Black Hills Locavore

2011-11-25T22:40:00.001-07:00

There is something so wonderful about farm-fresh eggs. We get ours at Black Hills Milk which is located in the same lot as Crow Peak Brewing Company in Spearfish. The difference is clear. All you need to do is compare the color of the yolks. The yolk should be bright yellow or sometimes, even orange. Now, open up the eggs you just bought from the stack of 100 dozen eggs at Safeway or Wal-mart and crack one open. Lemon yellow yolks will await you.

You can find local eggs at your local farmer's market and if there isn't one open over the winter, ask around because there is probably someone that has eggs to sell.

For those of you in Spearfish, head over to Black Hills Milk and support this great local business. They are open from Monday - Saturday, 11am - 6pm and offer grass fed / finished beef, raw milk, a great selection of cheeses, produce, homemade bakery items, jellies / jams and all sorts of good things.

Shop local - it's a GREAT idea!

2011-11-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Shopping locally is so important. I'm continually reminded of the power each of us has when we choose to head downtown to buy a candle at an independently owned store instead of going to Wal-Mart or ordering something online.

With the holiday shopping season upon us, please remember your town's small businesses and really make an effort to shop there. Yes, I understand that Wal-Mart and the like employ local people and offer cheap(er) products. I also understand that's it's really convenient to order online to get EXACTLY what you are looking for. However, every time you give your local businesses a shot at your business, you are providing a larger impact on your LOCAL economy. We have the power to make or break a small business. I say, let's try and make it.

Sturgis awarded $25,000 for recycling

2011-10-02T09:44:00.000-06:00

Good news this morning that the city of Sturgis will receive $25,000 for larger scale recycling options. Stated in an article in the Rapid City Journal today, Sturgis recycles old newsprint and corrugated cardboard and that these funds will allow for holding trailers and a larger baler for cardboard. Instead of these usable materials heading to the landfill, they will be separated and taken to recyclers. Good news! Randy Nohava, Public Works Dept Director also notes that "a good 85% of that stuff is worth money".

Just today, we started our week of "tracking our trash". It's really making me think about everything we thoughtlessly toss in the trash that will soon head to the Belle Fourche landfill. Already, the orange plastic bag the RCJ came in this morning, a piece of saran wrap, an old receipt and even lint from the dryer. And this just in the first 30 minutes of a Sunday!

Track your trash - recycle, reuse and be smart

2011-10-01T17:29:00.001-06:00

Swirling trash in the ocean bums me out.

Do you ever think about the amount of trash your family creates every week? It's probably more than you think. And I'm not talking just plastic trash -- stuff that can be recycled or reused often gets thrown in the trash and then magically, the garbage man comes once a week and takes it all away leaving us a big, empty can to refill again.

I can't remember the last time I went to a landfill or, as we called it when I was a kid, the dump. The dump was always a fun trip with my dad. We'd throw some branches, an old couch and a bunch of trash into the back of our light blue Ford pick-up and off we'd go to the dump. My brother and I would love to poke around but never found anything good. And there were always seagulls which was perplexing to me since I grew up in the middle of California, 150 miles from the ocean.

If each of us took more care to consider our trash, little by little, I think it would help the volume of swirling mess and maybe it would help us to consider that this earth is a living organism and it should be treated with respect. If we as individuals don't do something, who will?

Gluten Free Pancakes back on the menu

2011-09-10T09:06:00.000-06:00

This is a repeat recipe because Iam making them this morning and pancakes just seem like a pre-fall sort ofdelicious breakfast. Gluten freepancakes! After many, many attempts, the best gluten-soy-dairy free pancakeshave emerged from our Spearfish kitchen. Using coconut flour really makes a difference, as the little cakes arefluffier. There is no hint ofcoconut flavor.

Here's the skinny:

Start with the Gluten free flourmix here pour a steaming, hot cup of rich coffee and do this:

1. Sift gluten free flour mixbefore measuring 1 cup of the mix and ½ cup coconut flour

2. Then re-sift with 1 TSP salt, 3TBL sugar and 1-1/4 TSP baking powder

3. In a separate bowl, slightlybeat 2 room temp eggs with 3 TBL melted coconut oil (make sure it's cool),1-3/4 cup rice milk (not too cold - better room temp)

4. Then mix the liquid into the dryingredients with a whisk.

5. Use coconut oil to grease afrying pan or griddle between batches and make sure it's hot (a few drops ofwater dance on the surface = ready). Use an 1/8 cup measuring cup to makesmall, 3-inch cakes. Watch the heat - I usually flux between medium high (tostart) to medium on my electric stove.

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar foroh so yummy pancakes.

I typically make two batches so Ican freeze some for breakfasts during the week. They freeze great -- just laythem on parchment paper individually in the freezer.

Enjoy!

2011-09-08T09:25:00.000-06:00

September in the Black Hills is made for outdoor fun -- hiking, gardening, outdoor lounging and of course bbqing! I am the q'er in our household. It's just not something my hub is interested in doing so I happily play my part as CEO of the grill. My grill is a charcoal Weber with the propane igniter. Charcoal is a must and you just can't beat the taste. Our igniter stopped working this year so... it's now just a charcoal grill.

Anywho, because I don't use a charcoal chimney (but I might now), I've never known how much charcoal to use and oops! I always based it on the amount of food I was planning to grill. Here's a great short video from the smart people at ChowHound that show you that it's really the grill size and not the amount of food that matters when determining how much charcoal to use.

Makes me think of grilling ribs tonight. As you can see, we have a huge BBQ fan in our family!

2011-09-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

Marigolds are simple to grow from seed and they always seem to be smiling. I guess they are considered a 'basic' flower but they are one of my favorites. Bright colors, low maintenance and so easy to grow and gather seeds from -- a no brainer in the garden. I like a mix of marigolds - bright oranges, variegated (like these), big, small and loving the lemon colored marigolds our neighbor has this year. Of course, I've already scored some seeds :-) viva la marigold!

2011-09-04T00:22:00.000-06:00

Steven Spurrier:"Wine is sunlight, held together by water." The poetic wisdom of the Italian physicist, philosopher, and stargazer, Galileo Galilei. It all begins with the soil, the vine, the grape. The smell of the vineyard - like inhaling birth. It awakens some ancestral, some primordial... anyway, some deeply imprinted, and probably subconscious place in my soul.

This quote is from the movie, Bottle Shock, an all time favorite. I love the history, that it's about wine, the characters and the soundtrack. Well, and really that little riff between scenes. If you've seen it, you'll know what I am talking about.

This quote reminds me of a perfect summer day, similar to those we've been having. Early September in the Black Hills is AMAZING. Here's a shot from my garden. Going gangbusters.

Being frugal can be fun!

2011-08-21T20:32:00.001-06:00

Sometimes we just need some inspiration.

Today I read an article in the Rapid City Journal about a gal in Piedmont, SD that is kicking butt by being frugal. Read: Not cheap. Frugal = Smart. Making decisions based on quality instead of quantity and not being a stuff hound. I totally get this. We've done the 'let's eat everything in the house for the month and not buy anything else' with minimal success or 'let's write down everything we spend on food' which lasts about four days. The thought is there but the execution; not so much.

A few years back I took the challenge of the 'Eat on $25 for the week' from the food bank in Rapid City (it was around Thanksgiving and about what people on food stamps receive) and IMHO, it was a success. I mean a success that I was resourceful, wise, healthy, learned a ton about myself and hello, lost a couple of pounds. In the end, I felt thankful that I didn't have to do that all the time but I still reflect on that week and think about how creative I was (orange zest on salads is delicious!) and that it was fun. I am not saying that being on food stamps would be fun. What I am saying is that being frugal can be fun and we can all learn something about ourselves in the process.

So, today, I was inspired with my read about Little House on the Prairie Living and became a Facebook fan. You can too here. Sometimes we just need a little inspiration, don't we? Thanks Merissa!

2011-08-19T09:39:00.000-06:00

Nothing like a big volunteer sunflower to plant itself in a pot - thanks to visiting birds. I love it! So everyday I look out my kitchen window, I see this growing sunflower. How perfect is that? Also in the wine barrel is morning glory, marigolds and licorice plant. I got a flat of this licorice plant at Safeway and I simply love it! I've always been drawn to that artemisia gray green color. It does not need a lot of water and looks great in containers. I am hoping it will make it through the winter.

One note, I have had two birds fly into my kitchen window as I think they were swooping in for seeds. Fortunately, they were just stunned and flew away. The perils of glass!

Herbs a muck

2011-08-18T21:28:00.002-06:00

When we moved to South Dakota, I assumed whatever I planted would simply die because it SNOWED here. Well, not so much. Mint NEVER dies. I started with one each small 4" spearmint, peppermint and chocolate mint plants and hello, I have now have an 8 x 15 foot mint garden (and it's moving into the neighbors garden which, fortunately, she is cool with). That's a lot of mint friends. So I've been drying it along with the lemon balm and lemon verbena and making tea. Cute little tea bags filled with herbs. More to come this winter :-)

2011-08-15T09:44:00.000-06:00

Cosmos grows beautifully in the Black Hills and is so easy by seed. I am big seed saver so am always collecting seeds from all of my flowers. One note, the seeds of Cosmos as very pointy so I suggest using gloves when you harvest. Pointy to the point of, dang, that's painful!

What I do, is have a bunch of empty old jars in the garage, one for each kind of plant seed and then, periodically, head to the garden and gather seeds. Every year, I plant marigolds, cosmos, green lettuce, morning glories, peas and beans this way. It's very simple and I'd like to try more seed saving. It's just a smart thing to do!

2011-08-06T09:58:00.000-06:00

Every year, I like to try something new in the garden. This year, its cabbage. I LOVE cole slaw so what better way to get the very freshest cabbage but to grow it! I planted four of these from seedlings and they are such a pretty addition to the garden. The new visitor I don't like are those white moths that lay about a zillion eggs on cabbage. Yuck! Not doing pesticide, I just hosed off all the gross green and brown eggs which has worked pretty good so far. I almost have to wash them off daily. Being an organic gardener, it takes more time to ward off the bugs and disease. However, I have no issues eating my tomatoes right off the plant without washing them either.

Here's the best IMHO (and easiest) way to make great slaw:

1. Core the cabbage and cut in very thing slices. Put in a big bowl and add a lot of cracked black pepper and about 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix all together.
2. Mix together (for a full head of cabbage ... which makes A LOT of slaw BTW): 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (We use Toby's which is all natural and soooo good), 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper about about a 1/4 cup black mustard seeds.
3. Pour the mixture on the cabbage and really mix it together.
4. Cover and put in the fridge for about 3-4 hours.

Yum!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

2011-08-04T21:41:00.000-06:00

Sunflowers are sooo South Dakota. These are in my garden and I love them. They make me smile. The bees and birds love them too which makes me happy. I simply let them go to seed each year and then see where they pop up. I am continually amazed that they are always perfectly placed. Viva la sunflower!

Backyard friends

2011-07-29T20:18:00.001-06:00

This is Jazz. She lives next door and is welcome visitor to our backyard.

The garden bench

2011-07-28T21:35:00.002-06:00

Come on over and sit a spell on my bench surrounded by mint and cosmos. I love sitting here and pondering life. It smells heavenly and watching the bees bumble around - those big fuzzy bees, little bees, regular sized bees, even watching a yellow jacket is fun... And when I find a lady bug or an elusive (and weird) baby ladybug, I am delighted. They are all so fun to watch. I wish we had praying mantis' here in the Black Hills. We used to have a lot of these handsome bugs in Sacramento. At one time, I had three in various parts of the garden that I'd go out everyday and watch. Until one of them ate the other. That wasn't very cute. Alas...

Spearfish Community Garden

2011-07-25T20:20:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Spearfish Community Garden! I am so excited to be participating this year. When we lived in Fair Oaks, CA, I had a plot in the community garden and loved going there. There was always other gardeners there, milling about. It was so fun talking with them, sharing the bounty and just digging in the dirt. There are about 10 plots taken now and, even though I go at least ever other day, I've only seen one other gardener. It's a new thing so I look forward to it growing and becoming a vibrant part of our community. You can find out more here.

2011-07-12T10:17:00.000-06:00

I've always hung baskets of flowers from trees. Not sure where this idea came from, maybe early Martha? It really brightens up your yard. I usually do petunias and these hot pink guys did great this year. Usually in each basket is a 6-pack. Consider the cost of reusing your baskets and just planting a sixer instead of purchasing new flower baskets every year. Beautiful color at a fraction of the price!

