I Eat Asphalt

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Sat, 08 May 2010 20:36:58 -0400

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Sun, 02 May 2010 12:22:22 -0400

While I currently am launching my new website!

Check it out at: http://ieatasphalt.com

You can't judge a book or a bottle by its cover.

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:47:00 -0400

A number of the other foodie blogs I read have talked about drinking Kombucha. Last spring when I was recovering from all of my digestive troubles, I came across Kombucha in Whole Foods. It claimed to support a healthy digestive system, among a number of other things. Great! I thought, a wonder tonic. Well, lets just say my first experience was not a good one. The bottle must have gotten shaken up on the way home and exploded over the kitchen table. My roommate looked at me and just about begged me not to drink it, due to the vinegar smell and the fact that it looked like snot was floating in it. I tried one sip and down the drain it went.

My tastes have certainly matured since then, and after more buzz surrounding this ancient Chinese tea (which, let me state for the record I did NOT see in China) I decided to try it again. I’d heard that Synergy’s Trilogy was a good flavor, so I trudged back to Whole Foods and made my second purchase.

Again, there was stuff floating in it. It still smelled like vinegar, but didn’t explode all over me. First sip, I was pleasantly surprised. It definitely has a strong ginger flavor which I love. I’m not a huge fan of anything carbonated, but this didn’t hurt my stomach like soda does. I drank half the bottle while cooking dinner last night, and finished the second half tonight after returning from the gym. It is surprisingly refreshing and flavorful. I will definitely try another flavor in the future, but this is one of those once weekly treats. At over $3 a bottle, it’s not going to be a regular grocery item. Plus, after some research there have been reported cases of acidosis from over consumption. One bottle is definitely enough for two days and was a great treat after a long run. I guess this goes to show that foods should be given a second chance.

Cause of death: Junk food

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:25:05 -0400

After reading, I hope to convince you to eat this:

(grilled shrimp, polenta, garlic swiss chard with beats and goat cheese) and this

instead of this:

This is my full blast purge of bad feelings about fast food. I just finished reading Fast Food Nation and am feeling particularly passionate about spreading information about the “all American meal”.

Did you know that insurance companies hold stock in fast food companies? Interesting, don’t you think? It’s almost like insurance companies are betting against us. In research, we call this conflict of interest. Why would insurance companies support businesses that negatively impact their customers’ health? Read this.
Health issues arising around the consumption of fast food is not a unique problem to the US. The NYTimes recently reported about the rise in obesity and Type II diabetes in Qatar. Qatar is a nation who’s wealth is directly linked to oil sales, and the recent rise in wealth of many people has lead to the luxury of buying food from Western restaurants. But these eating habits don’t come without consequences.
Early death by junk food? It’s been proven in mice. Maybe soda should come with a Surgeons General Warning.
Would you buy fast food in support of a charity or research? KFC is now partnering with the Komen foundation by selling “Buckets for the Cure.” As a woman and the granddaughter of a breast cancer survivor, this is a true disappointment to me. How low are “causes” willing to stoop to raise money? It has been proven time and time again that maintaining a health weight is beneficial in cancer prevention and treatment. So buckets of fried chicken in support of cancer research sounds like a bit of an oxymoron to me.
Happy meals are a little less happy in Santa Clara, CA. The county now has a ban on toys that come in fast food meals that do not meat basic nutritional standards. The article states that the goal is to remove the mental link between fast food and toys, with the thinking that kids want the toys and not necessarily the meal. I can’t help but roll my eyes at McDonalds’ statement.

I know it may seem easy to point fingers at fast food restaurants and call them the bad guys. But I really hope the articles above make you think twice about buying a burger and fries.

Where are your charitable donations and tax dollars being spent?

