It's been a week of lots of odds and ends late harvesting. Can't believe I am still harvesting cucumbers in late September !! The bell peppers aren't real big, but there are lots of them. I froze about 6 quarts of pepper slices, and ate those cukes with gusto ! lol
Dried most of the apples, and left a dozen in the bowl for eating for now. Yum !
Finished up the sweet potato harvest yesterday for a grand total of about 5 bushel of them yummers. They are really good this year...
We harvested butternuts (about 2.5 dozen nice ones) and about 50 # of potatoes. I picked anise hyssop to dry for tea. Dried and froze about 20 pounds of wild persimmons. Dried a peck of peaches and some plums. Busy busy !!
We are still eating kale and chard, tomatoes and carrots out of the garden. Gonna leave those carrots in for a little while longer. It's cooling down in these parts, but mostly staying pleasant. This morning was a chilly 45 degrees though and the leaves are starting to fall. I might pick green tomatoes and pickle some...we'll see. I didn't think I would like them, but ate some last night that a friend made and they were pretty good.
Just to show off, here's a picture of my brand new shelving in the big pantry that my son put up for me. Blessings galore !! These make it lots easier to see what I've got in that pantry than those big deep dark shelves did. I'm using those shelves now for things like gallons of vinegar, etc.
The bottom shelf is full of gallon jars of dried stuff...herbs, fruits and veggies, rice, beans, flours...you know. Those sturdy vinegar jug boxes made the perfect repurposed stacking system for some of them.
He insists on screeching when no one (ME) is paying attention to him and he knows I'm in the next room. This morning it is driving me crazy. CRAZY.
Wednesday and Thursday are Phase 2 of the Fast Metabolism Diet. They are the very worst 2 days of the week. These 2 days, you are allowed No fats, NO grains,NO fruits, NO nuts, ....arrrgghhhhh. I feel really lousy both of these days. I'm suspecting that it's because it shocks my blood sugar after all the fruit on the other days of the week. I. DON'T. LIKE. IT. I felt bad enough yesterday, but it was tolerable. This morning, I woke up Cranky. And now I'm moving into mean. My head hurts. I have no energy. I am always slightly constipated on these days. I want to go back to bed. YUCK !! I just broke the rule and ate a bowl of watermelon cubes with salt. I feel better already (for a minute). Everyone on this diet complains about these 2 days, except the old Atkins diehards. It's too much protein for my system, I think. I have heard all kinds of reasons (detox stage,, blood sugar) for the change in how you feel. This is the phase that unlocks the fat and builds muscle. But I feel like crying. This is the worst day since I started this thing back in July.
The good news : We are eating much better and both of us are feeling better. We are both eating less. I have lost 18 pounds in 2 months. We are eating lots of good food, are never hungry and I am getting into the swing of the food rules. I'm not giving up, although next week I may adjust my Wed-Thurs food to maybe include some grains or something. Oatmeal for breakfast, or quinoa. Something that is not meat.
This is a 3 bean turkey chili that I've made several times. Very yummy and satisfying, especially with the weather doing flip flops into autumn and back again.
This is a typical lunch salad--yum !!
This is a batch of the home made jerky I've made several times now. Turkey the first time--a LOT of work, because I just couldn't bring myself to pay 7 dollars for a pound of turkey breast fillet.. Instead, I found whole turkey breast for 1.59/lb and cut it off the bone and sliced it up and marinated it. The next time I made it, I decided to try chicken breast. I can often find that for about 1.89/lb and I stock up my freezer then. It was DELICIOUS!!! I made some beef jerky at the same time, but wasn't crazy about that, so the dogs got most of it for treats. lol THEY loved it. Might have been the cut I used...might have just been my imagination. Anyway, I have another 4 pounds of chicken breast slices marinating in the jerky sauce right now. In about 4 hours it will go into the dehydrator. I make it myself because of the cost and because I can't find any that isn't loaded with chemicals, including sodium nitrate. Anyway, jerky is a great snack. So I make it.
