I've Kept this Piece of Paper for a Long Time

In one of her classes, Barbara Hoffman handed us this poem by Taylor Mali. It is as true now as it was then or perhaps even more so. I have always found it to be the perfect way to wake people up about speech, grammar and general English principles and think it should become more mainstream. Since I don't want to get in trouble by putting this poem on my blog, I'm just going to link to it and pray that you all follow! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Totally like whatever, you know?

Organic on a Budget

If you enjoyed reading what I keep on hand, you might also be interested in knowing what I choose to buy organic and what I will buy conventionally. This has everything to do with my budget, of course, but since I believe in organic food and want to give my children the best I can afford, I tend to specifically focus on 'The Dirty Dozen.' The Eco Logical Mom actually posted the updated list of these foods in January, so visit that page to see it in its entirety.  

What I Buy Organic:

• Apples: I try to give H & P an apple every day, usually shredded because it's easier for Piper to eat (apple snow). Even though I peel them anyway, again because it's easier for them to eat (or has been up until now), I don't know how many pesticides get beneath the skin. Most of the time, I get a bag at Giant or Wegmans for $4.99 and yes, I feel it's worth it.

• Potatoes: Sometimes, Whole Foods has them on sale, but I found that Wegmans actually has the cheapest bag of Organic potatoes at $3.49 (at Whole Foods and Giant a bag is $4.99).

• Celery: I was holding off on this for a while, but I was recently made aware how bad regular celery really is, so now I only get organic (and no I don't remember how much it is off the top of my head, sorry).

• Salad: In case you haven't noticed, we try to eat salad a lot. Since I don't have a garden right now, nor are the farmer's markets alive, I must resort to the store. Whole Foods has the best deal on Organic romaine hearts, three for $2.49. Elsewhere you might pay close to $5 for the same. I find that buying actual heads of lettuce versus bags of salad is the most economical way to go since the heads go a lot further and cost significantly less. 

• Greens: While I do try to buy things like kale, spinach and collard greens fairly often, I do not get them all the time (depending on my mood). But when I do, I get them at Whole Foods because the bunches are usually $2.49 and you can pick a fairly large one that will last through a few meals, plus the stems can be used for stock or composting. 

• Other Fruits: I do not always buy fruit beyond bananas and apples simply because of their expense. However, if I get pears or peaches or berries (very rarely!) I do get them Organic.

• Meat/Eggs/Dairy: OK, I don't actually buy these Organic all the time, but what I do get is cage free, hormone free, grass-fed, vegetarian diet, antibiotic free animal products. In some ways, animal products scare me even more than the pesticides on general foods. The idea that my children could be ingesting growth hormones or whatever antibiotics were given to these animals literally makes me sick. Luckily, I can get the type of animal product I am willing to put in my mouth and their mouths at both Giant and Whole Foods. This is really, really important to me. Remember, everything that that animal ate or was given is what YOU are eating. Think about it.

What I Don't Buy Organic:

• Onions: They're clean. As clean as an onion can be...

• Bananas: The skin is so thick it probably wouldn't matter if you put pesticides all over them. Plus, you peel it all off anyway so you don't have much to worry about. I am trying to buy more Fair Trade bananas from Sam's Club or Whole Foods, but if I really, really need them I'll get them wherever. (I noticed that the Fair Trade bananas seem to ripen weirdly, turning an odd shade of brownish green rather than yellow...has anyone else noticed this?)

• Asparagus: It's low on the list, so if I can get them for less than $2.99/lb, I pick them up. At the Polish store near me, when they have asparagus, they often have it for $.99 a bunch = awesome. 

•  Peas: You may remember that my children eat peas like they're going out of style, which is why I always have several bags in the freezer. Lucky for me, I don't have to buy them organic because I would be very poor by now.

• Citrus Fruits: Lemons, oranges and grapefruits don't matter to me much, aside from picking nice looking ones. I can get 10 oranges for $2 at that Polish store and that makes me happy.  

• Garlic: I don't know anything about the levels of pesticides on garlic, but I've never seen it on a 'bad' list, so I get it where I can.

• Carrots: These are iffy for me. Sometimes I buy them Organic, sometimes I don't. I've been leaning towards getting them Organic more often than not, but it depends where I go to get them. Again, I'm not sure what the pesticide level of this vegetable is, so I can't really put it on my 'Must Buy Organic' list just yet. 

• Kiwi: It's also clean, so when I can get 5 for $2.00, I get them. 

• Peanut Butter: This is the only peanut butter I buy. While I do not buy Organic, I do buy the one that contains the following ingredients: Peanuts and salt. The end.

• Jelly: I realize that this is counter intuitive to my pact to buy Organic berries and fruits, but Organic jelly is so darn expensive, I just can't do it. However, I always pay attention to labels and for most of my life, this is the only jelly I have purchased, one with no sugar added. (P.S. If you can find the blueberry, it's awesome!)