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:28:00 -0400

Last Friday at Philabundance we ran out of two items before serving all of the families in line. This may seem insignificant, but we are only given six items of fresh produce to hand out each week. This past week we ran out of pineapples and grapes. There was a buzz going around amongst the volunteers about donations being down due to the bad winter in the US and the Chilean earthquake. After a bit of research I pulled up an Inquirer article that addressed this issue. Please take this for the point I’m trying to put across. I feel like it is so easy for people to write a check and send it away to a foreign relief agency when a natural disaster occurs. But what about the people back home that are affected indirectly? Would you be willing to take time off of your job to actually go lend a helping hand? Raising money and awareness is great and plays a critical role in helping any country recover. Instead of sending $100 to Chile or Haiti, send $10 of that to a food bank. Because the people in your own neighborhood are going to be affected with the increase in food costs. Philabundance is really trying to place an impact upon eating fresh meat, veggies and fruit, something that is very rare among food banks. It is far easier, and cheeper, to hand out cans of tuna and boxes of Hamburger Helper. In one Friday alone, 200 families are fed at the location where I work, and it is incredibly frustrating when we don’t have the resources to feed them equally. I’m going to step off of my soapbox now. In no way am I trying to point fingers, if you’re helping in some way than that is commendable. But you don’t have to look far to find those in need.

Along the same lines is the subject of food stamps. If you’re a close friend of mine, you’ve probably heard my opinion of (which if you haven’t noticed, I have a lot of). I am completely in support of WIC because of the regulations in place about what foods can be purchased with WIC financial support. There are set requirements about every type of food that can be purchased, such as 100% fruit juice, iron-fortified cereal that is at least 51% whole grain, and fresh fruits/vegetables. Food stamps, in contrast, are not regulated. If you meet the financial requirements, you can use food stamps to buy soda, chips and candy at your local corner store. Is this okay? Do you want your tax dollars to be spent on junk food, with possible implications of increasing the obesity rate in low income families and thus raising medical costs? Maybe that’s a leap, but doesn’t the chain reaction seem possible? Haven’t we all seen the SNAP credit card come out to purchase sweet tea and cookies? Instead, wouldn’t the logical result be to regulate SNAP benefits just like WIC? An MSNBC article got me really thinking about this issue. This article has three celebrity chefs plan out a weeks worth of meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on a food stamp budget, which averages about $69 per week for families of four. One of the featured chefs was Philly’s Jose Garces. The chefs created meals from fresh produce that are all simple and well balanced, proving that it is possible to make the most out of food stamps. I am all for financial support when it comes to purchasing healthy foods, but I cannot stand behind an organization that allows participants to consume junk.

Watch out MPH policy classes!

Barnstorming!

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:45:12 -0400

As many of you know I’ve been working on a certified all-natural CSA. I’ve learned a lot about eco-friendly crop rotation, planting patterns, and soil development. As much as I love digging in the dirt and eating the fruits of my labor, I don’t know a lot about raising organic livestock. Stonyfield is hosting a Barnstorming tour of their farms to teach foodies about organic processes. We all know how I have a love affair with Stonyfield yogurt, so having the opportunity to learn about their farming would be like a dream come true. This tour would give me the opportunity to meet people that care about food and farming practices as much as I do. Farm talk and learning where my favorite yogurt comes from, I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend!

chemicalfreeskinny: FOOD CHEMICALS: Fast food salads worse for...

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:45:26 -0400

chemicalfreeskinny:

FOOD CHEMICALS: Fast food salads worse for you than KFC’s meaty Double Down*

________

*The CRS Institute/ChemicalFreeSkinny says: Fast food salads (as well as salads at salad bars and other restaurants) contain sulfites and other preservatives (to maintain fresh appearance/texture of lettuce and other vegetables) that are linked with weight gain, difficulty losing weight, and a myriad of other adverse reactions.

________

(CLICK PHOTO FOR MORE)

KFC’s Double-Down has been getting a ton of negative press. Clearly, it epitomizes all of our Nation’s bad eating habits. But would you have really thought that a grilled chicken salad would having a higher fat and calorie count? This is partially due to the large salad dressing packets that come with the salad, but I hope this really makes everyone think twice about the food you order. Salads are never a “healthy” alternative at restaurants when doused with dressings and cheese.

