Wheee, Wheee, Wheee, Wheeeee!!!!

How does one know for sure if her pig is pregnant?  When you wake up and you're sure she's not!

This morning we were greeted by four completely adorable little squealing piglets and a new mamma that looked a bit like any new mom - tired and a bit confused.  Poor girl, dealing with her first litter of piglets in the coldest time of the year!  And no one even threw her a baby shower.

We scrambled to move Pinkie (Pinkie Tuscadero) to the pig hotel that Dan had built specially for this fine event and now all five of them are cozy and safe from nosy cows and Pappa Pig (The Fonze.)  I'm wondering what one does for the Dad in this case?  An extra load of carrots?  A cigar seems wrong.  Maybe a new leather jacket?

As we snuggled into the pig nest with all 5 of them, I was so surprised how much Pinkie had to say as she is typically very quiet, just a random snort here and there.  Now she has all kinds of wisdom to share.

If you are ever thinking of venturing into pig farming, we highly recommend the heritage breed, the American Guinea Hog.  They are wonderful little pigs!  About 1/2 the size of the more common breeds, more docile, less destructive on fields and fencing, good foragers and when the day is done, some of the tastiest pork around.  Read more about them at this link:  http://guineahogs.org/

Well The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

It is yet to be determined if any of our winter crops will survive this cold spell.  Everything is under a blanket of snow and ice.  Our large greenhouse solar holding tank is frozen and the solar controller cracked in the severe freeze.  We have our our winter greens mini-greenhouse filled with candles with hopes the small amount of heat that is generated will help the plants hang on 'til warmer days.

It is times like this that I am grateful for our freezer and pantry full of summer's stock.

What Is A CSA??

The acronym stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and the gist is that farmers and their local community work together for a sustainable solution to take care of each other's needs.  The farmer offers “shares” of the season's harvest to locals interested in the freshest of food who in turn make a commitment to financially support the farm so that the farmer can keep the cycle moving.  

Our farm continues to evolve as we become more in tune with the land and what you savor. We believe offering CSA farm shares for the 2014 growing season will be a great way to maximize the farm's potential.  Being able to predict the demand in advance is key for success in small-scale farming.   

For 2014, we will be offering three different weekly share options for our regular customers.  Each option will include a sampling of what is growing fresh each week.  We will post a "What's Fresh" list so you can anticipate what will be arriving in your farm box.  You can choose between the Full, Half or Express share, depending on how much farm-goodness your family needs.  We will also offer an off-season option for those who love their greens year-round.

To reserve your spot in the Kittleson Family Farm CSA, please refer to our CSA tab on this website for more information. Space is limited, so don't wait too long!  We farmers begin planning next year's crop while you're enjoying the yule tide!  ;) 

2014 FARM SHARES   20 - 24 Weeks

FULL:  2 - 5 people

$30/week  $50 deposit

HALF:  1 - 2 people

$20/week  $30 deposit

EXPRESS:  1 person 

$12/week  $20 deposit

OFF SEASON GREENS
$5/week 

Happy Harvest!

Tonight in Grants Pass, our community will gather at The Bear Hotel to celebrate 10 cutting edge restaurants that are committed to offering GMO-Free options on their menus.  Finally, we can go out to eat in Grants Pass and savor yummy food that doesn't eat at my conscious!  One of them even carries our garden goodies! We love our garden bounty and cooking meals at home, but we also love dining out!  So for me, tonight is truly about Harvest - what we are taking from the earth and putting into our bodies.

We are very excited about the raised awareness on the importance of healthy and sustainable food systems in Josephine County and we're proud to be a part of GMO-Free Josephine County.  Look for this label in restaurants around town so you'll know who is participating in this program:

    (Isn't it a fine label?!?  I had fun designing it !)

And for those of you who want to share our sentiments on a GMO-Free Josephine County, Dan also worked with the GMO-Free Josephine County group to design a bumper sticker.  You can purchase one at the event tonight or pick one up when you visit the farm.

If You're Here, You Understand

It's Easy Being Green

Now that cooler evenings are upon us, we have our Fall salad greens coming in.  Right now our mixed salad greens bag include Baby Spinach, Chard, Romaine, Kale, Arugula, Cabbage, Red Leaf Lettuce and a few sprigs of Parsley and Basil.  Robust and packed full of flavor!

You Say Tomato... I Say "You Betchya!"

