the garden and other things

So the garden has grown like crazy due to the warm weather and responsible watering via the sprinkler. 

This is half of the basil we picked on Saturday morning. Dave and I made a basil//spinach pesto using this recipe. No photo as we were hungry and in a rush to make it to the Andrew Bird concert. I think Patrick Watson (opener) was actually better live. Fantastic music.

Another never-ending project...

I'm still on the search for the perfect granola bar, and it hasn't been that successful. These bars were really easy to make but held together best if eaten right out of the freezer. I think the ratio of wet:dry ingredients is something I need to work on a bit.

And continuing the minimal cooking around here: homemade whole wheat flatbreads + homemade hummus topped with spinach, lentil salad, and red onion. 

homemade hummus [adapted from this recipe]

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can garbanzo beans + 1/2 cup liquid
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Blitz everything in the food processor. You shouldn't need salt if you use the liquid from the beans (half).

whole wheat flatbread [here are the proper instructions; i take shortcuts]

1.25 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water

Mix wet and dry ingredients. Divide into 6 equal pieces (here you're supposed to let the dough rest, but I didn't really care, so I skipped this). Use a rolling pin (or bottom on a flat pan) to make the dough into a round shape (ha, or egg shaped). Grease a frying pan and heat to desired doneness.

I also made yogurt last week, and it was so easy! Post on that process to come. Get ready to make the best Greek yogurt ever.

emily

on holiday

***Blogger has had some major hiccups recently. You should now be able to comment on posts; sorry for any confusion.

I spent most of the holiday weekend outside, which made me incredibly happy. On Saturday, the farmers’ market was busier than I’ve ever seen it, which was weird because we don’t even have that much produce out yet. Mostly root veggies and plants. I bought basil plants and local eggs.

     

I left the basil for my mom to take care of…we all know that I’d probably kill it. I’m hoping it will grow a lot in the next couple of weeks, so I can make pesto when I visit again.

Visited Oddside Ales. a tiny brewery in Grand Haven, MI. Coffeehouse feel, good selection of craft beer (I sampled a raspberry wheat), and good company. I would definitely visit again.

Monday was pretty much the only nice day out of the holiday weekend, and at 82 (heat index of 90), this called for ice cream.

We also took a family outing to the driving range. Let it be known that I have no patience for golf. I can drive decently but not always straight, and my putting skills are more appropriate for miniature golf.

Also, it should be noted that I don’t even remember the last time I swung a golf club, and today my back and shoulders feel like an elephant crushed them. Yoga is probably in order.

So sad that the holiday weekend had to end…it’s back to the grind but thankfully only a 4 day week.

What did you do this weekend?

It’s 91 in Ann Arbor today…time to get out my best salad recipes.

a conglomeration of randomness

First of all, thanks for the bday wishes! I now have high expectations that 26 will be even more fantastic than 25…

At the farmers’ market this past weekend, there was definitely a musician with a parrot roost attached to his bicycle. And said parrot danced to the music.

 

There were so many plants and vegetables seeds that I got kind of sad because I really have no space to grow anything…and then I remembered that I kill plants anyway.

 

We ate black bean burgers and drank local beer at the Upland Brewing Company. I’ve had a lot of veggie burgers, but the best ever award goes to the Northstar Cafe in Columbus, OH.

 

It has rained pretty much everysingleday this month, which is awesome for white noise but not so awesome for being productive. It makes me want to drink coffee and sleep, which really don’t go together?

You might be curious about what a clinical dietitian does all day…we usually don’t set foot in a kitchen, which is a shocker to some.

A lot of my nutrition interventions involve nutrition support, which includes enteral (tube feedings into the stomach or small intestine) or parenteral nutrition (nutrition into the veins).

Examples of situations where enteral nutrition would be used include: a patient who can’t eat enough by mouth to meet his or her caloric needs (failure to thrive, prematurity, cardiopulmonary disorders, etc.), has problems digesting regular food, or has a neuromuscular disorder that prevents safe swallowing.

First, we calculate estimated calorie, protein, and fluid needs. We then choose a formula based on the patient’s age and medical condition.  Next, we determine if we will feed continuously or do several bolus feeds over the course of the day. We figure out the rate per hour for the tube feeding and feeding volume.

Once these things have been decided, we monitor our patients closely to ensure they tolerate the feeds. We start off at a slower rate and gradually increase to full feeds to avoid gastrointestinal upset. Things get trickier when we have to add electrolyte supplements (sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, etc) to the formula and adjust based on laboratory results. Being a dietitian actually involves a lot of math!

So that’s a little slice of my day…different than what you visualized a dietitian doing in the hospital setting? Are there things about your job that people find surprising?

health halos

My favorite thing about Saturday morning (besides sleeping in, duh) is visiting the farmers’ market. I used to go to Soulard in St. Louis every weekend, I love my hometown’s market, and I’m slowly getting to know Ann Arbor’s market, too.

I was joined by about 60 billion other hipsters this morning. You will seriously not find a bigger conglomeration of skinny jeans, crossbody bags, and Tom’s shoes in one location (unless you live in Portland).

I have my favorite vendors in my hometown, and I’m glad the vendors here also don’t mind when I ask them questions like, “how are your chickens raised?” or “do you use pesticides on your plants?”