"Why is it you can buy a double cheeseburger at McDonalds for 99 cents and you can’t even get a head..."

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:15:28 -0400

“Why is it you can buy a double cheeseburger at McDonalds for 99 cents and you can’t even get a head of broccoli for 99 cents? We’ve skewed our food system to the bad calories and it’s not an accident. The reason those calories are cheaper are because those are the ones we are heavily subsidizing. This is directly tied to the kind of agriculture that we are practicing and the farm policies we have. All those snack food calories are the ones that come from the commodity crops, from the wheat, from the corn and from the soybeans. By making those calories really cheap, that is the reason why the biggest predictor of obesity is income level.”

- Michael Pollan (via soupsoup)

This is what happens when corporations construct our federal policy. Health insurance reform was essentially written by the industry just as our food bills are written by the corporations behind the food supply chain. Are corporate interests more important than social good? It appears so. We need leadership that preemptively takes a stand for social interest over corporate profitability.

(via jayparkinsonmd)

Don't Shake Your Salt Shaker

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:44:34 -0400

Today wrecked a bit of havoc on both my diet and exercise regimen. The PA that I work with called out sick today and our doctor had to leave for a meeting in the ‘burbs at 2p. Meaning: crazy morning of double booked appointments and working through lunch. Not that I ever get a lunch break, but theres usually at least a solid 30 minutes without patients that I can get caught up and just have some quiet time. Not so today. “Lunch” or lack there of consisted on whatever snacks I had stored up. I had a small organic gala apple, approx. 6 whole wheat pretzel sticks, a small dollop of pbutter, a banana Stoneyfield FV yogurt and 5 blackberries. This was consumed between 11:30-2, along with about 3 bottles of water to try and curb my growling hunger. Talk about unbalanced. I could’ve done without the major chaos of the morning and was pretty tired by the time 4p rolled around. I decided to make a quick run to my favorite shopping center for a quick pick me up. Of course, it started to rain on my walk home which scratched any hope of running tonight. I decided to treat myself to some pasta for dinner. And came up with this:

Rice flour pasta with sauteed shrimp, asparagus, pees, sun dried tomatos and goat cheese. And a simple plate of lettuce (because I really just wanted to crack into my bottle of Annie’s Organic Goddess dressing).

I had never tried rice flour pasta before. I’ve cooked the asian version multiple times, but was pleasantly surprised at the spaghetti. It was a little bit sticky but had a similar texture to wheat pasta and there was really no taste to it. Have you ever tried quinoa pasta before? Its pretty fantastic but is super delicate and doesn’t stand up well with sauces. After my long day I decided to treat myself to the rest of my Cyclops raspberry froyo topped with a little Nature’s Path granola.

Don’t you just love my high quality iPhone pictures? This to improve this blog: launch wordpress site, purchase this camera, have more free time for blogging. ~~If you’re reading this mom, that would be a great birthday gift.~~

I did manage to get in some reading during the last hour at work and came across this article about salt levels in food. Remember yesterday’s post about salt levels? I think that limiting the amount of sodium in processed foods and restaurant meals would be beneficial to the health of this country. It truly amazes me to watch people shake and shake and shake salt on their food. I don’t even have salt in my salt shaker right now. Maybe I have some adverse taste buds to salt but I, personally, dont want my food to taste like the dead sea. I know sodium is especially beneficial for anyone who does large amounts of aerobic exercise, but I’d be willing to guess that with the amount of cheese and nut butters that I consume in a day, I get my share. Not to mention that it is also in my english muffins, cereal, and pretty much anything else that doesn’t come directly out of the ground. How much salt do you add to your food?

Your Nutritionista: Profile of a Healthy Eater: Alexandra

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:22:44 -0400

Your Nutritionista: Profile of a Healthy Eater: Alexandra:

This week, meet Alexandra.This healthy eater has a pretty sweet job and penchant for kitchen gadgets.