I made a batch of oat flour blueberry muffins last week that were exceptionally good. Tomorrow I am making a recipe for pumpkin/almond flour muffins that sound really good and give me something to do with all my pumpkin. It really hasn't been hard at all to stay away from the wheat...
We are eating lots of our old favorites--faijtas (sprouted Ezekiel grain tortillas), fish (salmon, sole and halibut) with lots of veggies and rice (brown or wild rice), Vegetable stir fry with shrimp over quinoa, pork chops or tenderloin, with apples and onions or sauerkraut. Spaghetti with brown rice pastas. Lentil soups. Hamburgers now and then, with sweet potato fries (oven baked). Big salads with grilled chicken breast, asparagus spears, beets, and loads of other phase appropriate vegetables. Egg and a slice of Sprouted grain bread, with fresh sliced tomato and red onion on it. Oatmeal with nuts and berries. All kinds of juicing going on too.
So. That's my update and whining session for today. I finally covered up the bird, so it's quieted him down some. I'm ready to let him have his freedom. lol It would be different if he was singing--but he just screeches. And I have a splitting headache...Maybe I'll lay down for a short nap in a bit...that would probably help. I just took my anti-inflammatory for my foot, so maybe that will help alleviate the headache too.
I am going back to the gym. Called yesterday to check on my membership and to see if they still have the water arthritis class. I was going to go today, but I feel too crappy. I still may go later in the afternoon and sit in the jacuzzi... I am excited to get back into an exercise routine, no matter how slow I may go or how little I can do at first. It's taken me long enough...
Later, taters !
(This is me at 11 years old.)
I am going to go off on a bit of a tangent here. Sort of. I was thinking about this last night and thought about how much I love blogging about food and healthy stuff and how much I hate talking about things like my health and my weight and my body. And I know the realities behind all these things...age, physical disabilities, lack of motivation to make a change...
I spent the first half of my life clearly underweight. At 18 years old, I finally hit 100 pounds because I was pregnant. I had always been a skinny kid with the metabolism of a hummingbird. I could eat anybody under the table (the same way I drank them under it in later years). lol In school, I went through the lunch line twice every day. I ate everything in sight. I was the kid the other kids hated because I LOVED vegetables of any kind, ate them all. There was nothing I didn't like when it came to food. And because I ate so much other good stuff, I probably ate a little less of the not-so-good stuff, but it didn't matter really what I ate. My body burned it all like rocket fuel.
(Here I am at 27 years old.)
After having a baby I wasn't really skinny anymore, but more of a decent weight. I weighed generally between 115 and 125 most all the time. This is a good weight for a 5' 1/2 inch young woman. I was healthy and active and life was good. 8 years later, I had surgery for cancerous in situ tumors in my uterus. They did a complete hysterectomy and took ovaries and all. I was down for a while, and had to learn to live in a new body that had important parts missing. I took HRT for a while, but stopped it as the side effects were too much. I went the more holistic route, used wild yam cream for hot flashes, took extra vitamin E , etc. I survived. But my body really took a hit. I started gaining weight and settled around 145-155. Which of course was huge, for me, but it was also something new and different. lol It was too much weight, but I somehow carried it off. I didn't look like a model, but I didn't look like a slob either.
At 48, I was in a catastrophic industrial accident that almost killed me. I got hit by an 80,000 pound side lift fork truck and crushed into a wall. It fractured my hip, crushed my pelvis, ripped all the muscle away from my bones around my hips and pelvis, it miraculously did not damage my kidneys. I almost bled to death before they could get the bleeding stopped. I had 3 blood transfusions in 2 days. My blood pressure was 30/40 and they couldn't get it back up. I couldn't move my legs for a while and was scared I was paralyzed.