Do we have tomatoes?  Why yes indeed!  Tomatoes upon tomatoes upon tomatoes.  We have luscious heirloom tomatoes in many varieties - monstrous Brandywines, Coeur de Boeus, Russian Blacks, and Italian Roma's and sweet yellow mini-pears-shaped cherry tomatoes.

Did you know that tomatoes are packed with all sorts of amazingness that make them a guilt-free food? And they keep your skin pretty?  Yep!  Beta Carotene and Lycopene help with deal with the damage that the all-mighty-sun does to our skin.  Then there's vitamins A, B6, C, K and Thiamine.  Don't forget Calcium and Niacin! And then loads of minerals such as magnesium, copper and phosphorus.

What do you like to do with tomatoes besides eat them fresh out of the garden, ala carte?

Two of my favorite summertime tomato treats are bruschetta and ranchero sauce.  Oh they scream to me of summer!  And both are very easy to make. 

Bruschetta

Diced tomatoes, chopped basil, minced garlic, sea salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Mix together, wait for a bit (if you can) and then spread on toasted sour-dough bread.  Don't forget the glass of red wine!

Ranchero Sauce

So delicious on eggs or smothered on chile rellanoes or baked chicken.  Simple ingredients: tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, fresh oregano, chipotle paste or powder, olive oil.  I use a recipe from a cookbook I bought at a Chevy's Fresh-Mex restaurant years ago and the link is here in case you want the whole shebang (they left out the chipotle in this one... I recommend it!)

Hankerin' For Something Specific?

If you're like me, there are days when the grocery list or my dinner menu is whatever tickles my fancy in the moment.  It's such a buzz-kill to be craving fresh dungeness crab only to find it's no longer in season!  But, I really, really, really wanted it!!!!

The same applies to garden goodness.  Tonight I am craving fresh corn-on-the-cob, slathered in butter with a touch of cayanne to complement my grilled steak.  However, all the hard-core corn lovers came to the farm early today and now we're sold out for few days!! I guess even the farmer's wife has to put in an order...

If there is something special you want, or something you want regularly, please do let us know so we can be sure to reserve it for you or offer an update of when we'll have it in stock.  This first year of farming for others has been a learning curve. We're learning what's hot and what's not.  We're also pleasantly surprised by the volume of friends and neighbors that are supporting our efforts.

Next growing season, we plan to increase our farm production and will be taking on CSA's to be sure to meet the needs of our regular farm supporters.  We appreciate any feedback you have on what you would like to see grown and if you want to be added into the pool of CSA shares.

(For more information on what a CSA is, click here.)

  

An Infestation, You Say?

I thought it was the smoke from forest fires that caused the 100+ moths to appear in one room of our house a couple days ago - because, why not blame a home invasion on something that is already invading your home, your eyes, your lungs?  

Normally we always take any bug “visitors” and put them outside as there’s no need to kill a bug that can easily be moved outside, right?  Different times call for different measures.   With two days of obsessively vacuuming those little flying-roaches, I thought I had removed just about the whole tribe.

Shifting gears...

As Dan and I are commiserating about the smoke and fires, we decide it's time to peak in on our bee hives and see how the bees are behaving.  I head to the “moth” room in the house to gather our bee gear and as I pull down our gloves, I notice a few moths drop off.  Then a few more start swarming my face.  And then I gulp.

Our bee-keeping attire was resting on top of a honey super with eight frames of capped honey from last year we were saving (why?  I don’t remember...)   So, guess where the moths were?  Yep.    A moth came shooting out of the hive, into my hair. I didn’t even bother to look inside the bee box, rather I went to gather Dan for what I was sure would give me major heebie-jeebies.  

We moved the honey frames and box to the back porch and as we pulled out the first frame of honey, I began to pray.  But I was too late.  Honey Armegedon had arrived.  And the anti-Christ had wings.

All of the honey frames were covered in moth poop.  Yes, moths poop.  And there were at least a million of them in various stages - eggs, maggoty-like-worm, cacoons, flying demons.  Dan begins to say “maybe we could save....”  and I jump to “dump it in the garbage!!!”   And the rest is history.

Well, hopefully.  

After a mad-cleaning frenzie, I head to the internet and decided to let Google school me on moths.  What I learned is that our little inconvenient moth mess actually could have been the straw that broke our little hive's back last year.

By the end of last summer, after our bees appeared to be flourishing, each of the three hives disappeared, one-by-one. We thought maybe we had Zombees or the yellow jackets had been too fierce and wore them down.  Then we were sure the bees were poisoned by neighbors who spray toxic chemicals on everything that grows.  We had no idea that there was such a thing as a wax moth and this nemesis could work hand-in-hand with any of the above and evict a whole hive. If you’re curious, check out this link to read more about the unwelcomed visitors to Kittleson Family Farm.

Poor honey bees!  It’s coming at them from all angles!!!   And all they want to do is help feed the world and spread some sweetness.  

You Can Not Snuff The Ruppster!

A few weeks ago, just when I had given up hope, divinity stepped in.  

One of our hens abandoned her clutch of eggs after two chicks hatched, so we had put the remaining eggs under another broody hen.  Within a day, eight of the eggs this hen was tending turned into fluffball-cheepers and she also abandoned the remaining eggs.  Between the two hens, there were 10 chicks and six cold eggs.

I always feel a little sad when there are unhatched eggs - the lost potential - and something  Biology 101/creepy in me usually has to crack the eggs to see if the chick just hadn’t made it full term or if it was an unfertilized egg.  This time, though, I decided to just toss the eggs. I had had enough farm-reality that week with Dolly to last me a while.  However, as I was putting them in the garbage can, I thought I heard a “CHEEEEEP!!!”  I shrugged it off as wishful thinking.  

Then, as I was placing the last egg in the can, I heard it again.  “CHEEEEEP!!!”  I quickly pulled all the eggs out and put my ear to each one.  Sure enough, there was a destinct “CHEEEEEP!” eminating from the discarded egg.  I carefully cracked the egg, with a tiny rock, and I saw movement inside.  HOOORAY!!  I went through each egg and only found one with a live chick, but now what the heck was I going to do?  

I brought the egg to the house and put it under a bunch of warm, moist towels and a heating pad.  After several hours of deminished chirping, I became paranoid that the chick was trapped inside and needed my help getting out.  So I slowly cracked away a bigger piece of the shell. The poor little chick was weak, but still moving, so we kept it bundled and went to bed.  

The next day, it appeared still very weak, and I wasn't sure it was going to make it.  We left on a pre-planned trip to Central Oregon and asked Katie and Patrick if they could tend to the little one as best they could.

When we returned three days later, we found that the chick was alive and well!  Katie and Patrick taught it to eat and drink and it was strong as ever!  HOORAY!!  In honor of their surrogate mother hen efforts, we asked them to name the chick.  So, after their namesake (Ruppel), The Ruppster was crowned “most lucky farm animal ever.”  We snuck it under one of the hens that night and she took it back without a peep.  

Moral?  Never give up.  There’s always hope.  

Fairwell, Dolly.

Tonight, as we shared dinner with friends and family, we celebrated the beginning of summer, hard work and the farm’s bounty.  We made a toast to Dolly, our family’s milk cow, as tomorrow she will become part of our family’s food.  

It’s been a tough decision to butcher Dolly.  She’s been a wonderful part of the farm the last three years - supplying milk, two calves and hundreds of hours of companionship.   When she developed mastitis early on, we were sure that with our love and tender care, she would heal and we would spend a couple decades together in a cheese-butter-yogurt frenzy.

 When we first bought Dolly, we had no idea how her early care as a calf – before us -  would impact her longevity as a milk cow.  We simply wanted a dairy cow, she was affordable, and we bought her off of Craigs List (what most people do for their 40^th birthday, right?!?)   We were naïve.  We didn’t ask the right questions of the seller.  Our animal husbandry experience was restricted to adopting shelter cats and dogs.  We figured all that was needed for success was a little TLC and some YouTube videos.  We were wrong.

Late into her first lactation, Dolly developed mastitis and we thought  it was just a random first-time-mamma-cow –thing  and we thought we had treated it successfully.  Then in her second lactation, the mastitis came back with a vengeance.  After spending months administering herbal concoctions, heat compresses, massage, ointments and even breaking down and using antibiotics, we knew that the udder infection was serious but still we refused to believe she was a lost case.  After hundreds of dollars in vet bills, research and lab work, her milk production continued to lessen and her udders continued to deteriorate, and we knew that , as much as we wanted her to be a part of our farm, she just wasn’t going to be able to.  A milk cow that can’t produce milk or calve is a losing combination or a very expensive pet. 

Tonight under the full moon, we stood in the field with Dolly and the calves and said our goodbyes.  So sweet - the warm summer breeze mixed with the smells of grass and blackberry bloom.  So strange to know that tomorrow her flesh will be torn into pieces and will feed our family in ways we never anticipated. 