What’s your foodie style? I try to eat as all-natural and organically as possible. I’m a pescatarian about 80% of the time and prefer to eat whole grains/legumes for protein and a ton of…

Healthy Bites

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:01:25 -0400

I realized that I had a ton of articles bookmarked under the “to be blogged” mental category. If you haven’t noticed I am addicted to the New York Times and it may or may not be how I entertain myself at work. One of the things that I *gasp* miss about undergrad is research and discussions about advances in the medical sciences. So here are some quick reads about health and food.

Weighing the Evidence on Exercise: Are there any other women who are absolutely famished the next day after a hard workout? I thought the difference between metabolisms in men and women was striking. At least now I know there is a physiological reason for my hunger.
Cows on Drugs [OpEd]: Many of you know I try to eat as organically as possible, especially animal products. What you may not know, is my one uncle raises beef cattle that are sold under Whole Foods “Certified All-Natural” line. I am vehemently opposed to giving animals growth hormones and antibiotics . One of my theories on obesity in the US is that if we are pumping animals with hormones to make them larger and we in turn eat meat with said hormones, wouldn’t logic conclude that the hormones will start to affect us in a similar nature?
Beating Obesity: I chose this article because of the solutions it provides. I feel like it is so easy to point fingers and say “Oh, you should really loose weight” but little is being actively done to solve the obesity problem in the US. Finding a solution is what I want to dedicate my life’s work to.
Salt Levels in Our Food: This weeks Outside the Box Challenge is about adding sweeteners to foods. I thought this article was an interesting parallel. There is so much added sodium to foods that we don’t even realize. And who honestly would’ve thought that a small fry from McDonalds has less sodium than a serving of Cheerios. Now that is food for thought.

Other bites that deserve room for discussion include my dinner tonight! Tara and I decided to meet at our favorite spot, Marathon Grill. They changed the menu so we were ~~lost without our favorites~~ able to try something new! One of the new items were the “small bites.” Tara and I both got the Quinoa, Beets and Goat cheese (minus the cheese for preggers), she decided to go with the hummus and pita and I chose the fresh fruit to round it out. We had so much food on our tiny table!

I may have devoured half of my beets before thinking to take a picture. This was the perfect light and healthy meal out. Everything was fresh and quite balanced. After dinner, we couldn’t leave without a little froyo! I had forgotten how much I truly love Marathon’s yogurt, but this is the place that started my obsession!

That is a serious yum! Plus, I love that their new cups are completely biodegradable! Good for my stomach and the environment.

In other news: I will not be running much this week due to a major arthritis flair up. My general lower body just aches from planting acres of onions on my knees yesterday. I will get farmer buff, but have a feeling it’s going to take a few more weeks of near-paralysis like pain. The big farm kick of party is officially scheduled for May 8th!!

A new fro-yo obsession

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:19:52 -0400

I’ve come across plenty of new foods that I love thanks to my frequent trips to Whole Foods. But never did I expect to find something new in tiny York, PA. While romping around the two isle organic section of the local grocery store I came across the shelves of ice cream. Bright packaging and the words “Greek Style Frozen Yogurt” caught my eye. Upon further inspection, I found an organic New Zealand style frozen yogurt. And it is AMAZING. Seriously. If you like Fage yogurt, your going to love this: Cyclops.

It is a tart, plain base that has fruit swirled through it. I bought the raspberry, which has just the right amount of tart and sweet. Remember my serious love for Yogorino? Well, Cyclops is giving Yogorino a run for it’s money. Even better, it only cost me $2.50! Since I haven’t seen this in Philly, I’m contemplating ways that I can transport this on my two hour drive back tomorrow night…

Operation Beautiful

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:36:21 -0400

While clicking through my favorite blogs this week, I came across a post from Teri about Operation Beautiful. I thought that the concept was pretty cool and decided to look into the organization. I’m completely inspired by what other women are doing and posting throughout the country. I think it would be so cool to walk into a public restroom and see one of these notes. So obviously, I had to join in.

I was planning to go to the gym on Tuesday night and figured that would be a great place to plant my first note. My gym, however, is pretty hopping around the time that I go. I was so nervous trying to sneak around the locker room before my workout. I walked over to the bathrooms and waited until the coast was clear to put up:

On one of the stall doors and…

On the mirror.

I felt so sneaky with my post-it pad and iphone in hand, but walking out to the gym I couldn’t help the smile on my face. I hope that I brightened someone else’s day, and that other people keep this going. I didn’t look to see if the notes were still there post-workout and haven’t seen any other notes, but I think I’m going to try to put up one note each week (in different locations).

If you decide to participate let me know!

My Take on Exercise

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 08:57:58 -0400

Sitting in my car last night, my roommate and I were talking about how people feel about exercising. She abstains from the activity, but works with several people who absolutely hate working out but feel that they have to to stay in shape. Sometimes, I honestly wish running weren’t so hard. I’m not a natural runner, it takes a lot of effort, my legs often kill me after a mile, and I know my aerobic output isn’t being maxed. I see people who are a good 5 inches shorter than me blow past me along the river. I’m constantly thinking to myself “Dammit legs, just go!” But I love the pain, I love feeling the progress, I love how I feel after a good long run. Exercise isn’t something that I feel obligated to do, it’s not something that I have allowed to take over my life. I keep it balanced and know that my body does need a few days off. I try to eat well and keep my body nourished, but I am in no way close to eating a raw diet. I still eat some processed foods and my lifestyle requires grab-and-go foods.

I came across a blog post title: Top 10 Reasons Being Health Isn’t Always Fun, which really got me thinking about my life.

I’m 5ft 9in and naturally thin. I don’t think I’ve ever had a “healthy” BMI and was always in the 99th percentile for height as a kid. I’m lanky and long. Working out actually gives me some muscle and definition to my body.
If I didn’t come home and work out, I’d probably just be sitting on my computer or watching TV. It’s not like I have kids to take care of, a husband (or boyfriend for that matter), or a job that requires work outside of the office. I’m certain this will change once I’m back in school, but life is all about balance. And I honestly just love the grocery store. So much in fact, that moving any further than 5 blocks from Whole Foods terrifies me.
Sometimes it is painful. My ice pack is my best friend. I can tell when it’s going to rain due to the arthritis in my left knee. Sometimes I cramp up mid run and have to hobble around to work it out. There are mornings when I don’t think I’ll be able to move out of my bed. But then I get back out there, start feeling the asphalt under my feet and remember that it hurts so good.
Cooking for myself is a pain. It’s hard to make portions for one and be inspired to make an elaborate meal. Thats probably why I love quick cooking grains and fresh veggies so much. If you haven’t noticed, my diet lacks in heme proteins mainly due to the fact that cooking meat is just more effort than I care to expend. I could cook a piece of chicken, or I could use black beans or make quinoa. And we all know how much I love quinoa.

And now, I’m off to the gym for a morning jog and Pilates class.

PS. Breakfast: Sprouted gain English Muffin thanks to Ezekiel’s with p.butter and banana.

Do Gooder

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:41:06 -0400

I woke up this morning in a funk. I didn’t want to go into the office, I wasn’t interested in talking to any patients, I just felt blah. I wanted to be outside and dig in the dirt. Anything but sit at the computer under florescent lights. The worst part is that I chose to go in and get caught up on a few things until noon. I peaced out a little bit earlier to rush home and change before heading to the food bank. I made a super-speadster lunch that was composed of Quaker multi-grain oatmeal and yogurt with frozen berries.

Normally I would have labored over cooking old fashioned oats, but since I was in a rush I stuck with instant and jazzed it up with raisins, cinnamon, and almonds. I of course had to have my daily serving of yogurt (is anyone else out there obsessed?), and added some frozen raspberries and blackberries to give it a bit more substance.