I couldn't walk without a walker, crutches, cane for over a year. I slept in a hospital bed with an inflating and deflating mattress. I was in physical therapy for 2 years. I have saddle paralysis across my pelvis and I have joint problems and lumbar weakness and sacral root nerve damage, which means that I have little control over my bowels and bladder. My hips and pelvic area are not straight or aligned like they should be, so there's all the implications of that. (TMI ???) lol
Here's a head shot of me at about 52. In 4 years, I had gained about 40 pounds. I started, for the first time in my life, to try to lose weight. Some of it would work for a little while (Atkins, Weight Watchers) but I would get discouraged or get sick from the weird eating habits or something. I would stop and just give up. I hated the way I felt a lot of the time, but not enough to really do anything about it. I'm not sure what I thought (think) I should do. The one main thing is this: I cannot get enough exercise due to the physical disabilities. I am not a big eater. I can eat or not eat, and the weight stays the same. I am a healthy eater. Mostly. Doesn't make a difference. My metabolism has stopped dead in it's tracks.
This is me now. With my newest great nephew, Aiden Micheal. As you can see, I'm big as a house. I stopped coloring my hair. I am an old woman.
My joints are painful, I have osteoarthritis in them. The extra weight I'm carrying makes it even worse. I have painful areas of bursitis as well. These 2 things make it hard to get around. So, all the problems I already have are exacerbated by the fact that I can't move even more. It's a catch-22.
A friend of mine in Florida (who doesn't really need to lose weight) started talking to me about a food plan she was doing called the Fast Metabolism Diet. She says if you follow it religiously, you can lose up to 20 pounds in 28 days. It's all whole foods, organic whenever possible. That hooked me, because I am so tired of stupid eating plans like all bacon and no apples. lol This one is 3 phases, M-T, W-TH, and FRI-SAT-SUN. You eat certain foods on each phase and it is designed to jump start your metabolism. My friend says she feels like a million bucks since starting it. Part of that is because she has to eat vegetables and fruits, something she rarely did. (Yeah..I don't get that either) lol Well, today is Friday, and I have been doing it since Monday, and I have lost 5 pounds. Considering the fact that I have been on 7 days of prednisone, I consider this nothing short of a miracle. I am drinking lots of water, and abstaining from all wheat, corn, soy, dairy and sugar. And caffeine. I am eating lots of organic vegetables and fruits, lots of healthy lean meats and went through a very minor detox from the sugar and caffeine. I am eating at least 5 times a day. I am doing some kind of exercise every other day. And I haven't been real diligent about that. (oops).
Today is day 8. I feel better. I haven't lost any more weight this weekend, but I didn't gain any either. I woke up this morning, promising myself that I will do a better job of the exercising, because my heel and knee are actually feeling better. I am on a new anti-inflammatory that is helping a LOT. The weekend eating in phase 3 of this diet is a lot more liberal and maybe that is why I didn't lose any more pounds. Others in the forum I joined say the same thing, and the old-timers tell me that it's typical and not to worry, just stay on the plan. And for today, I've decided to believe them.
So...I don't know if I'll keep posting about this as it goes along, but it all goes according to plan, I'm sure I'll be so stoked I won't be able to contain myself. lol It is a 28 day plan, and then if you have more weight to lose, you just turn around and start it again. So I'll be on it for about 3 years. LOL (kidding). I know that it takes 21 days to change a habit. The habits I am having to change are not eating regularly, sugar and caffeine, and more lean meats than fatty meats. And more fruit. I didn't realize how little fruit I eat until I started this. We always have fruit...I just rarely eat it. Now I am eating healthy fruit 5 days out of the week. Wow.
Thanks for listening. It makes me feel better to put all this out there so I can look at it.
Bon Apetit !
How crazy are things? It's the first of July and the Blackeyed Susans are just now showing their pretty little faces !
And it's Monday, and time for Monday harvest at Daphne's Dandelions. Every Monday, pretty much. A day to show off what you're harvesting in your zone, or putting up or whatever. Eating, I suppose. lol Anyway, it's fun and you get to visit bloggers you might never have come across otherwise, so that's double fun !
