Living Life Now--in mind and body-Meditation

I just read the book The Miracle of Mindfulness. Recommended by my friend, Monique (the person whom I have taken sustainability classes from)-Sustainable Living on a Budget.  (Right now I am way too tired to be writing..I just couldn't figure out how to spell miracle...experiencing that "fog" of fatigue..  But, I really have wanted to talk about this so here it goes..hope it isn't too incoherent.

The basic idea...  So often we get through each moment with the hope of what is coming next.  Getting the dishes done quickly so we can enjoy our cup of coffee afterward.  If we live in this way, chances are we not only don't live while we are doing this dishes, but we also won't while drinking the coffee (or tea)...  chances are that while drinking the "treat"..we'll be thinking of the next thing..or something in the past, etc.. 

Thich Nhat Hanh, says that it is important that while we do anything, we think about what we are doing..We purposely make ourselves aware of it and appreciate it.  For example, while washing the dishes, think about what you hands are doing, how the water feels, what the bubbles look like, how it smells, how nice it feels to get it clean, etc..  And that this idea can translate even during times we are doing something we really don't like... 

For parents:  He also talked about not dividing up our concept of time--my time, your time, family time, work time...If you live in the present, it all becomes "me time"..Wow, fancy that!  (-;  How many times, do I plead to my husband to take over so I can find a little "me time"..  ??! 


He taught that to do this--you need to become aware of your breath--I'm breathing in 123..breathing out 123..  (there's more to it than just that, but it seems that is the first step)  He said that we can become more in control of our fears...  (I've had a bit of insomnia lately and I decided to practice this and it may not have put me to sleep, but it kept my worries and excitement from taking control of my mind)---i just found out that we are "expecting" .. 

I think about this, because there are days when I don't think I've truly related to my children...wasn't present. They are going to (and are) growing up so quickly and one of my fears is that I'm going to wake up and realize one day that I didn't even "experience it"--I was too cluttered in my mind..and wonder if I really experienced such a miraculous time.  There are days when I really think I missed out, because I was "too busy"--not just physically busy, but too preoccupied.

I'd like to be more present..  with the people that mean the most to me especially..  (and that is tricky because I am introverted--I feel replenished by time in introspection and I daydream a lot--that is until I hear..."Mommy, can I have some water...)  (-;

Bone Broth and Pho Ga(on a budget) and Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Sally Fallon from Nourishing Traditons  stresses the importance of bone broth for our health.  The nutrients from bone marrow are greatly lacking in our modern diet, but used to be a great source of nutrition..  You hear about how a good chicken soup can help cure the flu or a cold...Well, I believe it!! In our family, we usually buy a chicken a week..or every other week and we use ALL of it.. It makes at least 3-4 meals.  First the roasted chicken meal, then the left-over chicken for sandwhiches or stir-fry (or added to soup) and then the soup made from the broth from the bones which often makes enough broth for 2 soups or 1 very large soup.  If I don't buy chicken that week, I often have bones left in my freezer from making the pet food, or bones from lamb and beef (which we buy from a farmer) Once a year(or every 9-10 months), we buy 1/8 cow, and 1/2 lamb and from those orders we get our meat, our suet(for making soap), our bones for broth and for our dog.

In any case, here is how I make my broth (the crockpot way)

Bone Broth
1 chicken carcass
filtered water
about 2TB vinegar (it helps the water absorb the nutrients from bones, marrow)
garlic
celery
ginger
(vegetable scraps on hand)--stems from collard, brocolli, etc)
carrot
onion

I place all of this in the crockpot and let it cook all day (occasionally stirring)  This could be done the day before you make the soup if you want to skim any impurities off the top when it cools?  I often skip this part..(perhaps I shouldn't?) I usually make the broth and the soup on the same day.  I then take a measuring cup and strain it through a fine mesh strainer into the pot I wish to make soup out of.  It is absolutely wonderful..and everytime I feed it to my family, I feel like I am helping to protect them from bad illnesses...  Knock on wood, but our colds have been quite mild this year..  The ginger is great for digestion and for staying healty as well..(so I add it to my broth from the start)

So, from this broth, comes infinite possabilities!