Everyday on our farm, we learn something new about the cycle of life and about ourselves.  Thankful blessings, mixed with sadness.

Glorious Poop

Well, okay, maybe glorious is a stretch, even for farm geeks.  

However, this week we are busy fertilizing and adding nutrients back into the soil and are grateful for small blessings.  We're doing this in a variety of organic ways and each offers different results.

One of the major jobs of having farm animals is dealing with copious amount of poop. Cows and Chickens and Piggies eat a lot and poop a lot.  We work hard to keep the animal's areas free of poop not just to keep it clean, but by doing so, it helps keep smells, flies and parasites at bay. Because our animals are all grazers, if their dropping are left on the grass, there is more chance of the animals ingesting parasites and this is why so many animals are loaded up with pesticides to rid them of what could have been prevented.  

The benefits of poop-gathering is that after it's collected, aged and broken down - courtesy of worms, sun and water - we're left with a rich compost and fertilizer. Aged cow manure is used in the garden beds as it makes a rich humus that the plants love and helps add back in bulky organic matter.  The chicken droppings are mixed in with pine shavings and after they are aged are spread out on the field, they boost the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

We're also experimenting with adding kelp meal to our pastures to bump up the mineral content of the soil as water and erosion can deplete micro-nutrients that are required for a healthy pasture.  Healthy pastures = healthy animals.

And lastly, we are experimenting with comfrey tea as a green manure.  Our Russian Comfrey plants are quite prolific.  Their blooms feed the bees and their long roots mine minerals and nutrients from deep in the soil .  By cutting their leaves and soaking them in buckets of water for a couple weeks, we are left with a "tea" to apply to garden to boost silica, calcium, iron, magnesium, nitrogen and potassium levels.

While scoopin' poop is not my favorite job on the farm, I'm reminded that like most things in life, we have the resources we need right at our feet - we just have to be willing to use them.

Imagine

For so many who live in small communities - especially transplants - it can be difficult to connect to like-minded people simply because "how do you find them?!?"  I am reminded over and over that my community is ready and waiting - I just have to be willing to seek them out.  I have to put myself out there if I expect to be seen, to be heard, to connect.

Since our commitment to farm and to share our bounty, we have been received so warmly by our neighbors and by our surrounding community. Daily we meet new people who share our values of wholesome food, nurturing the land and protecting our planet.  

So, follow your bliss! Be bold! Believe that what you have to share will be embraced!  Someone(s) just like you is waiting to have a marching partner.

Anonymous No More!

Hooray!  Dan completed our farm sign today and she is glistening in the afternoon sun!  

The barnwood beams and boards were salvaged by Dan and his friend Adam many summers ago when we lived in Prineville, Oregon.  That old barn in Powell Butte was erected in 1890 and was used at one point as a Pony Express resting station.  I can’t believe they almost burned that baby to the ground!  If Dan and Adam hadn’t disassembled that 3-story manmoth and salvaged all the wood, so much history would have been up in smoke.  

When I look at the beams and see the hand-chiseled sides and notch-and-peg work, it blows me away to think what farmers had to do back in the days of old.  Everything was done by hand!  As we live and work on our land, we are thankful for all the hard work as it not only feeds our body, but our soul.  I’m sure the old farmers use to think the same thing.  Different day, same story.

Zippity-doo-dah!

Thank you, Darin, for introducing me to Chimichurri sauce as it's my new favorite for so many dishes.  It is a zippy, fresh, bursting-with-flavor Argentinian sauce and we've got all the green ingredient growing in the garden right now.

It's delicious drizzled on grilled flank steak, or veggies, or black beans or even eggs for breakfast! Mix it into sour cream for a spunky dip or heck, find your own Chimichurri zen.  Here's my version:

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar 

3 TBSP fresh lime juice 

1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro

A bunch of summer garlic greens (or 3 garlic cloves) 

3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Throw all of this in a food processor and blend until it looks smooth.  Let it sit out a couple hours on your counter before serving so all those flavors meld.  It keeps pretty well in the fridge for up to a week, but I've always eaten it before then.

Enjoy!

Baby Chick?

Well, it's hard to say what the outcome will be, but we're crossing our fingers.  One of our yearling hens is laying on a clutch of eggs while another hen is trying to decide if she's brave enough to make the 21-day marathon sit.  Can you imagine, sitting for that long, barely standing long enough every couple days for a drink of water and a peck of food?   Not me!  We take them offerings of berries and mostly they hiss at us to leave them alone.  I completely understand, mamma.  I'd be cranky, too.