Spearfish Farmer's Market on Saturdays in Summer

2011-07-09T19:34:00.002-06:00

Recent goodies from the Spearfish Farmer's Market! Oak leaf lettuce, broccilli, rhubarb / pineapple jam and some cool earrings. The market runs from 9am - noon every Saturday morning at the City Park in Spearfish. Great selection of fresh produce, bread and hand made item and it's getting better every week. The market is associated with the Hill Horizons Community Garden. The garden is at 590 East Elgin around the corner from the new dog park and next to the horseshoe pits. The view is amazing! There are plots still available and can be purchased here. See you at the Farmer's Market!

2011-06-10T19:45:00.001-06:00

The garden is planted! And really it's the expanded garden. Each year, I convince Mike that we need a BIGGER garden. He's not always so convinced but he's a good sport. This year, we added another 10 x 20 section to the sun garden. Look towards the back and you will see mint, tarragon, oregano, sage and a bench. When we first moved to the Black Hills, I thought that since it snowed, anything I planted in the ground would of course die because of the snow. Obviously, I have never lived in a place where it snows! Anywho, the mint didn't die and has thus multiplied. It's sooo pretty though and smells heavenly. Last year I dried a ton of it and made tea bags. Just mint leaves are do good as a tea. Again, this year I planted more lemon verbena which is amazing herb that every garden should have. It smells like a lemon drop! It doesn't make it through our winter but it's so worth it to plant every year. I buy mine at Gage's on Evan's Lane in Spearfish.

The colors of fall heading to the bowl

2011-02-11T09:27:00.002-07:00

A butternut squash from Gage's Gardens in Spearfish was unearthed today from our basement. I see a delicious and beautiful golden yellow soup in my future!

Roasted Squash Seeds

2010-11-09T18:09:00.007-07:00

Okay, who loves roasted pumpkin seeds? I'm talking out of a fresh pumpkin - not those weird looking white 'pumpkin' seeds in bags at the gas station. Oh yeah. Love them. So if you are digging pumpkin seeds, have you tried to roast seeds from acorn squash, butternut squash, really any winter squash? Hello! If you are just tossing out the innards you are missing out on an absolutely delicious and healthful snack.

Two nights ago, I cooked a small acorn squash (from my local stash in the basement) and scooped the seeds into a bowl which set on the kitchen counter. They were a little dry this morning so I separated the seeds from the dried squash guts (just rubbing them together), put them on a cookie sheet, sprayed on a little olive oil and sprinkled with salt and into in my standard seed popping 450 oven and within 2 minutes I heard the magical popping sound and viola! Sooo delicious. I think acorn squash seeds are the most wonderful of all toasted seeds because they are very small and become very crispy.

Next time you are prepping ANY kind of winter squash, save and roast the seeds. You won't be disappointed.

Roast 'em if you got 'em!

Yes, you can eat that!

2010-11-06T19:30:00.004-06:00

Okay, everyone knows that processed foods suck in more ways than one. Not only are most colorfully boxed and shrink wrapped food "stuffs" unhealthy, their existence alone makes people forget what real food really is.

Another take on the value of the veggie in The Atlantic yesterday from Carol Ann Sayle, co-founder and co-owner of Boggy Creek Farm, a five-acre urban, organic farm in Austin, Texas, takes a smart spin on the economic value of buying fresh vegetables and eating the whole thing. I was reminded of this concept this summer as I was in search of beat greens locally for sale. I could find beets but no greens. That was until I was directed to a huge pile behind Gage's Gardens of perfect beet greens destined for some pig (lucky pig!) food. When you consider a simple beet and the deliciously that can come from both the beet (for some) AND the greens, that's money well spent!

Think about this over the winter as you are peeling an orange and the amazing opportunity of making simple candied orange peel.

Boozy Fruit

2010-10-05T08:19:00.003-06:00

The New York Times gets it right! I've been dunking local goodies in booze for years. In my cupboard now is a cherry, sugar, vodka concoction that I envision drinking as a cordial and using the cherries themselves over vanilla ice cream or Naked Coconut Bliss. Of course I still a bit of my two years ago, lemon verbena infused vodka which is a perfect, lemony after dinner drink.

Reading this article makes me want to try other recipes. What do you think about mint infused vodka? Sort of like a local Rumple Minze? I could be on to something!

Garden Bounty!

2010-09-18T19:44:00.004-06:00

Although it only got to the high 40's today in the Black Hills, there is still much garden harvesting to do today! Lots of cherry tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, gypsy peppers, hot cayenne peppers and many, many green beans. I absolutely love this time of year!

Meadowbrook School in Rapid City receives grant to encourage kids to move more

2010-08-11T06:08:00.001-06:00

Getting kids moving is so important to overall health. Nice to see an elementary school in Rapid City moving in the right direction. As reported by the Rapid City Journal, Meadowbrook School will receive a $168,000 state grant to expand education and infrastructure to encourage its students to walk and bike to school. Nice!

Now, if we can just look at those school lunches...

Six items or less .. it's a clothavore challenge!

2010-08-10T16:23:00.006-06:00

Okay, another fun game. We've done the uber-locavore project, "Eat what is in your house ALREADY before trotting off to the grocery store" and the "Eat on $25 a week challenge". Here's something new!

What if you only had SIX items hanging in your closet and that was all you could choose to wear from for a month? According to the website, http://www.sixitemsorless.com/, there are some exceptions to the game: undergarments, coats, socks, shoes, work out clothes, pj's and accessories. Work-out clothes, hmmm... the issue is that you would actually have to work-out if you were wearing them.

What does this have to do with being a locavore? Well, locavores are interested in being smart with our time and resources. Who wants to waste a thing! So if I only have a few things in my closet, choosing an outfit will be a snap. It will be the month of the clothavore! Now, not only will I still be a regular at Crow Peak Brewing Co., I will look the same for a month sipping my frosty pint of IPA. Nice!

Why would you want to self-limit yourself (again, I am sure there is a therapist out there to tell me why I like to do these little challenges)? I think it's about freedom and thankfulness. When we have less choices, we actually have MORE freedom. IMHO with less, you don't spend time dealing with all the "stuff" which can equal more time to do what is really important to you. The second benefit is thankfulness. When we don't have as many choices, we become thankful for the choices we do have. I learned this first hand in my $25 a week challenge.

The fine people at http://www.sixitemsorless.com/ have already done this once and will be set for the second experiment mid September. Of course, you can do it yourself but it's really more fun with others.

Are you in?

You can sign up here.

Beet Greens!

2010-08-08T20:39:00.000-06:00

Fresh Spearfish beet greens from Gage's Gardens

Popped these beet greens on top of pasta. Delicious!

Don't toss your beet greens! This recipe from www.simplyrecipes.com and is so delicious (I changed it just a bit). My beet greens came from a huge pile of greens at Gage's Gardens and most of the stems were small and totally usable in this recipe. Make sure to ask for them. Any woody stems and those leaves that needed to go, went into my compost pile out behind the shed in the backyard.

Beet Greens

1 lb beet greens (I used one very packed plastic grocery bag full) - you can use the stems if small
1 tbl bacon fat and one piece of crispy bacon
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 large minced garlic clove
3/4 cup water
1 tbl sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/6 cup cider vinegar

1. Wash greens in sink filled with cold water, drain and do it again. Cut into bit sized pieces.
2. In a large skillet, cook bacon until lightly brown with the bacon fat. I know, this sounds weird but makes it extra good. Add onion, cook over medium heat about 5-7 minutes, stirring a bit until onions start to brown. Stir in garlic and add water to hot pan to loosen any brown particles from the bottom of the pan (really scrape). Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to boil.
3. Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce to low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar.

Add this mixture to pasta and wow, a full meal!

Gluten Free Pizza

2010-07-25T15:19:00.004-06:00

We just had gluten free pizza at the new BeauJo's in Rapid City and I was amazed at how CRISPY the crust was! It was served on a circle of parchment paper sort of wrapped around the crust. I am going to try it!

I've been making gluten-free pizza for several years. We used to buy pre-made crusts at our local Good Earth but it just got so expensive so we only purchase the pre-made versions in a pinch. I've played with many combinations but always start with this mix to sort of mimic regular wheat flour.

Here's the rest of the recipe for two pizza crusts. I use pizza stones.

1. Preheat to 425. First, grease each pizza stone. I use hard coconut oil using a coffee filter which I like because there are no pieces of paper towel left on my stone.
2. Sift together - the flour mix above, 1/2 cup chickpea or fava bean flour, 1/2 cup quinoa or teff flour, 2 tsp xanthan gum, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder. You can add other dried spices too -- I've used red pepper, basil and oregano with success. Just make sure they are gluten free.
3. Then measure out 1/2 cup of olive oil and mix into dry ingredients, first with a fork and then with your fingers to get everything mixed together - do it quickly, because the olive oil will start to glob together in big globs if you linger (from the heat of your hands). Your goal is 'little pebbles' of olive oil in the flour.
4. Measure out about 1 cup of water and mix into flour and stir. It will be slightly sticky. If it's too dry, just add a bit more water. Form two balls.
5. Put each ball on a pizza stone and use a rolling pin or your fingers to work the dough to the edges. It will be sticky so use some flour mix on your rolling pin or fingers.
6. Prick with fork and bake for 10 minutes. Then add toppings and bake another 25 or so minutes. Keep an eye on it.

Cut in pieces, this freezes very well.

My next experiment will be trying out parchment paper in search of a crispy crust!

Yarrow

2010-07-20T05:58:00.000-06:00

Native in my Spearfish garden is yellow yarrow and I love it. It's bright yellow and such a happy plant. I know it's more like a weed but I plan to move it around in a few places. I infused some of the yarrow blossoms in distilled water and am using it like a face tonic. It's more drying so better for oily skin and I like it! It's really refreshing. Yarrow has a distinct fragrance and you either love it or hate it. Love it!

Crow Peak Brewing Company news!

2010-07-16T22:40:00.001-06:00

We love our local brewpub, Crow Peak Brewing Company in Spearfish and we are what you'd call 'regulars'. Not only is the beer excellent but the atmosphere and people are the best. Here's some great news about Crow Peak about to start canning and distributing their beer. Congrats!

Red poppies run amok

2010-07-10T22:41:00.002-06:00

My garden is doing so well this year. I think it's because of all the moisture but man, I am enjoying the bounty. When you let your garden to go seed, you get quite a display the next year. Sometimes good, usually packed! These red poppies are prolific and so pretty. I am saving seeds to share and letting just a few have their way. Right behind the red poppies is the sunflower forest, perfectly planted by the birds. Love the wild range of color!

Blue Zones

2010-06-11T05:25:00.000-06:00

Albert Lea, MN is a Blue Zone community. My aunt lives there and it's been interesting to hear about the positive changes that are happening. So, I finally went to the www.bluezones.com website to see what it was all about.

Here you can take an assessment of your own life very similar to www.realage.com where, based on your answers, gives you biological "real age" compared with your actual age. I like the Blue Zone community because it seems to be more doable; more real world. Here are the top tips. The website states that you can add up to 14 good years to your life and stay younger along the way. The idea of adding "good" years strikes a note. Nice!

De-convenience your home – lose the remote, buy a light garage door and lift it yourself, use a shovel instead of a snowblower
Eat Nuts – Have a can of nuts around your office or home, eat a handful daily
Drink Sardinian wine – Sardinian canonau wine has the world's highest levels of antioxidants. Drink a glass or two a day
Play with your children – this is excellent low intensity exercise and will strenthen a family. Both associated with longer life expectancy
Grow a Garden – This proven stress reducer will put your body through the range of motion and yield fresh vegtables
Hour of Power – Downshift daily with a nap, meditation, prayer or a quiet walk--destressing is a proven way to slow aging
Eat Tofu – Arguably the world's most perfect food, eaten by the world's longest lived women. Contains a plant estrogen that makes skin look younger
Get a Tan – Doctors are rethinking the notion of slathering yourself with sunscreen. Up to half of Americans are Vitamin D deficient--a condition that can double your chance of dying in any given year. A tan not only looks healthy, it is.
Donate your large dinner plates – eat off 9 inch plates as the Okinawans do and reduce calorie consumption at dinner by 20-30%
Write Down your Personal Mission – Know and putting into practice your sense of purpose can give you up to a decade of good life.

Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder - Research in SD

2010-06-09T06:52:00.001-06:00

There is more buzz about the bees in South Dakota. South Dakota is one of 13 states where the federal government is doing research on the declining bee population.

In Spearfish, I have seen many bees in my garden, particularly on the chive flowers. I wonder, for those bees visiting my chive flowers, does their honey taste like an onion? Actually that sounds delicious! We've had a good number of honey bees and those giant fuzzy bees -- so big, you could pet them. When you are thinking about planting flowers, consider those flowers that bees love in order to attract them to your garden.

South Dakota was second in overall honey production in the US (2008) so this is an important issue. Also, in South Dakota, there is absolutely no reason to buy anything other than LOCAL honey! Search out your local farmer's market or ask your grocery store.

Here's more information on CCD (Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder).

Chives!

2010-06-06T13:31:00.000-06:00

Chives grow so well in the Black Hills and they are an absolute visual delight in the garden. About three years ago, I started with two small chive plants which has now blossomed into A LOT of chives. I am one of those gardeners who loves to let things go to seed hence my plethora of chives. The lavender flowers are not only cute and delicious (a slightly more subtle chive flavor) - they look wonderful in salads.

They also come back happily every year. No garden in the Black Hills should be without chives.

Okay, the BEST Gluten Free Pancakes!

2010-05-31T11:43:00.005-06:00

Gluten free pancakes! After many, many attempts, the best gluten-soy-dairy free pancakes have emerged from our Spearfish kitchen.

Here's the skinny:

Start with the Gluten free flour mix here, pour a steaming, hot cup of rich coffee and do this:

1. Sift gluten free flour mix before measuring 1-1/2 cups of the mix
2. Then re-sift with 1 TSP salt, 3 TBL fine sugar and 1-1/4 TSP baking powder
3. In a separate bowl, slightly beat 2 room temp eggs with 3 TBL melted coconut oil (make sure it's cool), 1-1/4 cup rice milk (not too cold - better room temp)
4. Then mix the liquid into the dry ingredients with a whisk.
5. Use coconut oil to grease a frying pan or griddle between batches and make sure it's hot (a few drops of water dance on the surface = ready). Use an 1/8 cup measuring cup to make small, 3-inch cakes. Watch the heat - I usually flux between medium high (to start) to medium on my electric stove.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for oh so yummy pancakes.

I typically make two batches so I can freeze some for breakfasts during the week. They freeze great -- just lay them on parchment paper individually in the freezer.

Enjoy!

New Community Garden in the works in Spearfish

2010-05-30T10:06:00.001-06:00

Every community needs a community garden and Spearfish is in the process of getting theirs. It's a grass roots effort being coordinated by Hills Horizon, a non-profit organization who "helps encourage the development of sustainable lifestyles through education, community interaction, and efficient design". There have been work parties getting the plot ready for summer and I was able to help on Saturday morning. This wasn't just some girlie weeding and planting! No, this was using this huge drill to dig post holes and carrying 6x6 and 4x4's up a hill prepping for a fence. I have the bruises to prove it! I love projects like this and the people who make them happen.

To get to the site, go east on Elgin Street past State Street. The garden is just east of the horseshoe courts. This is also the same (unnamed) park where the soon to be Spearfish Dog Park will be.

Hills Horizon also organizes the new Farmers Market in the Spearfish City Park which kicks off on Saturday morning, June 5. As well, they will be drawing for garden plots at the Hills Horizon Community Garden at 9:30 am. RSVP by phone, email, facebook, or face-to-face to get your name in the hat for a plot. Questions? call Josh at 645-1705.

Great things are happening in the local foods market in Spearfish!

Gluten Free Baking Flour Mix

2010-04-18T11:27:00.001-06:00

I've been cooking gluten free for almost eight years and although, I would not call myself an expert, I've learned a TON about the ins and out of gluten free baking. In fact, I also do not use soy or dairy or anything artificial which adds a level of complexity.

There are many flour mix recipes that can (somewhat) substitute for wheat flour. I've tried many, many different combinations and the following is the best version and can typically be used in place of a regular recipe calling for flour. Of course, in a pinch, you can buy pre-made mixes but they are very expensive.

I like to make a big batch of this mix and keep it in the refrigerator so it's always handy. I use it all the time so not sure exactly how long it will last.

Mix together:

4 cups chick pea flour (or amaranth or millet or I've used a chick pea/fava mix)
4 cups white or brown rice flour
2 cups arrowroot starch
6 cups potato starch

One thing to add, I always like to sift the flour before using in recipes which really seems to help the texture.

Earth Day 2010: Rapid City

2010-04-05T11:45:00.001-06:00

This is great news! From Dakota Rural Action

This year Dakota Rural Action West is working with Western Dakota Tech and The Mayor’s Green Cities Task Force to celebrate Rapid City’s first real city-wide Earth Day event. There have been numerous recognitions and celebrations of Earth Day in Rapid City, sponsored by a variety of civic and social groups but the Earth Day celebration planned for April 22nd, 2010 at the Western Dakota Tech Campus will be the composite of all interested groups, city offices, schools, sustainable enterprises, and the public.

The event will feature exhibits from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, showcasing local companies and organizations with information on green jobs, new technology, cutting edge building and construction practices, earth- friendly products, environmental businesses, ecologically safe products, and opportunities for individual stewardship. There will be solar and human powered car demonstrations hosted by SD School of Mines and Technology and a children’s poster contest and green topics video competition.

A Sustainability Summit will follow, sponsored by Rapid City’s Green Cities Task Force and featuring speakers on a variety of sustainability topics, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Dakota Rural Action and members of our West River Small Farms Committee will be giving away copies of the just released 2010 SD Local Foods Directory and other information and goodies at the DRA exhibit. For more information on the event go to www.wdt.edu or call Stephanie at DRA West (605) 718-4957.

Reflecting on the Word Locavore

2010-03-13T09:16:00.003-07:00

The word Locavore was the Oxford word of the year in 2007, and according to Ben Zimmer, editor for American dictionaries at Oxford University Press, the word ‘locavore’ shows how food-lovers can enjoy what they eat while still appreciating the impact they have on the environment. Ben adds, "It’s significant in that it brings together eating and ecology in a new way.” Most people use the term when considering food purchases within a 100 mile radius from where they live. It's a smart idea which benefits local growers and ranchers as well as consumers, who end up with food that is fresher and usually tastes better.

Being a locavore in western South Dakota during the winter months can be a challenge when it comes to produce, unless you've 'put up' a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables from the summer. Yes, this is ideal and it's true that I do have mint from my garden drying in our shed, and one butternut squash from Mitchell, but that's not going to get us too far.

But today, with the sun shining and sparkly snow melting, I am once again inspired to consider local eating and really, local living. Local living can mean a lot of things. I see it as eating, gardening, shopping, even vacationing (you know, staycation) in my own backyard. The Black Hills are amazingly rich with treasures and it's true, we have enjoyed many of them.

So I am moving to a local living focus yet still with the Black Hills Locavore as a strong base because I still believe, eating locally is a great start to true local living.

Sunday Morning Pancakes

2009-12-13T18:36:00.003-07:00

Sundays are really about pancakes. In our house, that means gluten (wheat) free, casein (milk) free, soy free and artificial anything. They were delicious!

Here's the recipe:

1 cup potato starch
5/8 cup each chickpea and brown rice flour
1/4 plus a tbsp arrowroot flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup water

Mix the wet items together in one bowl and mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well.

In a hot non-stick skillet, heat up a bit of canola oil and scoop 1/4 cup for each pancake.

Enjoy with 100% maple syrup or as Jack likes it, sprinkled with sugar. Yum!

Tonight is a night of Bliss!

2009-11-07T12:52:00.009-07:00

How blissful! Tonight is a night of Bliss from the makers of Coconut Bliss which is by far the most delicious ice cream you will ever taste.

Since Jack is on a gluten / dairy / soy-free diet, we are always looking for food options. Now, I do make him a lot of things from scratch like pizza, muffins, lasagna and popsicles but it's always nice to find something that is ready to go. We were first introduced to Coconut Bliss at the Good Earth Natural Foods in downtown Spearfish.

The gang at Coconut Bliss is smart to use social media to keep in touch with their many fans. I found out about the Night of Bliss contest on Facebook and entered. And sa-weeet! I am one of the winners and the only winner from South Dakota :-) I received a box full of all sorts of goodies including free Coconut Bliss (coupons), fun toppings, a t-shirt and a cool handmade bowl.

Click here to see all the poetry entries. Here is the poem I entered:

Coconut Bliss is a delight
Here in the Black Hills
I sometimes finish the whole thing
It's what cures all my ills

South Dakota can see its share of snow
In fall and winter time
But my Naked Coconut Bliss
Keeps me warm and fine

So tonight our court is having a progressive dinner party and we are the first house so I am serving Coconut Bliss, champagne and lemon verbena infused vodka I made from my garden. Doesn't that sound like a perfect first course?

Check it out A Night of Bliss and do have a blissful day!

Snow!

2009-10-30T09:07:00.001-06:00

Snow in the 'fish! That's Crow Peak in the background. Doesn't it look like Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings?

Turkey Time, Take 2

2009-10-25T09:03:00.002-06:00

Yeah turkey! Now this turkey has been chilling in our freezer for almost a year so it was fine time to launch him into the oven. It was delicious and Jack particularly liked the crispy wings.

I really need a larger roasting pan set up!

Turkey Time

2009-10-24T10:33:00.002-06:00

Fall is really in the air in the Black Hills and leaves are blowing everywhere. I love this time of year! It's time for turkey. Crisp, roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and spinach salad is on the menu for Sunday. Tom is in the refrigerator thawing out and I am considering the menu. It will be gluten / casein / soy free so everyone in the family can enjoy it. Simple is best when it comes to the turkey. The only thing special I like to do is add apples, onions and fresh herbs to the cavity (that get tossed) and herbs under the skin. I still have some fresh orange thyme from my garden so that will be the ticket.

Mashed potatoes will be done with olive oil instead of butter and hemp milk instead of cream. I'm infusing rosemary in the EVOO which adds a great flavor. A little roasted garlic too.

For the spinach salad, it's just fresh spinach and whatever I have available. Toasted pine nuts for sure.

Baked apples for dessert? Yes, I am ready for this pre-Thanksgiving feast!

Pumpkin Seed Encrusted Lamb Loin Chops - Black Hills Local Flavor!

2009-10-20T09:56:00.007-06:00

Pumpkin and lamb just seem to go together in the Black Hills! I am sharing this delicous sounding recipe from a e-newsletter I receive from http://www.foodbuzz.com/. We purchase our lamb from The Butcher Shop in Spearfish but have considered buying a whole or half lamb instead since we love it so much. That's on my research to-do list. Local pumpkins can be found now at the Runnings stand in Spearfish for $3 each. You have to ask yourself, why would you buy a pumpkin at Wal-Mart for $4 from who knows where, when you can support your local farmer and buy a local pumpkin for less? Gage's Garden's and the Farmer's Market (next to Crow Peak Brewery) are also carrying pumpkins.

Pumpkin Seed Encrusted Lamb Loin Chops

BTW - here's the secret to pumpkin seeds. In fact, I cook ALL my squash seeds like this. You will too once you try this simple process.

Scoop out all seeds from the pumpkin (or squash) and remove as much of the goo as possible via rinsing. Pat seeds dry. Pre-heat the oven to 450 and put tinfoil on a cookie sheet. Plop the seeds on the cookie sheet and pour enough EVOO to coat so each seed is shiny but not drenched. Spread them out on the foil and pop in the oven. Now watch them! As soon as you hear one 'pop'! take a look and give them a shake. Do that again. We're talking only a few minutes and they will be done. You'll know they are done when they are golden brown. I like to sprinkle a little salt but that's it. You can get creative and add other spices too. Let them cool for a minute and dig in or crush / use in your favorite recipe. They are crisp and delicious!

Can't wait to try these on the lamb!

Geranium seeds bring a big surprise!

2009-09-29T10:10:00.002-06:00

Each fall my garden is full of long seed pods, crunchy plants and weird spikes coming from previously beautiful flowers and vegetables. That's what happens when you let nature take over and your plants go to seed. I save the seeds and use them in next year's garden.

This summer, I had bought a flat of red geranium and they did so well. I planted the bright, happy flowers in pots on the deck and interspersed in my herb and veggie garden.