Would it be weird if I said Stonyfield’s organic low-fat french vanilla yogurt was my favorite food? If you are a Stonyfield lover as well check out their rewards program.

After my power lunch, I hopped in my care and headed down to Philabundance. Within 10 minutes my mood was lifted. This week we had a small order on the truck consisting of: Bananas, potatoes, mandarin oranges, organic whole carrots, organic blueberries, and white bread. I’m honestly surprised at the amount of organic produce that is donated. Organic blueberries cost a pretty penny in Philadelphia. All of our participants were excited to see them, since this was the first time they were donated. One older woman was so cute and exclaimed “Oh yes! I like blueberries on my pancakes!” Invite me over anytime, sister! There wasn’t a very long line this week which was surprising since it’s a gorgeous day out (I’m sitting a my favorite local coffee shop as I type this). The line moved quickly and we were able to give a good amount of food to each family that came through. It truly amazes me how satisfied I feel after only two hours of my time. The people that volunteer are all so friendly and genuinely want to be there. Most of the families that are registered in the Fresh for All program are cooperative and thankful for what is offered. There are always the select few that try and swipe more than what is designated but I imagine that is an unavoidable aspect.

This weekends goal: get my stinking wordpress site up!

Fat Salmon, Skinny Bill

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:31:07 -0400

Tonight my favorite office-mate and I went out for a sushi date. We tried a new place (Fat Salmon) that recently opened by the hospital and it was a total winner. We split 3 rolls: spicy tuna, spicy salmon with avocado, and a crazy specialty roll that was rice wrapped in tuna with a bunch of stuff on top. It was a total step up from the chinese take out sushi we occasionally order for lunch. After dinner, Lua wanted to stop for some frozen yogurt before heading home and I, obviously, am not one to say no. We went to Phileo-yogurt for the first time and it is a winner!

Lua may or may not have outdone me with her quantity. This wasn’t as good as yogorino but a cool concept. There are probably 12 different flavors you can choose from and you serve yourself. Then you slowly wander through the topping bar, with fresh fruit, sauces, candy/cookie pieces, nuts, ect to choose from. Then your wonderful custom creation is weighed for the price. I chose 1/2 tart peach and 1/2 tart natural with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and mini chocolate chips. The natural seemed more icy for lack of better description than some of the other places in Philly, but it was still a great treat.

Quin-wow!

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:28:24 -0400

Back to work in the office today. It’s probably a sign when in between patients I was researching a new pair of Keens/Merrells to wear on the farm. Hmm.

I went to the gym tonight and did 5 miles on the elliptical at varying levels of resistance and incline. Very proud of myself for resisting the treadmill completely (not to mention that it was too rainy and cold to run outside). Tomorrow the goal is to run intervals along the river. My legs a definitely thanking me for the day of pounding off. I had been planning to make quinoa for dinner and had a great burst of inspiration while treading it up. I knew I had a few pieces of left over turkey bacon from the weekend and peas to use up. So tonights dinner creation: Quinoa Carbonara. This might sound nuts but it was sosososoooo good!

I mean, does that not look like the most delicious bowl of goodness EVER? I would say yes. Here are the basics:

Cook 1/4 cup Quinoa (usually in 1/2cup water)
Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium, add minced garlic. Add a handful of sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas), 1/4 cup cooked peas, and two full leaves of kale (torn into bite size pieces). DISCLAIMER: Be extra careful when adding the kale to the pan, the oil may pop and it will be hot.
Cook this mixture until the kale starts to wilt. Add in the cooked quinoa.
Add one really big soup spoon full of spreadable goat cheese and cook until it is well combined.
Slice two cooked pieces of bacon and add to the happy pan.
Season with fresh pepper and enjoy!