Okay--the biggest producer in my gardens right now are the greens. We have had such crazy weather and sooooo much rain here we couldn't even get the gardens IN until Memorial Day. That makes for a late spring. It's been raining the past 3 days again, and although we did finally have a few days of nice hot weather, it went form 96 one day to 80 the next and is now hovering down in the low 70's and high 60's again. Last year we had blistering heat and not nearly enough rain. Things burned up. It's the Roulette Wheel of gardening, isn't it ?
Went out this morning and picked a nice large bowl of kale. Will probably saute it with EVOO and garlic.
Here are a few really young green beans and some small radishes. Stir fry ? Salad ?
I picked off quite a few large leaves from the sage plant. I have another plant that's much smaller, and probably still have some sage hanging in the back drying closet that I haven't put away yet. (oops).
A big bowl of the 2 lettuces--this will make a nice salad for supper. Bronze Mignonette and Red Romaine.
A nice little batch of spinach and chard. I am having more bug problems with these this year than I have EVER had. The bug problem in general out here is ghastly because of all the rain and flucuating weather, I think.
And finally, though this is not a harvest, I am excited because the flowers are starting to show on the edamame. WooHoo !!!!
Thanks for coming by and make sure to go visit Daphne if you get a chance, and all the other great bloggers that take part in this !
Bon Apetit !
This is a view of the bush beans, the bean trellises and the wild landscaping that is my back yard. (Ha. I say landscaping like it was planned like this) The beans have been flowering, and now have little tiny 1.5 inch beans growing on them. The weather has been so crazy this year, it's a miracle anything is growing period. 2 days ago, it was 95. Yesterday it was 86. Today might have gotten up to 74. And tonight it is about 65 right now. They're forecasting rain the next 3 days. But the hot days in between have been good for the garden, so we won't complain.
The cucumbers are growing like crazy, over in the salad bed. And the lettuces are amazing.
This is the edamame in the forefront, and the potatoes behind them. 2 separate garden beds, but so big and growing that they're starting to kinda melt together, lol. Looks like a sea of green. The edamame still have a ways to go, but the potatoes are flowering like crazy.
Isn't my bee balm delightful ? I love the bright colors.
Beautiful, fragrant elderflowers. I'm going to harvest some this week and make elderflower cordial, which you can make a soda type drink with. I may also make a few jars of elderflower and vanilla jam, if I can find the recipe.
I have a lot of lilies in my yard, and these are one of my favorites. They're big and thick and sunshine yellow. I have them planted i the front yard, around the bird bath and around the post of a bird feeder too.
Lots of joyful daylilies around. Beautiful colors...
And then this guy--all by its lonesome. An almost salmon colored lily.
Cheery pink geraniums on the back deck.
And Miss Junko Taibei, my right hand cat, resting after a hard morning of gardening.
I made a pan of cranberry almond granola bars today. I over cooked them a little. (Ok, a lot compared to the ones I made last week that were undercooked). I took them to the Solstice Celebration last Saturday and they were all gobbled up. I wanted to cook them a little more than that batch, but I went overboard. They are still very good, just crunchier and less chewy, so more crumbly. I'll come back tomorrow and post pictures and recipes for them--they are really good.
Bon Apetit and happy gardens...
Assuming of course, that you're a garlic lover too. If you're not, you might as well skip this post. lol
The first time I had this dish, at a little Italian restaurant in southern Oregon called...Mama's...I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was loaded with fresh garlic and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and fresh parsley, which I love. Since then, I have made it for special occasions and for everyday fare. It is quick and easy and will leave you breathless. (Well...your friends might wish it did, anyway) lol Actually, one of the things I love about this recipe is that the garlic becomes very mild and sweet, but still definitely garlicky. We had a Valentine's Day/Irishman's Birthday party one year and I made a BIG batch of Spaghetti Marinara, with or without home made meatballs or Italian sausages, and a smaller batch of this. It's always hard to tell how people are going to react to dishes that are a little out of their comfort zones. They gobbled this up so fast, I had to make a second batch! Luckily it's great for that...
