Onesies to T-shirts

Lately I've been reaching for the t-shirts rather than onesies when dressing Poppyseed (although he's still mostly naked) only we don't have many t-shirts.

But boy do we have onesies!

 
I was browsing ThredUp thinking I'd get some shirts there when I had a brainstorm:

snip, snip, snip...

 

 

Problem solved.

Non-GMO Masa

Did I mention this already? I was searching for GMO-free masa (because we hate GMOs but loooove tamales) and contacted Bob's Red Mill about their masa...

Hi Annie,

Thank you for your e-mail. Here at Bob’s Red Mill, we only purchase identity-preserved products that originate from non-GMO seed. We think it is very important to offer the most natural, wholesome flours and grains. You can purchase our products knowing that we make honest decisions on behalf of our customers.

I will note that the reason we do not label our products as non-GMO is because we cannot guarantee the complete absence of genetic modification in our products because of wind drift, pollinators and our lack of testing equipment. We are, however, venturing into GMO testing so that we can guarantee our products’ GMO-free status. This is a new venture that will hopefully be in fruition by next year.

Let me know if you have any further questions, take care.

Andrey Gorban

Customer Service Representative

Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

(971)206-2231



Yay Bob's Red Mill! 

I'm very happy to see that they're going to start a testing program.


More on GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms):
Mark Bittman in the NY Times on GMOs and Prop 37 in CA
The Non-GMO Project
GMO Myths and Truths from the Organic Consumer's Association

Green Salsa Obsession

I have become obsessed with green salsa. 

There is almost always some in the fridge these days (as long as we have cilantro of course). 

I was inspired by Homesick Texan's tomatillo salsa recipe but since my tomatillos aren't ready in the garden didn't produce at all (!) and half of us don't do spicy, I made some alterations. Here's what I do:

1 large can tomatillos

1 can green chiles (we use mild)

1 bunch cilantro

onion (1/4? 1/2? depends on the day)

a few garlic cloves
whole cumin and pepper
olive oil

Blend all that up then simmer a pinch of whole cumin in a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Careful not to burn it. After a few minutes, when the cumin is slightly softened and the oil is nicely infused, pour your salsa into the pan right on top of the oil. You can call it quits at this point or cook the salsa a little. Your choice. I do it a different way each time I make it.

Stir this into soup, eggs, scoop it with chips, use it as an enchilada sauce, a topping for rice, potatoes, or mix it with yogurt for a creamy green salsa.

I can't wait until I have fresh tomatillos again!

P.S. Since I first drafted this post I've stopped cooking the salsa. I think I liked it better that way but I am very short on time because someone, lets call them "Poppyseed", gets impatient. Anyhow, I just pour the cumin/olive oil into the blender with the salsa and give it one last swirl. Pretty darn good. 



What is your condiment obsession?

Cudzoo Farm's Soap Giveaway

If you haven't already you should check out Cudzoo Farm's blog. It chronicles the antics of the goats, rabbits, cats, and dog on a Tennessee micro-farm. The farmer, Sarah, posts new photos and captions each day.

Now she's started "Freebie Fridays". Each Friday she has a soap give-away. Her soap is amazing. Made from her goats' milk, it's lightly scented, smooth, and creamy. I've been using it for years. (If you don't win a Friday Freebie, the soaps are available for purchase)

Here are some of the soaps from my last order.

Yes, that is a flying pig (ginger and bran).

Sleeping Nubian rosemary-mint soap.

I'd show you the spotted doe calendula soap I won last Friday (which was signed and numbered) but it's already in the shower :-)

In the Meantime...

Since Poppyseed is still so young (and it's my full time job to take care of him) we're not doing much to write about (after all, this is not a mommy blog). We mostly nurse and change diapers and snuggle and sleep. 

In the meantime I'm doing some blog spring cleaning: sprucing up the look (new masthead), fixing broken links (and making them all open in a separate page), adding some tabs, cleaning up old posts and adding pictures (pretty and also Pin-able), etc. Let me know if you discover any big problems, if your subscription is no longer working, or anything else goes weird. I'll try to check in periodically with links and articles you might like, the occasional picture, or a recipe until things are back to normal.

Here are some shots of the place after nearly a year of neglect!

mushrooms and sunflowers

Ruth Stout is Awesome

Lettuce growing in deep mulch in my garden.

11 years ago I read Ruth Stout's "No-Work Garden Book" and it changed my life (which is only a small exaggeration since gardening was 75% of my life). After reading that book I never tilled again (with two exceptions). I've been wanting to review her book for a while but I think this video might give you the idea. Basically she puts down a huge quantity of mulch which improves the soil, keeps weeds at bay, and prevents evaporation so she never weeds and never waters. I will say that growing in NY as she does is very different from growing in subtropical South Texas. Our weed pressure is tremendous for one thing. However, with some modifications, her method pretty much works for me: I pile up the mulch and sit back to watch things grow.

It never even occurred to me that a video of Ruth Stout existed and I'm so glad Sharon Astyk found one and posted it on one of her fantastic blogs.



Watch the video and check out one of Ruth Stout's books too. While you're at it take a look at Sharon Astyk's blogs Casaubon's Book and The Chatelaine's Keys (which in her words are all about "food, agriculture, energy issues and climate change") or one of her books. I've read and can recommend "Independence Days: A Guide to Sustainable Food Storage & Preservation".

Roasting Vegetables For The Week

Since we pretty much eat seasonally, winter vegetables make up most of the vegetable portion of our diet this time of year (although soon we'll have summer veg as well!). Winter vegetables aren't just those that grow in the winter like turnips, broccoli, or kale but also those that store for the winter like pumpkins, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Poblanos and sweet potatoes ready for the oven

Roasting is our favorite way to prepare these vegetables. They get crispy on the outside, smooshy in the middle and in some cases, very, very sweet (holy moly! have you enjoyed the sweetness that is a roasted brussels sprout!?). We eat the veg plain on the plate and in an assortment of recipes including lasagna and enchiladas. For some reason, even though I roast vegetables almost daily for use in recipes, it didn't occur to me to do this in bulk once a week until I read this New York Times article about Tamar Adler's new cookbook An Everlasting Meal.

Here was my "ah-ha" moment: