Today is a big day: Ian Cheney is in town! I just wanted to take a minute to publicly offer my thanks...:) Michael Pollan laid the groundwork with The Omnivore's Dilemma. Then King Corn really broadened the conversation about the "corny" issues in our U.S. of A. Corn's abundance in practically every food product--fresh, frozen, canned, and packaged--on the market is what makes living with corn allergy/intolerance hard. And then the ethical issues of a monoculture like corn! They abound...but today I'm thankful AND excited to hear what projects Ian is up to now!
Watch King Corn when you can, watch it again if you have already. I'll be seeing it again tonight. I'm sure I'll be brimming with excitement tomorrow!
Here is a link to his new website: www.wickedelicate.com
Check it out!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Community Garden
I think our town is going to start a community garden. I'm totally excited! We just need to find/decide on some land. The idea, though, of a community garden has prompted me to think, of course, "What is the purpose of a community garden?"
On one level, it's a great leap forward toward ethical eating to have people come together and decide that they want to dedicate community space to growing healthy food. Together. It's communal, it's healthy, it says the land is important. It's local, it reduces our carbon footprint...
On another level, is it enough simply to have a garden in a community? Should it serve other ethical purposes? Should we have any goals in addition to feeding ourselves and our families? How else can a community garden feed "the common good"? How can it "nurture" the community in larger ways?
These are the questions I hope our community will discuss in the upcoming months...more to come on how the conversation goes.
On one level, it's a great leap forward toward ethical eating to have people come together and decide that they want to dedicate community space to growing healthy food. Together. It's communal, it's healthy, it says the land is important. It's local, it reduces our carbon footprint...
On another level, is it enough simply to have a garden in a community? Should it serve other ethical purposes? Should we have any goals in addition to feeding ourselves and our families? How else can a community garden feed "the common good"? How can it "nurture" the community in larger ways?
These are the questions I hope our community will discuss in the upcoming months...more to come on how the conversation goes.
Favorite Banana Muffins and the question of chocolate...
These muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and corn-free! Sometimes I add chocolate chips. The thing about CHOCOLATE is that it opens up a whole other can of worms. How and where do you buy chocolate chips that are dairy-free, soy-free, organic, fair-trade, AND free of the ever-present corn alcohol based vanilla extract? The restrictions are so great, it's tempting not to try, but after almost THREE YEARS without any chocolate, here it goes...
Best choice: chop up an organic dark chocolate bar from Equal Exchange and add to the batter! The dark chocolate minis are an awesome treat!!!
Safe choice: Enjoy Life chocolate chips. NO soy lecithin! :) NOT organic. :( NOT fair trade. :(...I'm beginning to see why we didn't eat chocolate for almost three years. Did I mention that?
Incidentally, Tropical Source makes dairy-free, organic chocolate chips. They are not certified fair trade, but they claim their sources employ fair labor practices. I wonder what the term "fair labor practices" means in this instance? I'll have to investigate the international meaning of that term. Is it in the Declaration of Human Rights?
Regardless of your choice: chocolate, no chocolate, soy, no soy, organic or not, fair-trade, less fair-trade, or not fair-trade, these are great muffins!!!
INGREDIENTS:
DRY:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
1/4 cup potato starch
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 sea salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cardamom
WET:
4 small or three 3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
3 T safflower oil
1 T vinegar (we use brown rice)
2 T water or milk (we use H2O or coconut milk)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk dry ingredients together.
2. Mash bananas.
3. Whisk wet ingredients into bananas.
4. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a spatula.
5. Incorporate chocolate chips if you can handle the ethical implications!
6. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. (Lightly oil muffin cups first unless you are using silicone.)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Makes about 30 muffins.
Best choice: chop up an organic dark chocolate bar from Equal Exchange and add to the batter! The dark chocolate minis are an awesome treat!!!
Safe choice: Enjoy Life chocolate chips. NO soy lecithin! :) NOT organic. :( NOT fair trade. :(...I'm beginning to see why we didn't eat chocolate for almost three years. Did I mention that?
Incidentally, Tropical Source makes dairy-free, organic chocolate chips. They are not certified fair trade, but they claim their sources employ fair labor practices. I wonder what the term "fair labor practices" means in this instance? I'll have to investigate the international meaning of that term. Is it in the Declaration of Human Rights?
Regardless of your choice: chocolate, no chocolate, soy, no soy, organic or not, fair-trade, less fair-trade, or not fair-trade, these are great muffins!!!
INGREDIENTS:
DRY:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
1/4 cup potato starch
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 sea salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cardamom
WET:
4 small or three 3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
3 T safflower oil
1 T vinegar (we use brown rice)
2 T water or milk (we use H2O or coconut milk)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk dry ingredients together.
2. Mash bananas.
3. Whisk wet ingredients into bananas.
4. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a spatula.
5. Incorporate chocolate chips if you can handle the ethical implications!
6. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. (Lightly oil muffin cups first unless you are using silicone.)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Makes about 30 muffins.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Amaranth Flour
My first post on this blog has to be about amaranth flour. Seriously, I love it. A whole grain that is high in fiber, iron, and calcium...I put it in everything! (No disclaimer necessary, I don't get any money from advertising amaranth!) For those who don't eat dairy or meat, a good source of iron and calcium is always welcome.
Amaranth flour is on my mind, because I am waiting for some to come in the mail. It's hearty, nutty, and reduces the graininess of brown rice flour in your baked goods. Try it out. (Even if you are not allergic to wheat!) It is a staple in our house: pancakes, bread, muffins. I even use it to make a roux for faux macaroni and cheese. (Do I still need to put the "cheese" in quotes if I call it fake?)
Nu-World Amaranth sells organic, non-GMO amaranth that is grown in the US. I'm sure it would be better to grow a small crop of it for myself and my neighbors, but until that day...
Recipes tomorrow?
Amaranth flour is on my mind, because I am waiting for some to come in the mail. It's hearty, nutty, and reduces the graininess of brown rice flour in your baked goods. Try it out. (Even if you are not allergic to wheat!) It is a staple in our house: pancakes, bread, muffins. I even use it to make a roux for faux macaroni and cheese. (Do I still need to put the "cheese" in quotes if I call it fake?)
Nu-World Amaranth sells organic, non-GMO amaranth that is grown in the US. I'm sure it would be better to grow a small crop of it for myself and my neighbors, but until that day...
Recipes tomorrow?
Motivation
I'm motivated by my sons, Will and Blake, and by an overwhelming sense of wanting to make it right, the world that is, for them.
This is my drop of water. A tear shed for them. A cleansing for me. And maybe, possibly, slightly, improving someone else's lives by sharing our journey.
P.S. Please tell my husband Tom if I forget to be funny!
This is my drop of water. A tear shed for them. A cleansing for me. And maybe, possibly, slightly, improving someone else's lives by sharing our journey.
P.S. Please tell my husband Tom if I forget to be funny!
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