As I was clearing out the garden this fall, I noticed that they had actually gone to seed! The photo is what the seeds look like. Little twisty spirals with a circular white plum around the end. Amazing. I had never seen a germanium seed and plan to plant them in the spring.

Food Not Lawns

2009-09-08T23:41:00.005-06:00

What a great book I am reading! Food not lawns - How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community by H.C. Flores. I picked this book up at the Rapid City Library today and dove right in. Tons of great information. The author asks, "How can human beings thrive together, in peace and perpetuity, without destroying the ecology that we depend upon?" There are no easy answers to that question since it's up to each of us to 'design our own life' but, as the authors explains, it doesn't mean to don a loincloth and live on grub worms and roadkill, it's about finding your own niche and work toward a long and natural life. (This is very paraphrased but you get the idea).

How this applies to me is my own backyard garden. I was already planning to expand but I can take it a step further and share plants and seeds with others. So guess what everyone is getting for Christmas? A Black Hills Garden basket of seeds from this year's garden, dried herbs and herbal tea packets. I think I am on to something here!

Local Businesses Need our Support!

2009-09-07T19:45:00.003-06:00

If we don't support our local businesses, they will not be there any longer. It's so important. Read about The 350 Project here and see what you can do to help!

http://www.the350project.net/home.html

Hummus and Tabouli - It finally feels like summer in the Black Hills!

2009-08-09T20:24:00.006-06:00

One day, two boys named Hummus and Tabouli set off for a great adventure...

This is good summer eating. From my garden came spearmint, chives and tomatoes. Here's an early shot of the chives.

Hummus

2 large (or to taste – we like garlic) cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half
1 TBL EVOO (ala Rachael Ray)
14oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
6 TBL lemon juice — about 2-3 lemons
1/2 cup EVOO
2 TSP ground cumin
1/2 TSP cayenne (or more to taste)

Heat 1 TBL EVOO, add garlic and sauté for about one minute. Don’t let the garlic get brown. If it does, toss and start over. Have ready in a food processor or blender all other ingredients and pour the hot EVOO and garlic in. Blend to a soft paste. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with more cayenne and serve with fresh veggies and / or warm pita bread.
P.S. I usually make a double batch of hummus. It goes fast.

Tabouli

1-1/3 cups bulgur
5 TBL lemon juice (about two lemons)
2 cloves (or to taste) garlic through garlic press
1/2 TSP ground cumin
Sea salt to taste (maybe 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup EVOO
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parley (just the leaves)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped finely
6 TBL minced green onions or chives (or a mix)
4 TBL fresh mint (I like spearmint)

Place bulgur in a bowl and pour about three times its volume of water. Let soak an hour or so until soft. Place a tea towel in a colander and drain bulgur. Squeeze out the extra moisture in towel and place bulgur in bowl. This is important to get all the moisture out. The grains should be sort of fluffy and dry.

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt. Stir in EVOO and blend well. Pour this over bulgur. Then toss in chopped tom’s, parsley, cucumber, green onions and mint with bulgur and mix well.

Serve as a salad by itself or on top of fresh spinach. Here’s the best way: Stand next to your kitchen counter, take pita bread and spread a lot of hummus on it and then top with tabouli. Yum!

Spearfish has a farmer's market!

2009-07-10T14:28:00.001-06:00

There is a new Farmer's Market in Spearfish! The new orgnization, Hills Horizon, is getting together local growers and vendors to set up shop in the Spearfish City Park on Saturdays from 9am-noon. It's starting small but, with community support, could turn into THE place to go on Saturday's mornings over the summer.

For more information:

http://www.hillshorizon.com/market%20in%20the%20park.htm

First Local Produce in Spearfish!

2009-07-03T13:43:00.004-06:00

Today really feels like summer in the Black Hills but not necessarily when you look at the sky. The sky is dark and it's in the 60's. What looks like summer is the fact that there is produce growing in lower valley! I went to the Farmers Market (next to Crow Peak Brewery) this morning to pick up local brown eggs and was delighted to find snow peas and chard. Just picked. I was also looking for honey which they only had in the big buckets but Faith at the market said she'll be pouring more soon.

Another nice development in Spearfish is the new Farmer's Market in the City Park on Saturday's at 8am. The first one happened last week. Here's how I understand it. You pay a 'one time' fee of $15 and then it's $10 for a 10 foot table. I can't wait to check it out tomorrow! I may also consider selling some herbs and some of the herbal tea I made from last years garden. Wouldn't it be cool if I had sun tea (made with my herbal tea) right there for people to try? Wonder if there is a opportunity to sell some of my gluten free creations? Will have more news after tomorrow.

I also picked up the new South Dakota Local Foods Directory produced by Dakota Rural Action which I plan to read cover to cover this weekend.

Yes, summer in the Black Hills is finally here!

Glorious greens from seed

2009-07-01T10:35:00.004-06:00

There is something to be said for annuals that come back the next year, especially in South Dakota! I am thrilled that I have green leaf lettuce coming up. Last year, I let the green leaf go to seed and now I must have at least 25 heads of lettuce in a 8' x 8' foot square. Fantastic!

In addition, arugula, spinach, carrots, chard and basil are peaking out from our black, Black Hills soil. The daily South Dakota green salad is a ritual!

The first salad of the summer

2009-06-27T08:56:00.003-06:00

The fruits of the garden! It's so nice to be able to enjoy the bounty. Here we have green leaf lettuce (that I had let go to seed and came back), chives and chive blossoms, tarragon, mint and the first few strawberries. This is summer...

Lemon Verbena Infused Vodka

2009-05-18T19:14:00.008-06:00

In one of my favorite movies, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) has a great line. When all seems lost, he whips out an umbrella and sends a flock of birds into the enemies plane which causes it to crash.

"I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne: Let my armies be the rocks and the trees - and the birds in the sky."

With summer upon us in the Black Hills, I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne but it had nothing to do with rocks, trees, birds or sky.

Last fall, I infused some good vodka with the herb, lemon verbena from my garden. I carefully removed all the leaves, made sure they were clean and covered them with vodka. My concoction sat in mason jars for months. Around Christmas, I strained it and it was a dark brown and not appetizing at all. In fact, the nose was super strong -- like taking a whiff of straight vodka. And it was yucky brown color. So over the holidays I tried to get my friends to try it and did not have much luck.

Fast forward to spring! I found one of my three jars under the cabinet and it turned a pretty golden color so I decided to give it another try. The nose was subtle with a slight lemon scent. This could be the start of a wonderful friendship!

Michelle's Lemon Verbena Summer Tonic

1 shot of lemon verbena infused vodka

tonic water

splash of fresh lemon juice

splash of 7-UP

Fill a highball with ice. Add one shot of lemon verbena infused vodka. Fill almost to the top with tonic water and add a splash of fresh lemon juice and 7-UP. Stir. And enjoy.

Yes, summer is here.

The rolling greenhouse

2009-05-17T13:57:00.004-06:00

This rolling greenhouse has come in very handy! There is a vinyl zip around cover that has kept the seedlings quite toasty. It's more like a test run this year. There are several herbs starting from seed as well as flowers from last years garden. I purchased some tomato seedlings as well as thyme and lemon verbena so just working on hardening them off and they'll go in this week.

The old timers say to plant your garden when there is no snow on Crow Peak. There are a few very small patches up there so with the nice weather this week, I should be ready.

Permaculture Gardening in the Black Hills

2009-05-14T22:14:00.004-06:00

A great story in the Rapid City Journal today.

Imagine digging a hole three feet deep and filling it with newspaper and uncoated cardboard. Then adding manure and maybe some fireplace ash. After that you cover everything with dirt and plant your veggies and herbs. That's what a family in the Black Hills is doing and they call it permaculture gardening.

I am ready to give the concept a try!

Freezing and Defrosting in the Locavore Kitchen

2009-05-07T19:05:00.010-06:00

The typical locavore is skilled and interested in all things having to do with growing and preserving food. I fall into this category.

Suddenly it is a necessity! Our freezer in the garage blew a fuse and half of my hard work lay in defrosted disarray. So tonight, I move to action. First, turning on SDPB Uncle Jim-o Jazz and pouring myself a glass of wine. Now, I can accomplish anything!!

I am a mad woman in the kitchen cooking everything that is in defrost mode. Fortunately everything was still cold but I had to toss out gallons of stock, broth and homemade soup. (That was very sad). In my oven now are chicken breasts, a couple of Hutterite pot pies, some peppers I am roasting and something I am not EXACTLY sure what it is. It's some game bird that friends brought over which I did not (bad!) label. I think it's a pheasant or maybe a grouse? Remember, this is South Dakota. The 'wings' look like lobsters in a twisted way. Anyway the critter is being roasted.

Ever being the optimist, it's a great time to clean out the freezer. It's spring! The nice thing is that I have herbs growing in the garden so while I on this mad cooking binge, I am thinking of all the quick meals I can now put together this next week.

Community Supported Forage

2009-03-25T05:34:00.001-06:00

What a fantastic idea! A nod to Chow.com for sharing the latest concept in CSA's. Community Supported Forage (instead of Agriculture).

Getting a box of foraged foods from the Black Hills would be fantastic. Last summer I collected rose hips up in Spearfish Canyon to add to my herbal tea blend which included spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, lemon verbena, lavendar and lemon balm from my garden. What I learned was that the best time to harvest rose hips is when they are bright red! I didn't know that at the time and ended up with some mint tea that tasted like dirt. This summer, I am in the know.

There are many berries in the Black Hills that I would like to learn about. I have to imagine there to be mushrooms, lettuce varieties and other greenery worth sampling. I've got this on my list of to-do's this summer: find a Black Hills forager guide.

The White House Garden

2009-03-20T15:36:00.003-06:00

The Obama's will have over 55 types of vegetables growing on the grounds of the White House! Again, I applaud First Lady Michelle in making this happen. I can't wait to see the full list. They are even going to have an on-site bee keeper!

The story is in the New York Times. People will be watching this. Will this encourage people to plant gardens of their own? Or buy local produce? Or eat at home? Or just eat better? This is one experiment I am excited to watch.

Is the First Lady a Locavore?

2009-03-18T06:12:00.003-06:00

The topic of food continues to braise the halls of the White House and it's a good thing. A story today in New York Magazine talks about Michelle Obama wanting to serve natural food, or um, good food with less calories, I mean, local food or just 'clean' food. Whatever. It's all a bit confusing but she is on the right track and I applaud it. Now if they will just dig up the west lawn and put in a big kitchen garden...

From a locavore standpoint, she could help promote the benefits to health, local growers, environment etc about what is going on the plates for state dinners.

When she talks, people are really listening. I admit that I am very curious about her as a person and what she thinks. Side note: for the first time, we have a First Lady that I can totally relate to.

Another thought. I'd love to see a website that included menus from all big dinners hosted by the White House. Wouldn't that be interesting?

Squash and seeds

2009-03-16T16:13:00.002-06:00

Last fall, I stocked up on several kinds of winter squash from Gage's Garden's and the Farmer's Market in Spearfish. I've been storing them in our basement where it's quite cool.

Last night I cooked this acorn squash and it was really delish. Simple: Slice in half, scoop out seeds and put on racks in 350 over for about 45 minutes. One of the best part of the winter squash experience is the seeds. I cook any and all seeds that come out of a winter squash. And not just pumpkin!

In fact, acorn squash seeds are large and rather goo-free. These are some of my favorites. 425 oven, spread seeds out on cookie sheet with a little olive oil (mix together so seeds are covered) and cook until you hear popping! Yes, the seeds pop just like popcorn, which, hey, it's a seed! Once or twice I open up the oven and mix them around a bit as it helps them cook evenly. When they are done, I put them on a kitchen towel (sometimes they stick to a paper towel) and add some salt. Yum! My favorite on the way home from work snack is a mix of seeds, pecans, cashews, raisins, candied orange peel (so easy) and little broken up pieces of dark chocolate.

Obama and Food Safety

2009-03-14T12:32:00.003-06:00

President Obama takes food safety seriously as the President and as a dad in a recent New York Times article. I think it speaks well to the Locavore, especially those who yearn to grow some of their own food. Today, there is still snow over much of the Black Hills but the sun, the glorious sun, tells us of future cherry tomatoes and fresh thyme coming this summer.

I went out to my garden today and dug around my now sleeping herbs and was delighted to see green leaves of oregano and tarragon as well as little, unfolding strawberry leaves hidden under the snow. I put out a seed bell and replenished the suet. Ahhh Spring.

Gluten Free Baking

2009-01-02T22:30:00.007-07:00

When you don't have a TV, you find other things to do. Tonight I find myself listening to my latest audio book from the Rapid City Library, Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. Julie walks through life exploring her mother's copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This is hilarious and really inspiring for those of us who think time spent in the kitchen is exciting and fun.

What Julie says is what I think and believe. In fact, as I hear the book, I see my friends and my life sort of unfold.

So I teeter on what I can do in the kitchen and often it's all about gluten free baking. Tonight I made pizza what I just now call "Jack's pizza" and I'm getting quite good at it. The crust is a combination of potato starch, arrowroot starch, chick pea flour, quinoa flour, brown rice flour, baking soda, xanthum powder, salt mixed with EVOO and water. I make a big batch which totally fills my round and rectangular pizza stones I purchased at a Pampered Chef party I begrudgingly attended over 10 years ago. I am not dissing PM but those parties are usually not my thing. On top of the crust goes a healthy layer of Prego mushroom sauce which is rather healthy aside from the fact sugar is about #5 on the ingredient list. Other than that, it's all natural. I cut it all up in little squares and freeze it. It freezes very well. The whole event takes about an hour. Jack can go through this in 2-3 days.

I also made gluten free pumpkin bread which is pretty tasty. At least Jack thinks so.

Fortunately for our gluten free, casein free, soy free baking, dowtown Spearfish has a great health food store, the Good Earth. I'd share their website but they don't have one. We are frequent visitors. I've also discovered fresh dates which are obviously not a local SD food. Wow, weird but very delicious.

Eating Locally in Winter

2008-12-21T23:06:00.002-07:00

This is a great excerpt from a book I am reading, Outstanding in the field; a farm to table cookbook by Jim Denevan:

"The goal is to build a tasty, satisfying meal primarily with what is local and seasonal, supplementing with ingredients from farther afield. The reality is that it's tricky to eat strictly locally and seasonally all the time, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to find a good deal of our foods from close to home when possible. There are an increasing number of ways to do this: Purchase local chickens at a farmers' market instead of industrial ones shipped cross-country and enjoy domestic berries from late spring to early fall instead of buying imported berries in January."

It's extra challenging here in the Black Hills but I am convinced it can be done.

So here's what was on my plate for Sunday. Sorry, no photo.

A potato dish that included Yukon Gold potatoes (stored from Gage's Gardens). It was so good, I have to share the recipe:

About 5 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 onions, cut in wedges (mine came from Safeway)
1/2 tbl dried rosemary (from my summer garden -- still fragrant)
3 tbl olive oil (this was from World Market (their own label) in Sioux Falls -- EVO and it's really good)
Salt and pepper

Throw everything in a baking dish and mix together so the potatoes and onions are coated. Put in a 375 pre-heated oven for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are done and a little crunchy. Every 15 minutes, mix it up. Yum!

We also had stuffed hamburgers. The burger came from a local cow (RIP) that we purchased from the Butcher Shop in Spearfish.

Here's that one:

For four burgers / one pound of ground beef.

Stuffing mix: Finely chopped onions, peppers (from my garden last year), a piece of pastrami (from the Butcher Shop) and a piece of Swiss cheese (I think from Sam's Club), dried oregano (from my summer garden), salt and pepper.

Mix together the chopped onions and peppers, set aside.

Divide beef in 8 sections. Take one of the sections and flatten it out so it's very thin (I put it on a cutting board) but still thick enough that it won't fall apart when you pick it up with a spatula. Put a small piece of the pastrami on top of the burger and make sure to leave about an inch from the edge. Then scoop on the onion / pepper mix, salt and pepper and top with a small piece of Swiss. Roll out another section of burger so it's flattish and put it on top of your burger with pile of stuff on it. Seal the edges like you've made a little pie. Try to really seal it or stuff inside (like the cheese) will really ooze out and it won't be as cute.

I use a little spray oil and cook the burgers in a big frying pan with a lid over medium high heat. Be careful when you turn them over so they don't come apart. These are really good and a nice surprise when you bite into them . No bun needed.

Oh, and we had some broccoli too. From Sam's I think.

Holiday Eating

2008-12-20T19:23:00.004-07:00

As I am reviewing the Eat on $25 Challenge I did right before Thanksgiving dinners I made, I am thinking that what I was eating (although not very flavorful) was very healthy. In fact, the whole experience really gave me a great kick start trying not to gorge myself over the holidays. The problem I am having is that we keep getting goodies from everyone! Fantastic cookies, candies, fudge, little bags of chocolate and marshmallows -- things I can normally pass by at work but struggle when I see them in my own refrigerator. I'd rather just throw it away but that is such a waste! Especially from what I learned from my challenge. And well, it's not very thoughtful for those who made it for us.

So at least for the next four days before Christmas, I am going to focus on eating whole foods and not like a whole pie or whole plate of cookies. Whole foods meaning that they are in their most natural form. Local foods in the Black Hills are scare at this point. At least local produce that is. Now I did freeze some things from the summer and still have squashes in the basement. Okay, I have the making of a few meals here. I'll try and have at least one local food in each dinner for the next four days.

Join me -- it will be fun!

Back to local feasting!

2008-11-29T17:17:00.001-07:00

Now this is what is good and right about eating locally in the Black Hills. Lamb from the Butcher's Shop and butternut squash from Gage's Garden right here in Spearfish. I got the squash this summer and it's been down in the basement along with other squash buddies that will all be eaten this winter.

The lamb was prepared simply -- salt and pepper and broiled. So fantastic. Mike is not a butternut squash man but it's my favorite. Just 20 minutes in the microwave with a bit of water and you scoop it out and enjoy. I added salt, pepper and some Irish butter -- HEAVEN. You'll also notice the leftover spinach (with orange zest) and cooked carrots from my Eat on $25 a day Challenge. Nice.

What's left over from the $25 a week challenge?

2008-11-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

After seven days of eating on $25, this is what I had left over:

- 4 baked potatoes

- 1 pork ramin

- 1 very ripe banana

- about 1 cup of cooked carrots

- 4 hard boiled eggs

- 1/2 bag dry black beans

- handful chicken bullion cubes

- 1/3 bag white rice
- 1/3 bag dry lentils

- handful fresh spinach

- about a cup of cooked lentils

- about 1/2 cup cooked pasta with red sauce

- about one serving dry pasta

- 1/2 can coffee

- about a cup of cooked mixed beans and pasta

That seems like a lot, doesn't it?

So I went ahead and froze the carrots, banana, cooked beans, pasta and rice. So I am thinking I should start with this stuff for a January challenge. Hmmmm...

I just read "If you feel comfortable with where you are at (in anything -- life, job, fitness etc) you are not learning and growing." Learning and growing. It's what it's all about!

Front page of the Rapid City Journal!

2008-11-26T16:50:00.001-07:00

Here was the article "$25 food challenge humbling, appreciated" in the Rapid City Journal on Thanksgiving day. I think there is so much we can learn when get out of our routine and challenge ourselves in interesting ways. I learned that while you can eat healthy on $25 a week, it's not fun. What I did take from it was the multiple uses of oranges including candied orange peels and the joys of orange zest. Don't underestimate orange zest when you are spice free!

There is something else that needs to come out of this but I am not sure what it is yet. I'll be thinking about this for January. New year, new challenge.

Day 7 -- Wednesday -- Last Day

2008-11-26T12:47:00.013-07:00

Holy Buckets! I lost 3.5 pounds this week!

Let me back up. Each Wednesday is 'weigh in' day at the Kane household. Sort of like Weight Watchers, except it's just Mike and I and no group meeting afterwards. We've been doing this for a year or so to encourage each other in our work out and weight management efforts. As most women know, your weight can really fluctuate and it doesn't always mean anything. BUT 3.5 pounds is significant.

I think the challenge was part of this loss. I did not eat mindlessly. There is more to this and a big eye opener for me which I will continue to think about. I didn't go out to eat except for the $.30 patty at McDonald's which was oh-so delicious. We love eating out and I usually make good choices but sometimes I just want Guadalajara's Super Nachos with all the fixin's. Lastly, I didn't drink anything except water. No wine, no delicious Pile of Dirt Porter at Crow Peak Brewery. All things to consider.

In reflection, this has been a worthwhile adventure and one I would recommend to anyone looking to work on their food budget, food waste, creativity, weight loss (!) and self knowledge. Each experience will be different but I take away a whole new set of ideas and eating habits from just this week:

Candied orange peels!

Zesting orange peels into yogurt, spinach and rice

Finely chopped oranges in non fat plain yogurt

Having hard boiled eggs around

Bullion is very handy

As well as,

No mindless eating

Better planning of menu and shopping

Staying on a budget

Making it work during everyday life of work, meetings and family events

Not wasting food

Being thankful for every bite!

I may consider doing this next year with a different twist. Stay tuned!

On the final menu:

Breakfast: GV black coffee. No oatmeal this morning. Got too busy with work, it was lunch time when I got hungry.

Lunch: Made some lentils with bullion (thank you bullion for flavor!) and steamed rice. Also had a spinach salad with grated carrots, orange zest (so fab) and a hard boiled egg. Finished with yogurt and half an orange chopped up. Lots of food and I am full.

Dinner: While definitely the most attractive meal of the week, taste was okay, satisfaction high. This was the evening of leftovers. Rice, lentils, black beans, spinach with zested orange peel!, sliced oranges, pasta and a hard boiled egg. And yogurt with a whole banana. I could not finish it all!

What I learned today: Finishing a task or project is very rewarding. Learning something and taking it with you is even more so. I will look at the Thanksgiving table tomorrow in a new way.

Day 6 - Tuesday

2008-11-25T23:05:00.004-07:00

Six days of of taking the "Eating on $25 a week" challenge and it's almost over. I set out to discover if I could really stick to it and to learn something along the way. Success for both! I haven't cheated, although was given many opportunities for 'volunteer' food which included a lunch brought in for a meeting and coffee and tea at work, while I was making 'other' food for the family, having a meeting in a restaurant where everyone else is eating (and having some offer to buy me lunch) and just the general, mindless eating that occurs through the day. I learned that I am so blessed that this challenge ends for me tomorrow, unlike for so many others.

So yesterday, I stopped at Staples and Spice on my way home since our son was out of bread. Since he can't eat wheat, dairy or soy, he eats bread made of rice which is only carried in health food stores. It would be very difficult for him to eat on $25 and I feel for those families requiring special diets. After picking up a loaf of brown rice bread and another package of potato starch (use in much of his baked items), sitting up at the counter was a few bottles of Starling Gewurztraminer which we had just tried for the first time last week (obviously before the challenge). I commented how good it was and, look! the gal at the register happen to have an open bottle chilling and offered a little taste. Oh, the inhumanity! I ruefully declined.

You might be saying, whatever, why is this important? It is important because in my life, wine is part of my fantastic 'food joy' and reminded me of what I was missing. More importantly, it reminded me (or really just hit me on the head... again) that many people do not have the pleasures such as wine or other luxuries and again, I felt rather small.

For today:

Breakfast: Of course, oatmeal with 1/3 banana (the last 1/3 that was in the fridge -- very ripe and brown but tasted good) and GV coffee. This time I made sure to drink all my coffee while it was hot so I wouldn't waste any.

Lunch: Each month, I get together with other marketing professionals and business owners in town and we talk about a specific topic and help each other with ways to better market our businesses. Today's meeting was at the coffee shop Perkins where I was fairly certain the menu would not have anything for $.01 which is what I had left from my original $25. I am thinking, is there a re-buy option (like in Texas Hold 'em) here? Dang, no. So I sat with my ice water and participated. Then I rushed back to my office so I could eat my cold black beans, lentils and rice and spinach. I had eaten my carrots earlier in the morning and saved the orange for my ride home. The best part was the orange; everything else was pretty average.

Dinner: It was time for pasta again, so I threw in about 1/3 pound of thin spaghetti and took out some of my 'pasta sauce ice cubes' I froze earlier in the week. Since I had added water to my Huntz four cheese sauce (which really did not appear to actually contain cheese or anything else chunky), the sauce was pretty tasteless; more like red water. I steamed about a cup of chopped carrots and threw in some spinach which wilted nicely. It looked pretty but had little taste. The saving grace of the meal was that I sliced up a full, very ripe, banana into yogurt. I mean this was a RIPE banana - ready for banana bread. Usually I would have frozen it or tossed it but not today.