• Maple Syrup: Another thing I don't know much about, but I like to think that people don't randomly spray Maple trees with pesticides and that even if they do, it doesn't seep all the way into the syrup. Correct me if I'm wrong. Still, I will not buy anything but 100% pure because if you have to put something else in it and continue to call it 'maple syrup,'  you should be shot.

• Ketchup (and other condiments): There is a significant difference between the price of 'regular' ketchup and Organic ketchup, and when the ingredients are fairly similar, I opt for the regular.

• Pasta: I just don't do it.Wait, I take that back. Sometimes I do buy Organic vegetable pasta for H & P because they really love it. Otherwise, I can't serve anything to Mr. Man that isn't white because he'll look at it and make faces. 

• Canned Tomato Stuff: All the pasta sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes I buy are usually not Organic. I did, however, buy some Organic diced tomatoes at Whole Foods the other day because they were on sale, but as a rule I don't go out of my way for them.

If you know more information about any of these products, please let me know. I'm always willing to learn more about what I'm eating. Also, please remember that even if I don't buy something Organic, I will only buy the product that contains the fewest ingredients, the least amount of sodium and/or sugar and the closest to real I can find. I can't wait to start finding and visiting the local Farmer's Markets because then I will be able to save even more on good food. :) 

Travel

Heidi loves riding the tractor with my mother!

Beginning Friday 8 April, I will be journeying to my mother's home in NY. As a result of this journey, my blog posts may be fewer and far between. Please don't fret; I will return to the groove eventually, hopefully with lots of new and exciting information for you, not to mention the creative writing for Hoffman Week.

Do feel jealous, however, because I will be visiting the fabulous Jillian's Drawers and Mama Goose while in town, the latter of which will likely be providing H & P's spring/summer wardrobe. Can't wait to tell you what I find/do!

My mother's front porch last October (first snow sighting!)

Fresh Tomato and Arugula Pasta

8 ounces dried ziti or mostaccioli
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tblsp olive oil
4 - 6 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (3 cups)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional, but I used it)
3 cups arugula and/or spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted (I didn't do this)
2 tblsp crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese (I'd rather vomit than eat this)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper and if desired, red pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat about 2 minutes or until the tomatoes are warm and release some of their juices. Stir in arugula and/or spinach; heat just until greens are wilted.
3. To serve, top pasta with tomato mixture; sprinkle with toasted nuts and cheese.

I think this has a lot of potential, but for whatever reason, the arugula that I used did absolutely nothing for this dish. The only spiciness I tasted was from the red pepper flakes. I might try making it again with just spinach or maybe really fresh arugula or even asparagus (like I wanted to but time ran away from me). Nevertheless, Piper ate a ton of it, but that is to be expected because she'll eat anything since she is awesome. 

Favorites

If you enjoy reading interesting, informative blog posts, generally related to natural parenting, this list is for you! Several of the fabulous women who "work" at Natural Parents Network have listed their favorite posts here for your perusing pleasure. After you finish reading, don't forget to check out the rest of the blog and comment if you like what you see. :)

• Fine and Fair - An Unusual Gripe with Bebe Gloton 
• Innate Wholeness - Top Ten Ways to Be Present with Family 
• I Thought I Knew Mama - Sound Bites from a Miscarriage Journey
• Pineapples and Artichokes - Let's Talk About Diversity
• Hybrid Rasta Mama - The OK Phenomena
• The New Mommy Files: Memories, Milestones and Missteps - The Case for Instinctual Mothering
• Mama Eve - Sleep, Crying, and Balancing Closeness with Boundaries
• The ArtsyMama - Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before Little Man
• Intrepid Murmurings - Babywearing Twins: Tips and Tricks for Babywearing Two
• A Little Bit of All of It - How Motherhood Came to Me
• Embrita Blogging - 10 Things That Make Me Happy
• Hobo Mama - Postpartum sex vs. sex before kids
• Anktangle - Tea Time - As part of an ongoing series about balance, Amy writes about a daily ritual she has adopted to help her maintain balance in her life.
  
  
   

Hoffman Memorabila

This is probably one of the most important pieces of paper I have in my possession.

Unfortunately, I do not have a scanner so you cannot appreciate (or read) the cartoon and subsequent typed letter that was given to me, but I will tell you what it says. Know that this letter was given to me from Barbara after I wrote in support of her nomination for the CASE award.

In the Peanuts cartoon, Lucy meets a bug and says, "Hi, Bug! Have a nice spring." Then she meets Charlie Brown and says, "What else can you say to a bug?"

Her typed note (from a typewriter, of course) says:

What do I say to you? "Hi, I need a letter now." Thanks for rising to the occasion as I was hit with this news just before I spoke with you. As you probably know, I am NOT a last moment person, and I am NOT one to promote myself. 

