Patio Garden Redux

Good evening fellow musers –

I recently read Farm City by Novella Carpenter. Wonderful book. And I got a bit inspired. So, my rule for the patio garden:

1. Only plants that are edible may be bought (plant or seed) for the patio garden.
2. Any plants chosen specifically for flowering must either be transplanted from somewhere or free

Work has been more than willing to help with this effort. Someone had a bunch of seed packets from last year that they were giving away. So, I took anything from Spinach (Melody Hybrid) to Sweet Pea (Explorer Mix). These I took today. I was going to save the rest for the others interested, but after a week of waiting, no one else took seeds. So, I did. My first haul included carrots and swiss chard.

Over the weekend, the farmer’s market yielded two tomato plants, a yellow banana pepper, and a red pepper. A trip to the co-op got me two bags of organic potting soil, heirloom carrot and cucumber seeds (yay for seed savers exchange!), and a few loving glances at broccoli plants. I also went to Johanssens and purchased garlic and large red scallions. The garlic is planted, but the scallions are going to Mom and Dads – they seem to be non-container types.

I also raided my seed stash, from which I planted basil, rosemary and small red scallions from seed. A few of these I started in a biodegradable grower (sitting comfortably on my dresser, away from the prying paws of kitties).

This might be a little overindulgent, and a reaction to both the book, and my yearning to juice any veggie I come across (I haven’t been able to juice since the garbage disposal went out w/ the sink, cabinets and counter top). Need to figure out how to compost and live in an apartment. I would really have some great compost!!!

Feeling better than I did on Thursday and Friday. Who knows what’s going. Usually I can quickly attribute that sick feeling to gluten or dairy, but none that I can think of.

I have to add before signing off – perhaps the BEST thing I purchased at the farmer’s market was a rhubarb jam/jelly/something. It has more the consistency of rhubarb crisp. Rhubarb is so so so amazing. Its something I love dearly, especially in strawberry rhubarb pie. The jar of this magical rhubarb had 3 ingredients – spring water, cane sugar, and rhubarb. Is it bad that its ½ way gone already?

I don’t think so… There are certainly worse things to indulge in.

Ciao for now (iTunes cleaning must commence).

Micha

Grilling out, stomach ache, taking a step back...

Good afternoon fellow musers –

Yesterday started out pretty much as any other day – breakfast consisted of 2 eggs, scrambled with flax seed, some curry spice, mushrooms and red pepper. Delicious. Made a double batch, so I could take some w/ me to work (really hard to find food around work that I can actually eat, and but I don’t want to eat out in the first place).

I felt pretty normal…

Right after eating breakfast, that all-too-familiar stomach clenching feeling began. Nothing tastes good. Water is the worst. I feel both jittery and weak. Maybe not enough sugar, or carbs? Went on a mission to find something quick I could actually eat in downtown FdL. A great walk, but wasn’t really feeling all that wonderful.

Left FdL still feeing cruddy.

Christine called – perhaps grilling out? Absoultely. Hadn’t seen her in forever. So, I stopped by the coop. Picked up a different kind of sweet potato than usual (Garnet) , as well as two varieties of Applegate Farm’s sausages I hadn’t tried before – Sweet Italian and Fire Roasted Red Pepper. My usual is Chicken and Apple (sweet, delicious, amazing). All are certified organic.

Had a wonderful time w/ Christine and her Mom. Stomach still crabby…

Woke up feeling better but not great. I hate this feeling. This is just a taste of how I was feeling before I was diagnosed w/ dairy and gluten issues. In big-picture terms, it’s the typical American diet that I can’t do anymore – processed foods, refined sugar, gluten, dairy, gmo soy, not enough water, and very little greens and veggies.

Part of this relapse is my limited ability to cook what I want. Bad excuse? Probably. But true. I really enjoy juicing veggies, as I can’t really stand the taste of most of them. Great way to get all the nutrients I need though.

So… hoping, praying, whatever, that my cleaning binge this morning/noon will provoke the cabinet company my landlord is ordering the base cabinets from to get them to Madison. This is not exactly helping my mood…

Enough whining. Food. So the Applegate Farms brats are phenomenal. I enjoyed the brats Christine grilled up last night, but my faves are still the Chicken Apple. We enjoyed the sweet potato with curry powder and onions in a grilled foil bag. A second foil bag held mushrooms, zucchini and red pepper – so delicious! I think might try zucchini direct grilled a little more, but we live and learn.

Website for Applegate Farms – www.applegatefarms.com

Depending on my stomach, I might try Chicago/Philly Christine’s grilled asparagus recipe. Will definitely post.

Ciao for Now.

Micha

In the Beginning...

So a friend of mine (and former student), Catherine, asked:

"Do you, by chance, have a blog where you post your delicious food adventures??? I collect tasty food blogs..."

Wow, to me, a great compliment. I really was just posting my recent foodi-ness so that I could show I was following through with my recent GF (gluten-free) and DF (dairy-free) lifestyle. I really wasn't thinking anyone was getting much out of it, other than myself.

Earlier that day, my Aunt Ronna posted "I am so proud of you. I wish you lived closer. You could feed me. Well, I'd have to skip the salmon, but love to read about all your fruits and veggies and smoothies and whatever."

Huh.

So hey, why not. Its free to create a blog - maybe this one I'll actually keep up with.

I suppose the added bonus of this, is actually documenting my food successes, failures, stuff I liked, stuff that made its way quickly to the trash or was followed by something tastier.

So here it is. Micha's Food Musings.

DISCLAIMER: I am no chef. I am not really a cook. This really is all the product of a life change (I'm sure I will post more about that later). If you have suggestions - I'd love to hear them. Somethings that might seem obvious to anyone reading this blog - trust me, I won't be offended if you suggest something. I probably just haven't thought of it yet. Or read it online. Or heard it from a friend.

Ciao For Now.