I have really gotten into making soups this past couple of years and Pho Ga is one soup my children will eat a whole bowl of.

Pho Ga on a budget (much cheaper than take-out!)

this past week's version with lettuce and homemade sourdough bread

 The trick is that you can play around with the soup. I make it last week and I did not have all the "official ingredients" such as bean sprouts, so I improvised. This time I used lettuce instead, another time cabbage (and they both work)  You can also have pho ga without the added "treats"  and it is good as a very simple soup as well.

For your basic soup

Chicken Broth  (add cilantro stems, star anise, and cloves when making the broth for this soup) if you have them...

Chicken chopped up/cooked

rice noodles

2TB fish sauce

2TB sugar (or honey or whatever you'd like to add a little bit of sweet)

The  added stuff that makes it so much fun to eat!

bean sprouts (or cabbage or lettuce, etc)

lemon wedges

hot peppers

spriachia sauce

cilantro leaves

This soup can really knock the flu or cold on its back!! (esp with the jalepeno peppers)

Strawberry Rhubarb

Last night, to conclude Mother's Day (and to use up some of the rhubarb growing in our garden and CSA and use up some of the strawberries in our freezer) I made this recipe from Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  (a very very good book!)--and this recipe is absolutely delicious topped with some whipped cream. It is easier/quicker to make this than a pie (if you are feeling the desire to have pie, but don't have the time)

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Strawberry%20Rhubarb%20Crisp.pdf

What's left in my pantry-thinking about canning

Been reading other blogs lately..getting ideas.  What a rich source of information and experience that has developed on the web.  What a wonderful forum to share---finding a newfound appreciation for blogging.  Viggie Veggieshttp://viggiesveggies.com/ is experimenting on using a pressure canning and it is making me think abot what I could do with that...  A couple of years ago, I started using a waterbath canner, and this is what I have left from that canning experience.  We've used up most of it.  I had quite a spree of it..made blackberry, strawberry-rhubarb jam, dilly beans, salsa, tomato sauce, pear butter, canned pears, pickles, and I even did some dehydrating--tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, and cherries.  (almost gone now, but I also still have lots in my freezer from last season that I need to use up now to make room for this season) Perhaps, if I pressure-canned, I wouldn't need quite so much freezer space.. Hmmmm..

Well, for the fun of it, here is a couple pics of my emptying pantry:

There is also the idea of using lacto-fermentation...haven't done too much with that yet..made saurkraut once..perhaps a combo.. I wonder how much work it is to pressure can??  would it be less laborous than the water bath method?

Gardening update

The potatoes have a good start!

Peas are starting to twine up onto the netting.

baby pears

new cherries

And the kids have picked the first 5 strawberries to eat! 

but, I have to re-do some of my seedling plantings..  :-(  I think I planted them too soon...There has been quite a bit of cold-rainy weather and hail..(and cats)--and bugs..  poor things..some are still there, but some are turning white  (anyone know what that means??)  Anyway, I have to try again..my eggplants are all gone..eaten up..  sad sad story. but it is still early enough to try again with new starts..  (hopefully something I can do today.  I do have some seeds planted in the gardens as well..so perhaps, those will start coming up..

Oh and some chard from last year.. Chard is great. It grows for 2 years!

and garlic! (I LOVE garlic!)

The rhubarb is looking really good too..(I'll have to post that pic later though..I forgot about the rhubarb when I was taking pics)

Pet Food Day

Today I made the montly pet food for our 2 cats and 1 Papillon dog.  I don't really have a huge knowledge base for cat and dog nutrition so until I know more, I supplement with dry food (in case I'm off base) but I also don't want them eating too much processed foods considering all the pet food recalls. I also had a cat die, I think from complications due to soley eating processed pet food.  (scary stuff)

Pet food recipe for Cats/kittens/dogs:




Keep in mind that I am not totally knowledgeable about this…you need to do your own research on nutritional needs of your pets..When you do this, please keep me up to date too---because I am still gathering info, myself..