I don’t know how I come up with such crazy combinations. I think I’ve just learned how to take traditional meals and make them in a healthier way (aka in a way that my digestive system wont kill me). Over the past year I’ve had to make some big diet modifications and felt like I had to cut a lot of foods out just because it would be in so much pain after eating. But there are ways to make meals that taste just as good (if not better) than the originals!

Is anyone else super excited for the return of Glee!?!?

Volunteerism

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:06:33 -0400

I can’t believe I neglected to post on my first day at Philabundance! It went really well, all of the volunteers are great and the time flies by. The location I volunteer at only provides fresh fruits and veggies, usually about 6 items per day, feeding approximately 200 families. On this particular Friday the truck had bananas (a majority of which were organic!), whole watermelons, potatoes, small zucchini, wax beans, and loaves of bread. Unfortunately, the watermelons took up a ton of space on the truck and we were only able to provide them to about half of the people there. All of the produce is donated by local groceries stores, which is both good and bad. The a majority of the bananas were in great shape, and were literally the exact ones I buy at Whole Foods for $1.99/lb. The watermelons were also in great shape and a good size. However, the other items didn’t look so hot. Some of the potatoes were starting to get brown spots, a lot of the zucchini were getting soft spots from being packed, and pretty much all of the wax beans were old. It was difficult for me to hand this food out, knowing it isn’t the quality that I would buy in a grocery store, nor would it say fresh to last until next Friday. But it’s the kind of situation where you take what you can get, and if it helps families to supplement a few meals than the attempt it worth it. A few people from PR were there taking new pictures for the website and brochures, I’ll link it as soon as they’re up!

Today was a packed day at the farm. I started by hammering open willow… in an attempt to re-root herbs. I know, this probably sounds nuts. Elaine had some interesting projects up her sleeves today, but hopefully they all work! I moved on to building (roughly) a box for sweet potatoes, in an attempt to root them as well. Of course, this meant multiple wheelbarrows full of compost (my new favorite thing). After lunch we started to plant all of the new fields with broccoli. It’s amazing how much the farm has expanded in a few years and how much Lane is growing now. I haven’t made it up to the new greenhouse yet, hopefully there will be a rainy day so I can get some time there.

I’ve got to start remembering my camera more… definitely want to post pictures of all the farm progress. I also need to start taking pictures/posting recipes. I’ll get on the ball soon! Off to bed for what is bound to be a long 4 day week at work. It’s kind of sad to drive back into the city knowing that I would be completely happy just working on the farm again tomorrow, unfortunately it wont pay the bills.

Weekend Recap

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:27:09 -0400

I have to make this a quick post because my laptop battery is on the ends of it’s life for the night.

Yesterday was the first big Steeplechase race of the season, and it was a blast as always. My girlfriend Elise made a guest appearance all the way from Georgia, and of course going with the Smoots is always a good time.

Today my Madre and I made the most delish dinner. She grilled strip steaks and tomatoes with balsamic vinegar. I made polenta with parmesan. Yum! I’m kind of in love with Bob’s Red Mill products right now and their polenta was great (not to mention an awesome gluten free option). Doesn’t everything just taste better on the grill? Went for a quick hour jog tonight around the neighborhood. It’s weird running in suburbia. There are zero cars on the road and no bikers/runners/strollers/dogs to dodge like running on Kelly Drive. It was nice to just have a solitary run, I could actually hear my footsteps.

Tomorrow: another big day on the farm. I tried to spare my legs tonight knowing that by 3pm tomorrow I will be s-o-r-e. But its the best feeling in the world (okay, maybe not pain in my back that feels like I got hit by a bus) knowing that the pain is the result of producing fresh veggies. Hopefully there wont be any escape chickens this week.

Outside the Box Challenge: My Friday in Food

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:17:15 -0400

Outside the Box Challenge: My Friday in Food:

I decided to track what I ate on Friday, mainly because this is the one day of the week that I have a weird schedule and fall victim to snacking. It happened once again this week.

Breakfast (8:00am): This is a typical breakfast for me. Friday was chilly and damp, so I needed something to warm me…