What I learned today: In the business world, food plays an important role too when having meetings over lunch or over coffee. People who can't afford to do this may have missed opportunities. Our society is so rich that going out to lunch is an expected necessity and not treated as the gift it really is. If you can afford to eat out, be thankful.

Day 5 --Monday

2008-11-24T18:11:00.003-07:00

Today is a new day. This is my fifth day of the "Eat on $25 a week" challenge and I think I am hitting my stride. For one thing, I am not nearly as focused on the food. Maybe it's because my food choices are just not that exciting? Or maybe I am getting used to the same thing? Or maybe it's because I feel like I am really getting something out of this process? I don't know.

What I do know is that I will look at my food choices, food budget, food waste and general thoughts about food in a new way. What stands out is that I will be more thankful for my food as each bite is really a gift.

On the menu today:

Breakfast: Do I even need to write it down? Oatmeal with 1/3 banana and GV coffee. Today I brought my coffee in to work but got busy so the coffee got cold. Since we don't have a microwave at work, I couldn't reheat it. Bummer.

Lunch: I brought along some leftover black beans, lentils and rice and spinach. Again, without heating it up, it was very average. I also finished off a half of an orange and a handful of chopped carrots. Every single carrot in fact. Yesterday, I got the idea of trying candied orange peels as I was thinking of ways to use the peel aside from zesting. Although sugar was not on my challenge list, I made it anyway for "later". Doing the challenge inspired me.

Dinner: As you can see, I had the left over ramen. Do be sure to throw some greens in there, it really makes it. More spinach, a steamed baked potato with some of leftover pasta sauce and more plain yogurt with finely chopped oranges. The yogurt really feels like dessert.

What I learned today: Everyday we choose what goes onto our plate and into our mouth. Some people don't have that choice. If you DO have the choice, be thankful.

Day 4 -- Sunday

2008-11-23T17:35:00.015-07:00

So, I finally had some ramen noodles today. Ramen is what everyone thought I'd be eating each day. Ramen is really total junk food. The 'block' contains 14 grams of fat and 1900 mg sodium. I think a big Butter Burger over at Culver's will give you more fat but not sure on the sodium. AND I have to say, it was good. I had pork 'flavor' which according to the package, the pork is really dehydrated pork broth, milk and yeast extract. The pork flavor powder is actually the fourth ingredient in the flavor packet after salt, MSG, hydrolyzed corn, wheat and soy protein. Is this even real food?

A neighbor brought over some venison loin and roasts today and I gave her some herbal tea I made from my summer garden (that's what people do here in South Dakota!) and we were talking about my doing the challenge. At first she said, "I could do that!" But that changed as we talked more about it. It 'seems' simple but it's not.

I also candied some orange peels and soooo wanted to try one but didn't because sugar wasn't on my challenge list. Mike said they were as good as Swedish Fish which is a HUGE compliment. I had to catch myself too! I almost scooped one in my mouth without even thinking. That's the mindless nibbling that I know I do a lot but have not this week. Just think of the calories I am saving! Another friend described this as a "weight loss and social experiment". That would be cool.

I have now gotten two comments that said, "You must not be eating anything healthy." I think this part is a misconception. You CAN eat healthy. The trick is to make it taste good. To do that, a few spices, sugar and salt would help immensely.

Here's the candied orange peel recipe:

Peel an orange and cut the peels in small squares until you have about a cup (about two oranges). Put the peels in a saucepan and cover with just enough cold water. Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Then drain and rinse peels and do the same process two more times. This gets much of the bitterness out of the peels. After the last drain and rinse, put the peels, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup white sugar in the pan and bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to medium. Really watch so it doesn't burn. Let it cook for a few minutes while stirring to make the peels are coated. When all the liquid is gone, pour the peels out to cool / dry. I use wax paper with a bit of canola oil rubbed on it. In fact, I had some blood orange infused olive oil I used instead. Try to have the peels not touching each other but be careful because they are burning hot.

Store them in a jar in the fridge. You can chop them up for stuffing, baked goods, salads or (like Mike) just eat them as is!

Today:

Breakfast: Guess! Yes, oatmeal with 1/3 banana (need to ration these guys) and black GV coffee. Still liking the coffee. Coffee with cream seems so luxurious.

Lunch: One cup of cooked black beans and a quarter of an orange chopped up in yogurt. It really is amazing how filling beans are!

Dinner: At least it looked different. Pork (flavored) Ramen made with a few carrot slivers and spinach thrown in. Since I added extra water, I added a bullion cube. Good thing I got the low sodium bullion cubes! I also, steamed a baked potato with some black beans (this is a good combo) and ate the other half of a hard boiled egg.

What I learned today: I do a lot of mindless snacking and during this challenge I am learning to pay more attention to what I am eating and why.

Day 3 -- Saturday

2008-11-22T20:18:00.009-07:00

Each weekend I look forward to doing some cooking. Something fabulous. Maybe it's a new recipe or something I want to pair with a certain wine I've been eyeing. NOT today. This is the third day of my "Can you eat on $25 a week" quest and my meals are starting to look very similar.

There is a shelf in the refrigerator that I have allotted to my challenge as well as a special spot in our pantry. It's the same stuff that was there yesterday. Duh, of course it is because I only have $.01 to spend until Thursday!

I didn't realize how much of my waking life revolves around food. I think, plan, dream, talk about, garden and tend, eat and enjoy it ... a lot. But when you see the same thing each day, the joy wanes and it's just not as fun. That thought alone makes me feel incredibly small. Of course, this isn't fun. The crazy thing is is that I THOUGHT it would be fun and well it's really not.

But I have already learned so much about myself and budgeting that I know the result will be positive so while the enjoyment levels wanes the learning and growing level increases. Isn't that the way so many important things in our life progress anyway?

To clarify, it's $25 per person for the week and only I am doing the challenge in our household. It's extra difficult because you can't use anything you already had in your house. No spices to zip up those beans, no salt and pepper to enhance rice or no vinegar to liven up that spinach salad.

So here's what was on the menu today:

Breakfast: I lingered over my GV black coffee and skipped breakfast. Not typical but we headed out to run errands. I am liking this black coffee! I am surely saving calories as I usually add half and half and Torani.

Lunch: I was hungry when we got home especially since we picked up pies at Jack's school for a fundraiser. For lunch, I heated up lentils and rice and poured in some leftover pasta sauce / water combo as well as some sliced carrots. The sauce did the trick! It was delicious and very filling. I also had some yogurt with the left over 1/4 of a banana. There is no wasting food here! Really, who would save a 1/4 of a banana that, while I did have it in Saran Wrap in the fridge, was rather brown? Yours truly. Yes, it was brown but I just mushed it in the yogurt. I then remembered my Charlemagne (from the 3rd Indiana Jones) -- I had three pounds of potatoes which I had totally forgotten about! I was giddy. I micro'd one and with nothing to put on it, I really enjoyed it. Maybe because it was organic? Or just maybe because it was different.

Dinner: As you can see, dinners are starting to look the same. There's that leftover pasta from Thursday with a little scoop of lentils and rice and a few carrots slices. Again, I added a spinach salad and another half of an egg and another micro'd potato. Here's something that was cool! I zested an orange and mixed that with my spinach with some of the orange juice. It really made the salad. I also chopped up a half an orange and added it to my nonfat plain yogurt. Okay, you must try this. It was so delicious I could have this for dessert every night.

Because I am such a planner, I fixed up a cup of dried black beans for tomorrow and took two big spoonfuls. Delicious! Of course, Through my kitchen window, I see my amazing herbs that have made it through 15 degree nights and three feet of snow and longingly stare at my beautiful sage that would have been perfect with the black beans. ARGH.

What I learned today: Food adds joy to our lives and it's amazing to realize that when that joy is diminished, you really, really miss it. I can't be the only one here. The enjoyment of food is important to everyone.

Day 2 - Friday

2008-11-21T21:29:00.009-07:00

Here I am on Day 2 of the "Eat on $25 a week challenge" and spent my last $.30 on a hamburger patty at McDonalds for Jack's birthday (!) but let's start with breakfast.

Breakfast: Oatmeal again with black coffee. This time I added half a banana to the oatmeal and ate when the oats were screaming hot. Remember no honey or salt or anything else in there. Good with bananas.

Lunch: Lentils and rice I made last night, spinach salad, a half hard bolied egg, a scoop of non fat yogurt and a half an orange. Very filling.

Dinner: For a special treat, we took our son to McDonald's for his birthday and I was drawn to purchase really the only thing I could afford with my last change -- a plain patty -- and it was delicious. Now I have $.01 left until Thanksgiving. Obviously there won't be any shopping going on! For dinner, I came home and made the above photo. Left over spaghetti (without the soup -- it was better today), more lentils and rice (which are actually very tasty), spinach salad, a few sliced carrots, the other half of the egg and yogurt with 1/4 sliced banana. Again, very filling.

What I learned today: More of a reminder that eating healthy food makes you feel more positive and energetic.

Day 1 -- Thursday

2008-11-20T19:52:00.009-07:00

It's true, I am excited to start today. So many thoughts are swirling around my brain as to what and why I am doing this. There is something important about it.

Breakfast: I usually eat oatmeal every morning so this wasn't too different. I made it the same way, 1/2 oats and one cup water in the microwave for 5 minutes. That's when it hit me, I didn't have anything to put in it. Usually, there is at least honey and on 'big days', I'll add raisins, cranberries, cereal and nuts. Not today. I also had the Wal-Mart GV coffee brewing but again, nothing to put in it so it was black. The coffee was not bitter at all and very enjoyable. This might be our new everyday coffee. The oatmeal definitely wasn't as good but since it was hot, it did the trick.

Lunch: I packed along my lunch (which I do most days) and brought along a hard boiled egg, a cup of chopped carrots, a banana and an orange and three chicken bouillon cubes. I knew this was not going to be enough but I didn't get anything else going the night before and I had just a bit of change left over from my original $25 so that would be it. Surprisingly, the bullion really satisfied me -- maybe because it was warm. It was also tasty.

Dinner: I was hungry for dinner. It was pasta (about 1/3 of pound) and the pasta sauce. When I poured the sauce into the sauce pan, it didn't look like much so I filled the can with water to make more. Not the best idea. So instead of spaghetti, I was moving toward spaghetti soup. The sauce was not very flavorful or chunky -- spices would have been perfect here. In addition, I had a small spinach salad with carrots and another hard boiled egg. The egg really made the meal. With all my 'sauce-water', I decided to fill up an ice cube tray and use it later this week. There was also one more serving of spaghetti left over which I'll have tomorrow.

I thought it would a good idea to prep some other food tonight since I'll be working tomorrow so I put 1 cup of lentils with 8 cups of water and 1 bullion cube to simmer. After about 30 minutes, I added a cup of rice. If I had any other veggies, I would have sauteed them and toss them in. An onion would have been really handy here. This made a lot of food and really tasty. I'm looking forward to eating it tomorrow!

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Without spices and variety, the flavor and thus enjoyment of food is diminished.

$25 at Wal-mart

2008-11-19T22:00:00.006-07:00

So Mike and I head to Wal-mart (anxious to see where the ceiling caved in) with 25 bucks so that I can start my quest to see if I can, indeed, eat on $25 for the week. These types of 'tests' always draw me in. It's as if I am continually seeking structure. I'm sure there is some therapist out there just waiting to tell me why.

Mike declined to participate but did consider for a moment. His answer was the best: "If I did it, I should do it whole-heartedly. If I just sniveled about it all week, that wouldn't help you. I am not going to join in but let's go shopping!" Yes, he's a keeper.

Looking at this quest through my Black Hills Locavore colored glasses, I knew I needed to get the best nutrition I could with my $25 but could I do any of it with local or organic food? Immediately I knew this was not to be the week to go on Atkins.

My purchase total was $24.69 before tax (remember food stamps are not taxed -- see above photo). When Kristi, rang up my oranges at 5 at $.50 each, Mike stopped her right then and there. Hey Kristi, these oranges were $.44 each! It turned into an ordeal requiring supervisory assistance. Anyway, usually we don't watch that close but Mike caught a $.30 mistake. That's almost two more chicken ramen, my friend.