Kittens need more fat and protein and fish oil..(from what I’ve read/heard)

I add some garlic, because I’ve heard that it can control fleas… however, garlic can also cause anemia..my cat’s blood was tested recently, however and she was fine.. I have to weigh the choice of “garlic toxicity” vs. “pesticicide toxicity” the garlic truly has kept the fleas away. They went off of the garlic for 2 months because I was worried after reading about the anemia…and all of our pets got fleas..(and they had never gotten fleas before…) I am back to using garlic…Onion is also supposed to be bad for pets. I don’t use onion..but I use a small amount of the garlic. So use garlic at your own risk..Time will tell on this one, I think… (I have also read some "officially published pet recipes that include garlic...so there is mixed info out there)



For cats/kittens: (this amount usually takes a month to use up for 2 cats)

I use a food processor to make this quicker/easier, but you don’t have to…

1. Boil one large chicken in a stock pot until mostly cooked. Take out of the water (make sure no bones are left in stock) and let cool. Keep stock.




(and also cook some organ meat: chicken,lamb liver, heart, etc..(you have to be careful not to add too much organ meat; I read too much can cause problems as well)

• also for cats you can add/cook 1-2lbs whitefish

2. In a food processor chop up:

1 carrot

½ bunch of kale

1 sweet potato

1 apple
1 egg

1-2 cloves of garlic

It is nice to have a little helper who likes to press the on on the food processor and mix things up.


3. Add to the stock along with:

¼ cup each of these grains: quinoa, pearl barley, oats/groats

I add grains…but I try to keep the grain ratio lower. Perhaps I shouldn’t add grains at all…I’m unsure of this.. but it soaks up the stock and makes it seem more like the canned cat food and adds nutrients.. (but don’t know the facts of the bioavaiability, etc.) In any case, it seems better than processed foods that have tons of grains, etc.. ?? this part needs more research on my part..

4. cook together…and chop up the chicken by hand/debone, etc..

5. add chicken and veggies, 1/2 cup of brewers yeast (also good for controlling fleas).

6. Fill jars that are appropriate size to be eaten by your pet within 3-5 days. I use a quart size because I have 2 cats. For one cat: probably use a pint size. Leave some good head room at top of jar for freezing expansion.

7. wash off the jars and refrigerate overnight before putting in freezer.  Imorportant to refrigerate before putting in freezer because jars could crack.  Make sure to leave adequate head room at top of jars because the contents expand.

8. I feed my cats a tablespoon or two or so twice a day in additon to leaving out hard food.

For Dogs: (I have a small Papillion dog) and this quantity last a month for this dog.

· The recipe is the same except:

For quantities of grain. And I don’t add fish:



· 1 bunch of kale

· and 1 full cup each of the grains.

Today, it took me about 3 hours to make it and get in the refrigerator.  (but that does not include clean-up. (-;  The dishes are still in the sink... 

I think you could also use a much simpler recipe…by simply feeding the pets the chicken/fish/organs on a regular basis….I also want to learn more about the raw food diet for pets.. I feed them hard food still so help with tarter..and because I can’t make the wet food more than 1x/month due to how long it takes and all the prep, etc..

Both the cats and dog really enjoy their food...Happy Pets.

(just kidding)

If you have any info on pet nutrition, please comment.  This recipe seems to change everytime I make it...it is an "organically changing recipe" because I'm still learning..  and I'd love to hear if anyone else out there is making pet food

Peanut Butter

Ok, I have discovered that making peanut butter is super super easy. And if you are like me, you want the better kind of peanut butter--Maranatha costs $$$  for a jar.  $7 or so, I think..  This PB is just as good if not better and much much cheaper.. I pay $11.90 for 5 pounds of  organic peanuts from Azure Standard.  To make about 1 quart, I think I used about 1 pound of peanuts...so my jar of peanuts cost me $2.50  and it was organic and of premium quality with no additives or preservatives, etc.. (not to mention easy!)

1. scoop up few couple cups of peanuts.
2. place in food processor
3. add salt if you wish
4. let it chop for quite awhile (sometimes you may need to stop it and scrape under the blade) until it is creamy
5. put in jar and enjoy!!!  (repeat depending on capacity of food processor and how much you want to make)