It's called Aglio y Olio. That's just Italian for Garlic and Oil. I like it best with a tender organic angel hair pasta. Here's the list of ingredients:
About 1/2 cup of good EVOO
At least one full head of garlic (I use more)
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
Cracked black pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Finely chopped fresh parsley, at least a third of a cup
Half a pound of a good organic angel hair pasta
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Peel the garlic and slice each clove into thin slices.
Over low heat, put the EVOO in a large pan (big enough to hold the pasta too, once it's cooked). I just use my large cast iron skillet for this because it heats so evenly and I can. lol Throw in the garlic. I have a gas stove and I always use a diffuser on the burner for dishes like this, because you absolutely DO NOT want that garlic to burn. It needs to be softly sauteed in the oil until it turns a light golden brown around the edges. It will take about 10-15 minutes on low heat.
In a saucepan, cook the angel hair pasta and set it aside. If you start it after the garlic, it won't have to sit long. Angel hair pasta cooks quickly, so be sure to watch it and don't over cook.
Once the garlic is about done, sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and cook about 5 minutes more and then turn the heat off. Reserve about a cup of water out of the pasta pan when you drain that pasta, and slowly and carefully, add it to the skillet of garlic and oil. I have never had a problem burning myself while doing this, as long as you pour it in slowly (especially at first). Then turn the heat back on while you stir, and cook until it reduces by about 1/3.
**Note: I don't always do this step. But when I do, the oil is a little less oily and almost more creamy. You can do it or not. If I have time, I do it. But it's delicioso either way. **
OKAY. Once that is done, you're going to pour your drained (not rinsed) pasta into the big skillet of oil and garlic, and remove it from heat. Since I cook with gas, I just turn the fire off. I add the cracked black pepper, throw in a good sized handful of shredded Parm, and then the chopped parsley. Toss it all together and put it on a plate, with a little freshly shredded Parmesan on top. VOILA!
Add a nice salad of greens from your garden and a piece or two of garlic bread or breadsticks and you've got yourself a satisfying meal and a beautiful plate that you could proudly serve to anyone !!
Bon Apetit!
They're beautiful. They're easy. And once you start making your own, you won't be able to choke down those store bought things ever again. lol The last time I was at the store, the price of a brand name bag of buns (8) was almost 3 dollars ! (Another reason I make my own. The cost of making them is about a buck for 12.)
This is an older picture than the ones I made yesterday. I didn't get any pictures, because I was taking them to a bbq and the oven decided to be difficult and wouldn't light FOREVER...we wound up being late and I had a little trouble with the bottoms getting too browned. I'm afraid a new oven is on the horizon. OR--I will be really motivated to get my cob oven built this summer. Or both.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Okay-- I use the bread machine to make these babies. That works best for me, because it does such a better job of kneading for a prolonged period of time than my old hands can manage. I use the dough setting, of course and it gets the job done. You can also shape this dough into hotdog buns if you need those too. It makes about a dozen really good sized buns or 16 smaller ones. I usually make 12.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup raw wheat germ
1 1/4 tsp yeast
Directions:
Place your ingredients in the pan of your bread machine according to instructions. I always put the liquids in first, then the butter and then the rest. Select the dough setting on the machine. Go sip a pina colada on the patio. :)
When the cycle is complete (mine is about an hour and a half), turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half, and roll each half out to 1 inch thick circle. Cut each circle into 3 1/2 inch rounds (I use a floured drinking glass). Place on a greased baking sheet (or parchment paper) , at least 3 inches apart, and brush with melted butter. Cover and let them rise until they are doubled in size...about an hour, maybe a little more.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. They are delightful.
Let me know if you try them...everyone at the get together last night raved about them. I know we love them. And you can make them more whole grain-ey if you want. Just replace some of the white flour with whole wheat (not more than a cup), or add some Bob's Red Mill 7 grain cereal to the dough.
Bon Apetit !