Here's what I bought: - dozen medium eggs - Hunts four cheese pasta sauce (26 oz) - GV French Roast coffee (ground - 12 oz) - 9 oz Ready Pac Spinach - GV Oatmeal - GV Dried Black Beans (1 lb) - GV Dried Lentils (1 lb) - GV Long Grain Rice (1 lb) - 2 Pork Ramen - GV Thin Spaghetti (1 lb) - Wyler's Chicken bouillon cubes (25 cubes) - GV Non Fat Yogurt (32 oz) - Genesis ORGANIC potatoes from Washington (3 lbs) - Earthbound Farms ORGANIC carrots (2 lbs) - 5 navel oranges from California (yes, they were $.44 each) - 6 bananas from Guatemala

The GV is the Wal-mart brand Great Value. I think it was too. Could I have gotten the same value if I shopped at Safeway, Leuders or the Good Earth? I am not sure. I do know that oranges at Safeway run $2.49 a pound. It would be interesting to compare.

I did pay a bit more for the organic carrots and potatoes. Regular carrots were $.64 lb and the organic carrots were $.88 lb. What was interesting is that I was going to choose two large regular baking potatoes but the bag of Organic potatoes was a better deal. When we were figuring things out (we brought the calculator!) we figured were over a bit so I took back two oranges, two ramen and one banana. I totally could have kept one of the Ramen. DANG! Oh and no wine, no cream for my coffee, butter for those taters and carrots either.

Can you eat on $25 per week?

2008-11-18T15:53:00.001-07:00

It's rather shocking to look at your financial statement. Over 40% in the last two months, simply gone. At 41, I don't plan on retiring anyone soon but it sure is an eye opener.

But there are so many things to feel thankful for -- our family, friends, neighbors and health. So I am reading an article in the Rapid City Journal yesterday that donations at food banks are down while requests are climbing. In the state of South Dakota, eligible families receive $25 worth of food stamps per person per week. Now the $25 does not include sales tax since food stamps are not taxed and there are certain things that can not be purchased:

From http://dss.sd.gov/dakotaEBT/salestax/:

You CAN Buy:
Foods for you and your household to eat:
breads and cereals
fruits and vegetables
meats, fish, poultry
dairy products
Seeds and plants which produce food for you and your household.
Group dining or home-delivered Senior Meals (if you are elderly).

You CANNOT Buy:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
Any nonfood items:
pet foods,
soaps and paper products,
household supplies.
Vitamins and medicines.
Food that will be eaten in the store.
Hot foods prepared to eat immediately.

So you can buy seeds and plants that produce food? That is very cool but for those on food stamps, do they have a place they could plant those seeds? This is a great push for community gardens. Could this work in Spearfish? Yes.

So starting Thursday through next Wednesday, I will be eating on $25 for one week and writing about my progress.

Join me!

The rules are you can not eat anything that is already in your house or accept a gift of food. For example, don't go to a friends house and expect to gorge.

The idea here is to learn and appreciate all of our blessings. What will I learn? Could I do it locally? I don't know. I do know this idea has caught me so I need to find out.

The Farmer in Chief -- Why our Presidential Candidates should be Talking about Food Security

2008-10-18T11:04:00.007-06:00

This is quoted from the 10/9/08 article in the New York Times by the non-industrial based food advocate, Michael Pollin, The Farmer in Chief. It's an open letter written to our President-elect on the importance of food security.

Everyone should read this article. It will encourage readers to consider each food purchase carefully. I also think it will open up opportunities for local farmers and ranchers. The message here is that food IS a national security issue. If you do not have access to safe food for your family, what would you do?

"The American people are paying more attention to food today than they have in decades, worrying not only about its price but about its safety, its provenance and its healthfulness. There is a gathering sense among the public that the industrial-food system is broken. Markets for alternative kinds of food — organic, local, pasture-based, humane — are thriving as never before. All this suggests that a political constituency for change is building and not only on the left: lately, conservative voices have also been raised in support of reform. Writing of the movement back to local food economies, traditional foods (and family meals) and more sustainable farming." Michael Pollin

The Baby Bounty and Getting Back on Track

2008-10-15T19:54:00.004-06:00

So here I am, back on track. This was my very small bounty picked from my garden before Spearfish got four inches of snow! This weekend I will be cleaning up the remains and see what survived. We were in the Los Altos, CA and I was re-energized in my quest to be a Black Hills Locavore. Of course, in the Bay Area, being a locavore would be much easier.

Today for lunch I made tacos. Corn tortillas from Dan Diego Tortillas, ground beef from the Butcher Shop, tomatoes and green onions from my garden (they made it through snow!), peppers I had frozen last year and a sweet onion from Gage's Garden. Oh and cheese, Romaine and ketchup from Safeway but overall a Locavore success!

We tried for a few weeks only purchasing organic milk and cream but it really hit the pocketbook at almost double the price of 'regular' milk. I need to do some research on the true benefits of organic dairy products. I get the idea but are the cows treated any more humanely? I don't know. Still need that local dairy option...

So we will try this again as I reflect back to my 'rules'.

The Buzz about Bees and CCD

2008-09-01T17:32:00.006-06:00

There is a claim that Albert Einstein said something along the lines of, "If there were no more bees, man would perish in about four years." Snopes.com isn't sure if he really said that or if someone just made it up and attributed it to the physicist but it is a disconcerting thought when you realize how busy those little bees are in the pollination of our food crops.

Haagen-dazs supported the creation of an educational video about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) to better explain the impacts and potential impacts of this important issue. While there is not an identified reason or cause of CCD yet, there is speculation that bacteria, some undiscovered pest or just the stress of commercial bee keeping may contribute.

South Dakota is one of the top producers of honey in the USA.

What is interesting is that I had fewer tomatoes this year (by a lot). Of course, we missed out on some hot weather to get things jumping but I wonder is CCD played a role as well? Since I do not spray in the garden, I have seen bees buzzing around so I am not sure.

It's an important issue to understand and follow. More companies should support these types of projects for the good of all. Hats off to Haagen dazs!

The Bounty in Spearfish Valley

2008-08-31T09:59:00.009-06:00

Fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruit are now in abundance in the Spearfish Valley. We visited three local markets open throughout the summer: Running's stand, The Farmer's Market and Gage's Gardens.

At Running's it's hard not to get corn because the stand is surrounded by rows of it and it is so fresh and delicious. I bought a dozen ears for $.50 each. Yes, that's a premium price but it's worth it. I always cut off the top just in case there is a worm in there; the only part of the corn that can be an unexpected surprise. Also in my bag were some Walla Walla and red onions. This is the only local farmer growing Walla Wallas, that I know of, and you can't beat these sweet onions.

At The Farmer's Market, I loaded up on a huge zucchini (my mom calls 'Wallies'), more red onions, a purple pepper, a basket of the sweetest cherry tomatoes, handful of small carrots, some red potatoes as well as two loaves of beer bread from the Wild Goose Bakery in Lead and a dozen of brown eggs from Sturgis. If you have not tried the bread from Wild Goose Bakery, I would highly recommend checking it out. Most of the loaves are $4.00 each. The beer bread is in a round and we have enjoyed it with bruschetta, brie and just by itself.

At Gage's Gardens, I picked up a muskmelon and seedless watermelon from Woonsocket. I have NEVER tasted a sweeter muskmelon. Imagine a cart full of huge melons and when you walk up to it you are greeted by a heady perfume of summer! That's what it smells like -- summer. And the watermelons are also amazing and so RED. I had to get another basket of cherry tomatoes as I had almost finished my first basket from The Farmer's Market, some larger red and orange tomatoes and a perfect peach from Colorado. The peach looks amazing and I can't wait to enjoy it. One more day it should be perfect. I also figured that a peach from Colorado is a better choice than a peach from California! I have to say that the people who work at Gage's are some of the nicest which adds to the whole experience of buying local.

This is the best time for Locavores in the Black Hills!

In Search of a Local Dairy

2008-08-28T10:19:00.005-06:00

We have yet to find a local dairy but I haven't really dug in and researched the possibility. Instead we are purchasing organic milk and cream. We are buying the Safeway O brand of milk ($5.79 a gallon) and half and half ($3.99 pint). They are expensive but are they worth it? That's an area I will do some research on. What exactly defines an organic dairy? I don't know. I am also purchasing organic Stonybrook Farms yogurt too. We have not found an organic supplier of cottage cheese. I haven't checked the options at Leuders either. Walmart carries Horizon (as does Safeway) but it's more expensive.

After finishing the book Farm Sanctuary, I find myself questioning how humane the animals destined for the table are being raised. The link above is the organization's website (founded by the author, Gene Baur) which is doing important work in the area of education and lobbying for the compassionate treatment of farm animals. While I do not see myself morphing into a vegetarian at this time, I'd like to make my food choices as smart and humane as possible. For example, although I have never eaten it, I will not eat fois gras which is made from diseased, fatty duck and goose livers. How people get those livers that way is not only a sad side of humanity; it's just mean and gross. I haven't heard of any local duck wranglers in SD making fois gras and it's not something I would search out anyway!

Your Carbon Footprint

2008-07-22T19:55:00.001-06:00

Treating the earth kindly is important for a Black Hills Locavore. There is much talk today about our 'carbon footprint'.

A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide". It is meant to be useful for individuals, nations and organizations to conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact in contributing to global warming. A conceptual tool in response to carbon footprints are carbon offsets, or the mitigation of carbon emissions through the development of alternative projects such as solar or wind energy or reforestation. The carbon footprint is a subset of the ecological footprint, which includes all human demands on the biosphere.

This is an interesting site that will help you calculate your own carbon footprint. Be prepared to have what you pay for utilities handy.

While I didn't go through the whole process (but I will), there were some questions that relate to eating locally that can reduce each of our carbon footprints including:

Being a vegetarian (difficult in South Dakota with our fantastic beef/bison and lamb!)
Buy organic food (more and more options all the time; even better -- grow your own)
Buy food that is in season (since our growing season is short -- maybe freezing and canning summer produce are options?)
Buy only second hand clothes (Being second hand is second nature to me! Sweet Repeat in Spearfish and yard sales are okay by me most of the time.)
Buy things with very little or no packaging (Depends on what we buy but something to think about. Bringing a cloth bag when buying groceries could be one example.)
Buy second hand furniture and appliances (Not sure about this one. Second hand furniture -- maybe; appliances -- not sure)
Recycle or compost everything (We are exploring recycling options in Spearfish that cost $14 per month. I could compost but need to set that up.)
Focus on recreation that is zero carbon like cycling and walking (This probably means I should pull my clubs instead of taking a cart!)
Do not own a car (Some could do this -- driving to Rapid City which is 50 miles each way would be tough but we could still think about our shopping 'trips and errands' and be smarter about that. Mike could ride his bike to work in the fall!)

These are great ways to reduce our carbon footprint. If we all made little changes, the net result could be a big impact.

Locavore Eating -- Eat what you have!

2008-07-20T12:49:00.002-06:00

One of the purposes of this experiment is to remind people to THINK about what they are eating and making smarter choices. Again, I am reminded of the vast quantities of food I have socked away in our house.

This weekend, I scrounged through my freezer and found BBQ pheasant, roasted red peppers I had made last summer, duck stock ice cubes and chopped peppers. I went to the pantry and found green lentils, white rice and wild rice. And I have a slew of spices -- some that I tossed this weekend because they were older than 'several' years. Really we should all toss much of our spices!

Now it's true, I have probably been a locavore even before I heard the word by personal choice. I love gardening, I love to buy food from gardeners and ranchers and local food just tastes better. Cooking is a favorite pasttime and I love to 'make my own' when I can. With this experiment, it's got me thinking about the great benefits of eating local as well as shopping in your own cupboard BEFORE going to the store. This has been an added benefit.

So over the weekend, I made a recipe called Kitcheri which is an Indian lentil / rice / spices dish. This is so delicious and easy to make. I added the pheasant and had a complete meal. Again, shopping AT HOME is a smart move.

Over the weekend, I went back to the Farmer's Market in Spearfish and bought eggs from Sturgis, zucchini and peas from Spearfish (I think), tomatoes from Newell and these pickled jalapenos from ND. Close to local and really hot and fantastic. I also got another loaf of that oatmeal bread. From Runnings we were lucky to get two pints of fresh raspberries -- $12 is a high price to pay but they will only be here for a short period. And they are grown a few blocks away. Now that defines a Black Hills Locavore!

Gardening in the Black Hills

2008-07-18T06:30:00.001-06:00

Having a garden is an important part of being a Black Hills Locavore. It's true that our growing season in Western South Dakota is short so you really have to work to take full advantage of it.

Here's my garden today. Most of the bounty now is herbs which I love to cook and season with. That's mint to the left and some volunteer huge sunflowers. I do plan to try roasting sunflower seeds this year.

We continue to 'find' things at home going along with my rules. I've learned that the Farmer's Market in Spearfish sells local eggs for $3 a dozen from Sturgis. Still no luck on the local dairy products so we bought organic half and half (Safeway brand -- $3.59 quart) this morning. The important part is that because we are focused on local foods or organic we find we are not spending as much with every trip. This is good and helps our carbon footprint all the more.

This weekend is Festival in the Park in the City Park in Spearfish. We are volunteering and look forward to seeing the art and hopefully finding some new local goodies.

Y2K Food

2008-07-14T21:48:00.002-06:00

This seems to be taking a different spin than being 'just' a Black Hills Locavore. So much of this first week has been focusing on eating things that we already have. I don't know about you and your family but we have a TON of food socked away in our pantry, freezer, cupboards and in our basement. We even have Y2K food when we thought the world would end when the ball dropped on 2000. Crazy, yes. But we have quite a bit of freeze dried food that I really have not looked at, well, since nothing happened with 2000! It does however, have an expiration date of 2010 but fits in nicely with my rules.

My garden is looking great with quite a few herbs really going to town. In fact, I brought some mint and tarragon to Roma's in case Leigh wanted to try something new. It's fun to share!

I also visited Staple and Spice in Rapid City and picked up some quinoa flour which is an ingredient in a gfcf pizza crust recipe. On Sunday, I made Jack some muffins with a new recipe and they were fantastic! Often with wheat free, dairy free, soy free, artificial free baking, there is this weird aftertaste. But not these muffins! Of course, Jack already ate them all so I will be making them again. I'll share the recipe later.

We did run out of milk and have yet to find a local dairy so we purchased some organic non-fat milk at Safeway (the O brand) -- $5.79 on sale. That's more than the regular milk but I figured if we only buy local or organic or just eat stuff at home, there will be some savings. Or maybe not. I felt good about it anyway.

Local Farmer's Markets

2008-07-12T15:34:00.001-06:00

Saturday found us exploring some local markets and veggie stands in the Spearfish area. I know, it is a bit early but it was the first time I had an opportunity to get out there.

We first went to the Good Earth health food store on Main Street. This is a beautiful store with high ceiling and hard wood floors. Being that our son is on a special diet, we are very familiar with the store but this was the first time we looked at products from a local angle. They do not have a website (yet).

I found strawberries grown locally by Moonrise Mountain Enterprises in Spearfish www.localharvest.org/farms/M1609! This was a good find especially since there was only one pint container. I snapped it up. What made me laugh was that these are tiny berries -- most maybe an inch long. Compared to the gi-normous strawberries from Watsonville, CA, these looked liked mouse sized. But don't let their size fool you -- they were sweet and delicious. $3.75 for a pint. I have some of these berries in my garden too but only got about 10. There were a few other items in the produce section that had local growers names on them. This is cool and a good option but I prefer to buy as 'direct' as possible.

Then we headed down to the Farmers Market which shares property with one of the finest microbreweries, Crow Peak Brewery www.crowpeakbrewery.com. I have so much to say about Jeff's fantastic beers (and I am sure you will be hearing about them this summer) but our focus on this visit was to check out the the produce. I was really delighted to find lettuce, tomatoes, Kohlrabi and homemade bread. The lettuce is grown right in town on Ray Runnings (on Evans Lane) land and I saw it being picked this morning. Not sure where the tom's and kohlrabi came from. I'll asked next time. The honey whole wheat bread comes from Wild Goose Bakery http://www.wildgoosebakery.com/ which is the same bakery I got my bread from last week at the Rapid City Farmers Market. I've read on their site that you can order a certain type of bread and pick it up on Market Days. Nice.

Rapid City Farmers Market

2008-07-10T16:07:00.003-06:00

These are volunteer sunflowers in my garden. I am going to try and roast later this summer.

Today, my work lunch meeting was canceled so I was in search of a 'local' lunch. At Family Thrift (that used to be Albertson's), I asked if they carried any local produce. The gal just gave me a blank stare and said that 'there's a farmers market somewhere in town". Then I rephrased it asking if THEY (Family Thrift) carried anything grown local and she got it and said, "Oh no, we don't do that". Here's the deal. We need to keep asking that question of all food markets, big and small.

The Rapid City Farmers Market is on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday off of Omaha where the fish sculpture and sand volley ball courts are.

I was really excited to go to check out more local items. Well, it's a little early in the season but I was glad I stopped by because I bought some of the more delicious homemade bread. It was oatmeal bread. I got over there around 12:30pm and there were four stands. I saw the chalkboard listing different types of breads but the table was empty and the couple and their cute new baby were packing things up. I asked what he had left and when he said, "one loaf of oatmeal bread", I said, "I'll take it!". It was $4.00 and was a regular size loaf-pan loaf and really heavy. I couldn't wait to have it for lunch! The market opens at 9:00am and I am guessing they sell out quick. The next table had a great assortment of jams, spreads and jellies. I loved the jalapeno and jalapeno with habanera and would have bought some but they had food coloring in each. Next time I see the jam girl, I will ask her to consider making either without food coloring and I will buy it. It was hot and fantastic. She also had several live herb plants for sale and I bought a lime basil for $1.75 which really smells like lime. All of her basil looked very healthy so I may buy a few more plants. Mine are not looking too good in the garden.

The third table had more jams, some sewn potholders and the fourth offered meats with no hormones or drugs. Cool but I did not have a cooler and I have a freezer full of beef from the quarter we purchased a couple of months ago. Which BTW is from a local SD cow. Anyway, she also had pickled eggs which, well, I thought were a bit weird but when I got back in my car, I wished I had one to go with my bread. Oh, about the bread. It was not sliced so I just tore off a hunk of it and enjoyed it that way. It was heavy, flavorful and a little sweet. Fantastic!

This weekend we are going to head off to some of the local veggie stands and see what's happening there. I've seen signs for tomatoes and I think they are from the green house in Newell that does them hydroponically. Bring them on!

Do you realize how much food you already have in your house?

2008-07-09T18:55:00.007-06:00

You may open your refrigerator, look in the cupboards, peek in the pantry and exclaim: There is nothing to eat!

When in reality, there is a ton to eat but it's just not what you might want at that moment. We all know this but it really hit me tonight as I was making dinner for myself.

I opened everything and then whined (to myself because no one was around) that there was nothing to eat. Then I remembered that I am a Black Hills Locavore and what I have in my house is like a gold mine, a treasure chest and something I shouldn't take for granted because when it's gone, it's gone.

So I made myself a big bowl of nonfat yogurt with a sliced mango, some Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal and a handful of sunflower seeds. There is one more mango left and mangoes do not grow in South Dakota. Cinnamon Toast Crunch will not be on the 'list either. BUT did you know that South Dakota is also sometimes referred to as the Sunflower state? I am in luck there. Now I just have to wait until later this summer. And seriously need to start looking for a local dairy!

Next time instead of seeing 'nothing to eat' -- look at it as a gold mine. When our cupboards are full, we are so blessed.

The last lemon

2008-07-08T23:15:00.006-06:00

July 8, 2008

Here's my garden as of June 3. That's mint on the left -- peppermint, spearmint and chocolate mint. I thought mint wouldn't make it through a South Dakota winter. I was wrong.

The garden includes strawberries, various tomato and pepper plants, celery, lettuce, radishes and a lot of herbs which I love to cook with -- chives, mint, oregano, tarragon, thyme, chervil, cilantro, lemon balm and lemon verbena and lavender. Some are for eating -- others just for smelling! When I planted this in June, I did not consider how important it might become.

There are still nectarines in the refrigerator and for dinner, I made salmon which we already had as well. I did, however, add a local flavor of using tarragon, lettuce, chives and chervil for our salad. I put two huge sprigs of tarragon in with the salmon along with lemon then wrapped in foil and cooked for 15 minutes at 425. Really delicious. That was my last lemon! Not a lot of citrus in the Black Hills.

I also had some bulgar in the freezer with some roasted tomatoes from last years garden so we had those too. If I had not started this, I may not have even thought to look for the bulgar. So I think that's good.

First thing on the list is finding a local dairy. We are almost out of milk.

Starting Off -- What about coffee?

2008-07-07T22:57:00.003-06:00

Monday, July 7

It's funny that when you start something new, there is excitement about what lies ahead. That's how I feel right now as I officially start my experiment. I am not sure what the financial result will be -- will we save money, spend more money, keep things the same? That will bring about interesting thoughts and ideas, I am sure.

For day one, I see it's going to be easier as long as we have food in the house but I am now very thoughtful about the choices I make. I started a list of common breakfast foods that I need to source out locally. A creature of habit, my breakfast usually includes oatmeal, raisins or fruit, nuts, coffee, sugar and cream. So what about coffee? Very important for many, including yours truly. Okay, one of my rules is looking for organic, fair trade options but already that seems like a cop out.

Because I work in 50 miles away, I plan to stop by Sam's Club on the way home which would be a typical shopping trip. I ask Mike what else we need beside detergent and a few items for our son. Mike says, "Oh yeah, get a bag of the medium tail off shrimp". Just like that! I just stare. He then says, "I guess shrimp really isn't local food, is it?" His enthusiasm is already waining and it's just day one!

One thing about buying local is that you are not as tempted to put something else not on your list into your grocery cart. This worked at Sam's Club as there is not much local anything going on there that I could see. I did read that Walmart plans to start carrying local produce and am interested to see how that will work. I am not sure how I feel about that yet.

Coffee was on my list and I first sought out organic coffee at Sam's and remembered Dark Canyon Coffee on Deadwood Ave. which is right on my way home! Eureka! I stopped by right before they closed and bought a pound of Highlander Grogg for $12.50. Comparing this to the Sam's Member Mark coffee of 2.5 pounds for about the same price, I am thinking we could be spending more. BUT, the coffee shop smelled sooo good, they were very friendly and they put the coffee in a cute yellow bag. It was the experience that I enjoyed. Is that worth more than double the price? We will see.

Vive La Locavore in the Black Hills

2008-07-06T22:19:00.006-06:00

These are chives. I can eat these because they are in my garden and well, they are good. Even the purple flowers are edible which may come in handy as I learn what it's like to be a Black Hills Locavore.

What is a locavore you may ask?

The word locavore is something new and defines someone who eats LOCALLY. Locally can be defined in many ways. Some people say it's within a days drive or 100 miles or within their town. For me, I am using the 100 mile parameter to define my locavorism. With new words, you can make up words like that.

There are many reasons that someone chooses to eat locally. The price of gas to get places to buy food, the cost in both fuel and air pollution to get that tomato trucked from Mexico to South Dakota in winter, wanting to support local farmers and, frankly, food that is grown locally doesn't have far to go and usually tastes better. Sometimes it's more expensive though but when you think of the whole process it may be slightly more expensive in the short run but in the long run it's a better choice for the earth, the farmer and the consumer.

On Monday, July 7, 2008, I will embark on my Black Hills Locavore experiment and here are 'my rules':

1. Search out food and drink that is grown, raised or 'put together' within 100 miles from Spearfish. For example, Crow Peak Brewery makes their beer on site in Spearfish with products that are grown elsewhere. This works under my rules because, well, they are my rules.

2. I will try and incorporate the whole family in this but our son is on a restrictive diet and only is able to eat a few items already. We get most of his food from our local health food store and will continue to consider local options. Hubbie Mike says he'll try too.

3. If there are some items that are not grown, raised or made in our area, we will search out organic, fair trade products when possible.

4. Anything that is already in our house is fair game and available. No need to be wasteful and throw out my turmeric and that Napa Cabernet but when it's gone, it's gone!

Sometimes I wonder why I would willingly restrict food choices. It may seem silly but I hope to learn more about my local food options and share these with others interested in supporting our local growers, ranchers and community. I read somewhere that for every dollar that is spent locally, it circles around and results in three dollars of revenue for the town it's spent in. I am not sure I understand that but I am willing to be open to the possibilities this experiment will create.

I expect to explore local food sources and report on my experience. This will be fun!