HAPPY FRIENDS, HAPPY FARMER

Most of this love of the good life began when a little seed was growing in my belly.  Ever important was it to both Dan and I to be aware of what was going into our joint venture and to give her the best foundation possible.  What use to be not a big deal (what's a Carl's Jr. meal here and there?) became a HUGE deal.  Would ol' Carl grow our most precious flower into a healthy and strong girl?  And thus the journey to change our life, for our family, began.

Now, we look to the world in which our daughter is living and growing in.  The world in which she will make her mark, make her friends, grow her own family.  The world we want to challenge her, to support her and to help her flourish.  And it both freaks us out and makes us work harder.

Yesterday we joined in with passionate people in our community to stand up for the most basic of rights - the most basic of what goes into our foundation - a healthy food system.  We felt empowered and hopeful by you, our friends and neighbors.  Thank you for showing up, for walking the talk, for believing, as we do, that wholesome food matters.  Let's keep working to spread the word, our enthusiasm and joy.

                                                                         ~ janell

Garden Goodness In Tabouleh

As I was wandering through the garden and admiring the fragrant Spring mint and parsley, I remembered one of my favorite summer recipes that screams FRESH! It's so very easy to make and I love that once made, it's a quick, healthy meal for a few days.  I've tweaked a few recipes along the way to meet my personal tastes and here's what I've come up with.  Be sure to use organic and fresh ingredients.

• 1 1/2 CUP DRIED BULGUR WHEAT
• 2 CUPS BOILING WATER
• 1/3 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 CUP FRESH-SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
• 3/4 CUP CHOPPED GREEN OR RED ONION
• 1 CUP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY LEAVES
• 1/4 CUP CHOPPED FRESH MINT LEAVES
• 2 TOMATOES - DICED
• 1 CUCUMBER - DICED
• 3 CLOVES GARLIC - MINCED
• 1 TSP. SALT
• 1/2 TSP. RED PEPPER FLAKES
• BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE
• 1/2 CUP FETA CHEESE CRUMBLES

Pour hot water over the bulgur, cover and let sit for a couple hours.  Add ingredients to soaked bulgur, mix well and refrigerate for at least one hour.  I think it tastes better the 2nd day after the flavors have melded.  

Bees Do It!

We're in-love with our bees already!  They just arrived on Friday and are already busy, busy, busy!  Thank you, Ol Sol Bees (out of Rogue River, Oregon) for your awesomeness! It makes us so happy to hear their little bzzzzzzzz throughout the garden, around the flowers and up in the tree canopy.  They are in the borage, raspberries, strawberries, elm tree, black locust tree, salvia, wisteria,  grapes... if it has a flower, they are there, doing their magic.

After our 3 hives were wiped out last year, mysteriously, we were depressed and were going to just wait another year before bringing on any new hives. 

But then why should one wait for good things 

when you don't have to?

DESSERT FOR BREAKFAST, 

LUNCH & DINNER!

We actually might be a bit overboard but, hey, they are right in our backyard so why not?!  Succulent, ruby-red strawberries are coming on strong right now and we're picking bowls every morning.  Stop on by for a pint of heaven!

The secret to delicious fresh-picked ripe strawberries is to eat them the same day they are picked.   Don't refrigerate them and don't wash them until just before you toss them into your mouth.  If you do want to keep them around a day, don't keep them piled up as they bruise easily.

Did you know that the largest producer of strawberries in the states is our neighbor to the South - California?  Maybe you didn't know that one of the reasons California is so successful with strawberry production is their persistent use methyl bromide of to fumigate their fields?  Follow this link to read more about the secret life of California's strawberries.  Think twice before popping one of those store-bought babies into your mouth!

The Sh*t List... CliffsNotes

On our farm, we are diligent to plant organic seeds and are adding to our personal seed banks each year with varieties of wild and heritage seeds.  We don't spray chemicals on our land, because our land is where we and our food live. We do so not because we're ahead of the curve, but because we're afraid.  We're afraid that simple farming & eating is at jeopardy. The constant bombardment of chemicals on the land and GMO seeds is man playing Russion roulette with millions of years of plant and animal evolution. 

Before this rant you're about to read, it occurred to me that there was a time in my life that I had no clue about the personal and profound impact these dangerous practices have. And I'm going to believe that a lack of understanding is why people are not demanding an alternative. I have to believe that because apathy is a recipe for genocide in this case.

POINT ONE- WE MUST EAT.  Whether you like jo-jo's-n-Doritos, foie gras et baguette, or quinoa and kale for dinner, our bodies are the soil that chemical giants are planting their test gardens in.  Calories and carbs and nutrient content aside, we're talking about bigger choices here that are being taken away from us. The choice to eat food not made in a science lab and the choice to leave food production as it has been for thousands of years - in the hands of individuals - is at risk.

POINT TWO:  WE'VE BECOME CONDITIONED 

to believe we need the latest and greatest (food, landscaping, clothing, etc) and things should look picture-perfect, lest we be less than perfect.   This is how consumerism controls the masses because the quest for perfect never ends.  Bio- Ag and chemical companies want you to think nature is imperfect so it makes sense for them to be meddling. Ever walk in the forest and thought to yourself "dang, look at all those weeds?!? Let's kill them!!"  ... ah, probably not. But Bio-Ag and chemical companies want you to think nature needs their help, and that they can help you with their Franken Food (or at least brainwash you enough while you close your eyes, baffled by the misinformation, as they sneak legislature into your tax-dollar-paid-governing to make it so you have no choice but to eat from their coffers.)  

POINT THREE:  DON'T BELIEVE THEM. 

Don't believe the scientists-for-hire, the lobbyists, the pretty labels all donned in flowers and nature scenes and slogans and crap.  They are the neighborhood bully with a koolaid stand.  Don't buy it and certainly don't drink it!

POINT FOUR:  ALL FOOD COMES FROM THE LAND...So, if you eat, your body and health comes from the land. Did you sign up to be a guinea pig? Maybe not consciously, but passively, we've allowed a whole slew of greedy chemical monsters to take the reigns of what's happening on your table and in your family's body. Altering seed composition means food becomes intellectual property and no longer nature's property. "Feeding the world" is not the GMO'S objective. Owning the world is. And that means owning you. Because if you own the world's food, you hold the purse-strings.

POINT FIVE:  WHAT TO DO???  READ LABELS! BUY ORGANIC!  (FROM TRUSTED SOURCES)  AGAIN... Read labels!! If it doesn't say Organic, it is most likely contaminated with toxic chemicals and GMO'S and dirty corporate greed.  "Natural" does not mean it's really natural and safe.  It's an advertising catch-phrase.  While you're at it, stop believing that weeds, flowers, garden goods and animals need chemicals dumped on them to be safe and premium.. Au-Contraire!  That ROUND-UP or 2-4-D weed killer or super-seed is really a baby-killer. Seriously.  Time and time again we see that heavy pesticides and intrinsic insecticidals are connected to infertility, developmental issues and spontaneous abortions in animals.

POINT FIVE POINT FIVE:  USE YOUR DOLLARS AS AN EXTENSION OF YOURSELF.  We are in control of our futures simply by what we spend our hard-earned dollars on. If we don't spend our dollars on products that support malicious intent, then we are not contributing to the problem and we are not ensuring the proliferation. We all sacrifice a part of ourselves to earn those dollars at work everyday so let's make it count for good! Takin' back our power, one penny at a time!  

Move Over Kale!  Spinach Is In The House!

A little rain, a little sunshine, and poof!  Spinach is outta control!  This year, the savoyed leaves are such a beautiful shade of green and I think it's due to the aged compost we added to the bin this winter.  

Follow this link for all the health benefits of Spinach.  The powerhouse of the garden, spinach probably offers the most bang for your buck when it comes to fresh garden goods.

I've been adding the fresh leaves to just about every dish I make.  

Onion dip just got healthy with a pound of spinach added into the food processor (they make organic Onion Dip mix for only 50 cents more than the regular variety at Rays.)

Scrambled Eggs - just before they are done, I toss in some cheddar cheese, chipotle powder and a handful of spinach leaves.  It's a zippy protein, calcium, vitamin and iron party!

Pasta - a good way to cut down on carbs and add in flavor and a quick nutritional bang is to cut the pasta serving in half and put them on a bed of uncooked greens.  The hot pasta steams it just enough to make the raw spinach perfect.

Smoothies - even Ms. Particular Daisy will drink a strawberry yogurt smoothie with spinach!

Over the next week, I want to try my hand at a Spanakopita recipe (‘cause then there will be left over phyllo dough for Baklava... and what's not to love about that combo?!)

~janell