Blogs and Books

I am a tireless internet researcher. If I could get paid to sit at a computer for countless hours each day, following rabbit trail after rabbit trail as I gather massive quantities of mostly useless information, I think I could say that was my dream job. Well, that and trolling newspapers for typos. So it comes as no surprise that blogs have been a big help for me as I embark on the journey into traditional foods. My RSS feeds are starting to get a bit out of control. Some of my favorites are The Nourished Kitchen, GNOWFGLINS, and Kelly the Kitchen Kop, but there are a number of bloggers who share thoughts, articles and recipes (tons of recipes) from a traditional foods viewpoint.

I recently decided to add to my book library with some titles that I hoped would offer me encouragement and information as well. I borrowed Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma from the library, but with 2 small children needing my attention I soon realized it would have to wait. Reading 15 minutes here or there was not working for me with that one. I've watched Food, Inc., so I'm calling it good. I did purchase a couple used books on Amazon though so that I could read at my leisure and not worry about the overdue fees. One was Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. This is one that was highly recommended on mothering.com, but it looks a little too text book for me right now. So I'm setting that one aside in favor of Nina Planck's Real Food: What to Eat and Why. I'm only about a quarter of the way through it, but wow! Great information. After reading her chapter about raw milk I felt really fortunate that I could walk a few steps to the kitchen and pour myself a big glass. Mmm. Just a really interesting book and very easy to read. Even if I have to put it down for a few weeks I'll be able to come right back to it and jump in easily, I think.

As for me, well, baby #2 has lost his laidbackness. Not a word, but hey. He really keeps me on my toes. Blogging? Something that requires time and two hands?? Ha! But I have had a few more kitchen adventures recently. I don't remember if I'd made yogurt yet with my last post. Well, I've now made it several times. In my crockpot. And it's awesome. Joel and I pour it over our breakfast muesli every morning. I usually add just a touch of maple syrup because I'm pretty much a sugar addict since having children. But it's great. I make a half gallon every week and we go through the whole thing. Our 2 gallons of raw milk per week have so far worked well. We no longer eat cereal for breakfast (well, Micah sometimes does. He is not so into my homemade breakfast foods), so the milk goes much further.

Another thing a-brewing away in my kitchen (actually my pantry now- we added a shelving unit to the laundry room- yay for newfound counter space!) is water kefir. Kefir is a fermented probiotic drink. Usually made with milk (something I plan to try eventually), but can also be made with water kefir grains. It's very interesting and the darn things have grown like CRAZY! I'm a little freaked out by my water kefir grains. I mean, they're alive and they grow, which means that I could kill them. And then I would feel bad. Which is why I've never had the guts to try sourdough. But soon. Anyway, I started with about a half of a cup of water kefir grains and now on my 4th batch I have over a quart of the little buggers. If anyone reads this and wants some I have some to spare. So right now I have some grape juice kefir about ready for the fridge, and 4 more half gallon jars that will be ready for the second ferment in a couple days. I love my half gallon mason jars. I've been to every store in the nearby vicinity and the only place I can find half gallon mason jars is Ace. So far i've purchased 3 6-packs. But 4 of them at a time are at the farm waiting for my next batch of milk, so it's not like I have 12 jars sitting around all the time. Although if I did I bet I'd find uses for them. Due to the insane growth of my kefir I think I'm going to grab another pack this week.

I'm also trying kombucha, but my first batch was a failure because my new scoby developed mold. Yuck. I think I'll start another round of kombucha tomorrow. It's another probiotic drink, but this time it is brewed in tea. The storebought kombucha I've tried has had a very vinegary essence thus far, so I'm hoping my home brew will be better. Otherwise I'll stick to my kefir which, when mixed with grape juice during the fermentation, pretty much tastes like fizzy grape juice. Which is a good thing in my opinion. Joel is looking forward to trying some root beer kefir soon.

Tomorrow I should get the paperwork in the mail to sign up for a CSA out of Franklin Grove. I've never done a CSA before, but our yard is not going to be available for a garden this year thanks to the garage project, so we're giving it a try. I'm hoping to try my hand at some lacto-fermented veggies from some of the (hopeful) bounty. Homemade sauerkraut, here I come!

That's about all that's going on here. It seems like a lot some days. I have a small child who loves it when mama plays with him, a not-so-small baby in the throes of separation anxiety who crawls after me wailing when I try to do things in the kitchen, a husband with a to-do list a mile long...sometimes things get put on the back burner and we drive through Culver's. And sometimes I get some kitchen stuff done and the laundry pile grows to epic proportions. And sometimes the laundry gets done and the piles of clean, folded clothes sitting on the floor (couch, coffee table) grow to epic proportions (putting it away means dealing with screaming baby standing at the gate, not to mention that going up and down the stairs 50 times doesn't hold much appeal most days). And sometimes nothing gets done and I can't do much because seemingly every last dish, pot, pan I own is sitting on the counter, dirty. Thankfully, my husband is very understanding. And very helpful. And very, very complimentary of everything I make and of my desire to feed my family healthy, living food.

I'm blessed.