all figured out. We are two working parents with kids to shuttle to after school activities and appointments and not a lot of free time. Living without a full kitchen for nearly a year while we remodeled left us dependent on packaged, prepared foods and take-out, a habit we are still trying to shake. We live on a pretty tight budget. We have a child with a clinically limited palate. It's not always easy, but it is always worthwhile. I try to keep the big picture of how I want my kids to feel about food and their connection to it in mind. This week I wanted to share some tips for storing and preparing perishables and fresh foods that have worked for our family. I will share what's in our pantry in another post (maybe when we finish building our pantry, ahem). I store most foods in glass containers and jars. Glass does not absorb odors or transfer chemicals, is easy to clean in the dishwasher, can be heated in the microwave and works on the table without having to transfer to a serving dish. I like that I can see what's available in all the containers every time I peek into my fridge. I also use a china marker to write the date made and contents of things that are not obvious. I got my china marker at the office supply store; it washes off with each use. As I've mentioned before, I buy all my glass jars secondhand. They are easy to find at most thrift shops and garage and estate sales. I keep a large supply of small jelly jars that I use for my kids lunches (the glass has never broken) and fill with individual servings of homemade puddings, fruit crisps or yogurt with fruit or honey. I think store-bought individual size yogurts are a waste of both money and resources, and the ones aimed at kids, even the organic 'natural' ones, are full of sugar and other junk. Good quality, full-fat yogurt with some preserves or sweetener will appeal to most kids. I buy extra plastic lids because they are really easy for my kids to open and close properly. For protein-rich, readily-available snacks, we keep a supply of cheese cubes, pieces of salami, hard-boiled eggs and hummus or other bean spreads on hand. I will take an hour or so every few days to make sure we're stocked with these kind of snacks. This time of year, we get our produce from an organic produce delivery service. In the summer months, we are more likely to go to the farmer's market or eat from of our own garden or those of our friends. I highly recommend signing up with a CSA or a produce delivery (ours is mostly local, but includes some Californian treats like avocados and kiwi) because they will provide you with a variety that you might not choose for yourself. It's a great opportunity to try new things or rediscover old favorites. As soon as I get my delivery, I make a plan for how I will use everything (otherwise I will find it sad, wilted and brown at the bottom of the produce drawer in a week or two). I prepare anything that can be washed and cut ahead of time. Lettuce and salad greens are washed and dried (I store them rolled in a towel inside of a zip-lock bag), beets and carrots are peeled and shredded for salads and sandwiches, onions are chopped for soups (chopped onions will also freeze well), broccoli is trimmed and chopped, melon is seeded and cut into chunks. I love to eat a big salad for my lunch—but it only happens when the greens are washed and ready to go. Once a week I check to see if anything has been ignored and find a way to use it. Quiches and frittatas are a great way to use up hardy greens and other vegetables that may be a little past their prime. Sorry-looking or bruised fruits can be trimmed and baked into a crisp, cobbler or quick bread. And, finally, one of the best incentives to eat fresh and sustainably is to grow your own food. Even just a small container garden or herbs in a sunny windowsill can make a tremendous impact. Dirt is the best at keeping food fresh and delicious. Happy eating everyone! —Stephanie 6 March 2010

2010-03-06T08:48:31Z

2010-03-06T08:47:58Z

This week just a few of my favorite things ... Warm sunlight and taking the time to notice. The Portland Winter Market where I can get fresh eggs + greens right from the farmers (I am already counting the days until the Spring/Summer Market starts). Wearing all grey when I'm home lounging (sorry, Mom, I know you like to see me in color but I love grey so much). Heavy wool boyfriend scarves and the fact that I'll soon be saying goodbye to them and getting out their replacements: light Spring cotton ones. Hope you find a second to notice your favorite things today and every day. —MAV 6 March 2010

2010-02-26T02:54:19Z

You'll have to forgive me this week. I seem to have a bad case of early spring fever, and I'm at a loss for words. Hoping all these blooms brighten your days as they have mine. I know that spring is a ways off for many. Cheers. —Stephanie 26 February 2010

2010-02-26T02:52:21Z

2010-02-26T02:51:22Z

The kitchen is always my very favorite room in any home. No matter what has gone on in this room (stunning dinners, burning cookies, waiting for coffee, scrubbing dishes) I can feel the life force when I walk into a kitchen and it amazes me. Growing up we always planted ourselves in the kitchens of my grandparents houses where we sat at big tables with food and conversation lingering for hours. I will forget many things about the places I have lived and visited but I will remember the kitchens very well. As I bid adieu to this white-laced kitchen (I'm moving) I wanted to make one more batch of something special ... but what? Ah, yes. My friend Naomi's Quinoa Muffins. I met Naomi while living in this flat so it only seemed fitting. This is a great recipe and I'm so happy to share it with you (thanks, Naomi). These muffins are earthy and warming in all the right ways. Naomi bakes these before she takes a trip and tucks them into her carrying case ... I bake them the morning of a move (or some other stressful event) so that I can snack all day and feel the energy sitting with me as I lift yet another box. You should feel free to play with this recipe. This week I added cinnamon to the dry ingredients and it was really lovely. Maybe try adding blueberries, raisins or even chocolate chunks if you like; perhaps sprinkle them with cinnamon/sugar or a bit of maple sugar. But first promise me you'll try them plain ... with a little jam or butter or just on their own (which is how I like them best). These muffins are a simple pleasure in life and I am very content that they were the last item I baked in this old kitchen. What a gorgeous place of full of memories my kitchen has been ... Naomi's Quinoa Muffins makes 12 muffins 1/2 C quinoa (uncooked) 1 C spelt flour 1/4 t sea salt 1 t baking soda 1 C Kefir 1 egg 1/4 C maple syrup 1 t vanilla 1/4 C oil or melted butter 1 C rolled oats Pre-heat oven to 375º and line or coat muffin tins. Cook quinoa: add the 1/2 C of rinsed quinoa to 1 C of water and bring to a boil; once boiling cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until fluffy and all water is absorbed. While quinoa is cooking combine flour, salt and baking soda in one bowl; combine Kefir, egg, maple syrup, vanilla, melted butter (or oil) and oats in another bowl. Mix all ingredients together, including cooked quinoa, and spoon equally into muffin tins. Bake for about 20 minutes. —MAV 26 February 2010

2010-02-19T08:53:09Z

When I was in high school, I used to stop by the local library several times a week on my way home from school. I would look at fashion magazines, check out cassette tapes of Bob Dylan, and browse through the card catalog to find the subject area for whatever was interesting me that day. I don't think it was lost on me—even as a fifteen-year-old—what a precious resource it was to have this unlimited and free access to information. I realize this is a bit of a cliche, but it truly did open up entire worlds to me. Of course, now we have Google and Wikipedia and a dizzying amount of alternate sources of information, but I still do love my library. The library has changed with the times too. Now when a friend mentions something she'd read and enjoyed or I am suddenly taken over by a new interest (tanning my own leather? building a canoe?), I just head to my library's web site and search through their collections and place a hold. I receive emails when the books are available and again before they are due. Couldn't be easier. Our family checks out hundreds and hundreds of books, DVDs and CDs every year. Sure, sometimes I have to wait months on end for the latest Michael Pollan or season of Mad Men, but that's okay. My kids like to use the library the old-fashioned way. Our branch is halfway between home and school, so we stop there often (sometimes daily in the summer months). They browse the shelves, making new discoveries and returning to old favorites again and again. What I love about taking my kids to the library is that after always being the naysayer—telling them that's too expensive, too unhealthy, too unsafe—I get to say yes. Yes to excess. Get that book. Get the whole five-part series while you're at it. Yes, we can come back tomorrow. You know what was pretty great? Visiting the central library and seeing A Year of Mornings on the shelf—bar-coded, taped and a bit dog-eared from use. I felt like we'd come full circle, the library and me. —Stephanie 19 February 2010