Let's put it this way: what happened with this "I need it now" seems to be the way the world works, and poor you and poor me to get caught in this tangle. 

I would like to take you to lunch during that first week of May. We'll find times & dates. Or you [could] come to my museum and watch a video/dvd & have food sent in. And if you had fellow students help with this project, they are also welcome.

If I never get this award, I am still very very very grateful for what you wrote to give me the boost I'll never have again. 

I feel like a pauper with a tin cup[.]

I am also going to give you a cut on the exam. See me[.]

When tongue-tied, Shakespeare, at a loss, said "Thanks, and thanks, and thanks again"

(And handwritten at the bottom is her name in Japanese, followed by:)

Your letter is my most treasured tribute.

Well, Barbara, your letter is my greatest treasure.

How To Make Dinner When You Have No Money (But Have What I Have On Hand)

I ran out of grocery money a week ago (boo, hiss) so I knew this week I would need to be EXTREMELY creative with what I have. If you know what I have on hand, this will make a lot more sense to you.OK, on we go.

Monday: Tilapia with lemon sauce, rice pilaf and salad.

Tuesday: Polenta with homemade sauce, salad. 

Wednesday: Steak (from Steve), noodles and broccoli. Oh, and salad.

Thursday: Oven-baked rice pilaf with lentils and.....salad!

Friday: I had no clue, so I started peeling potatoes and ultimately came up with the idea to make a chili-esque skillet thing over mashed potatoes.


If you are interested in any of the recipes I used this week, here they are:



Tilapia with Lemon Sauce
(Also known as Orange Roughy with Lemon Sauce, but I don't regularly keep Orange Roughy)

1 lb fresh or frozen orange roughy or red snapper fillets (or tilapia)
1 pound asparagus spears (or not if you don't have them)
1 14 oz can chicken broth
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into strips
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tblsp fresh chives (I didn't use these either)
2 cups hot cooked rice or couscous

1. Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry. Snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus. Cut asparagus in half; set aside.
2. In large skillet, combine 1 cup of broth, lemon peel and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Carefully add fish and asparagus. Cook, covered over medium-low heat for 4 minutes. Add sweet pepper strips. Cook, covered 2 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Using slotted spatula, transfer fish and vegetables to a serving plate, reserving liquid in skillet. Keep fish and vegetables warm while preparing sauce.
3. For sauce, stir together remaining broth and cornstarch. Stir into liquid in skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in chives. Arrange fish and vegetables on couscous or rice; spoon sauce over top.
I did not prepare the fish like this. I made the sauce in a separate pan and browned the fish by itself, then served the sauce over it. Heidi took one bite and said "I like fish!"

To make the polenta, I just followed the instructions on the package. Crazy, right? It actually turned out really good. For the sauce, I used:

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
About 1/2 can tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
Oregano, basil, salt, pepper and parsley

I sauteed the onion, garlic and celery for a few minutes in coconut oil because it's awesome, then I added everything else, reduced the heat and let it simmer for many hours. I used a lot of oregano because I refuse to put sugar into my pasta sauce.



Here's the basic recipe for the Oven-Cooked Rice Pilaf:
1 1/2 cups boiling chicken broth
1 tblsp butter
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot

In a 1-quart casserole combine boiling water and butter; stir until butter is melted. Stir in rice. Bake, covered in 350 degree oven about 35 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Of course, being who I am, I did not do this exact recipe. I did not use butter, but I sprinkled olive oil all over the rice mixture before I put it in. I used 1/2 cup barley, 1/2 lentils and 1 cup of a wild and brown rice mix instead of regular rice. I used about 4 3/4 cups of my own homemade vegetable broth and also threw in some garlic with the vegetables (and regular onion instead of green). I baked it for 40 minutes and then let it sit for another 5-10 until all the liquid was absorbed. In order to conserve dishes, I put my rice into my empty salad bowl, that still had some dressing in it, and boy was that tasty! Heidi ate most of her portion, then finished my portion and finally turned her sights on Piper's. And when I got seconds, she gobbled right on that too. I always say I don't necessarily care how she eats it, as long as she's eating, and that she did.

Finally, I made a really quick dinner tonight off the top of my head that may sound weird but was actually pretty good. Some people eat chili on baked potatoes, so why not have something similar over mashed potatoes?

I used:
1 can each black beans and kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 carrots
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 tblsp tomato paste left over from pasta sauce the other day
(And I used some leftover broth to mash the potatoes with)

I sauteed the onion, garlic and carrot in coconut oil for a couple of minutes, then added both cans of beans, the two cans of tomato sauce and the tomato paste. I seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Brought the mixture to a boil, reduced heat and let it simmer until I changed diapers.

I mashed the potatoes with however much butter was left in the end of a stick, a little bit of broth, salt and some cayenne. In a pinch, it worked.