And there is just something fantastic about interacting with the people who grow the food you buy. Grocery stores are so intangible, and sometimes I just really enjoy the relational aspect of letting farmers know I appreciate them by buying their produce.

I really wish that a) I was good at growing plants and b) I had somewhere to grow them. I’d love to at least get a herb garden going, so I can have fresh basil and cilantro whenever this summer.

Roos Roast Coffee is really good. I tried the Cowboy Blend last time and picked up Lobster Butter Love at this visit. Plus, I think their artsy bags are pretty awesome.

I read a pretty interesting press release from the American Society of Nutrition recently talking about health halos or labels/characteristics of certain foods that cause people to think they are more healthful. A graduate student from Cornell found that people were more likely to perceive foods with an organic label as significantly lower in calories, lower in fat, and higher in fiber. Organically-labeled chips and cookies were considered to be more nutritious than their “non-organic” counterparts.

vs.

This seems to suggest that people are interested in organic products or know there is some potential benefit to them but don’t fully understand the labeling term. And then you have the whole debate of organic vs. local. The other day, I noticed my organic cucumber was from Mexico; I wonder how many nutrients were left by the time it got to the US (and also about the carbon footprint…yikes). It seems to me that more education is needed.

And even if it has less preservatives or additives, an organic cookie is still a cookie…thoughts?

sustainability fused music

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that music has been a big part of my life. Last weekend I went home to see an orchestra concert centered around the theme of sustainability. Super nerdy, but I actually like going to concerts alone; I don’t enjoy them if I’m constantly worried that the people I’m with are bored or want to leave.

[I used to spend HOURS in a practice room…in college and grad school, I played at least 2-4 hrs/day!].

While there were some absolutely fantastic musical moments, the corresponding media presentation left a lot to be desired. But still, it was refreshing and exciting to see that my hometown is beginning to explore the concept of sustainability.

Speaking of green-friendly things, lately, I’ve been all about the smoothies. I especially crave them after running…

kale + banana + almond milk

kale + blueberries + banana + almond milk

Can you tell I’m kind of obsessed with kale right now?! And I’m excited for more produce to be in season. This summer, I’m pretty sure I’m going to pick a crazy amount of blueberries.

Also, CSN sent me this lovely set of knives to review [while I received them for free, the following review is my own opinion)].

After picking them up at a Fedex holding center (which very much resembled a maximum security prison), I tested them on some celery.

Their sharpness didn’t blow me away, but then again maybe that’s a good thing…I’d like all my fingers to remain intact, thank you very much. And let’s be honest, the last knife set I owned was a Target special, so these are a huge improvement.

favorite smoothie ingredient?! ready, go…

p.s. did anyone see the article in the NY Times about food dyes and behavioral problems?! pretty interesting stuff…but I still think companies should be required to disclose GMOs just as they’re required to alert us to artificial food dyes.

hometown farewell…for now.

This weekend is the move to Ann Arbor. It’s not a huge deal to me because it’s only 3 hrs away vs. my 8 hr commute last year. Moving back home was a hard transition, but I’ve learned a lot these past few months.

 

Even though my hometown is not very progressive and struggles with embracing sustainability, I have found that I love being part of that struggle. There are certainly more opportunities to talk with people about my passion for local food, and I’m constantly reminded why I do what I do because it’s not the norm here. And it’s been cool to see other people get excited about the same things…

I ate at the only local food restaurant in town today with my parents. So good. I will miss this little place and will definitely be back again. Their purple cabbage, fennel, and apple slaw is amazing. I also like their egg BLT (without the bacon, so I guess it’s an ELT?).

And…a couple of recipes for your weekend. Smitten Kitchen’s chocolate chip cookies (because it’ll be V-day pretty soon, which is just an excuse to eat more chocolate, in my opinion).

And homemade pita chips, which are great if you get tired of eating vegetables with hummus. I like splitting whole wheat pitas in half and brushing them with olive oil, garlic, and Italian spices. Bake at 400 until crispy (7-10 minutes).

     

Serve with hummus. I foresee a lot of hummus being made in the near future because I really like homemade pita chips…

As I was taking my “last run before I leave” this morning, I got sprayed by no less than 2 snowplows. Nothing like a good ole goodbye from West Michigan…

Happy Weekend! 

potato soup

Great discussion on the organic post! A little follow up:

   

• if industrial organic isn’t sustainable, what are my options? Industrial organic produce is still better than conventional produce because it doesn’t contain hormones and pesticides. Local food is also valuable because it is grown using the small farms model; you just have to ask about growing specifics.
• what do I eat in the winter? Many of us aren’t fortunate enough to live in an area with a winter CSA (community supported agriculture), making it very hard to eat locally and seasonally. I’d recommend buying organic versions of the dirty dozen (if you can) and choosing fresh and frozen vs. canned produce.
• how do I know if a farmer is telling the truth about his/her produce? There is an element of trust involved in the farmer-consumer relationship. However, you could play food detective and visit the farm to see firsthand how things are done. I’m actually really interested in doing this…

All that said…I don’t have all of the answers. I do know that the industrial factory farming system in place is definitely not sustainable, and there is a great need to find a better way to grow and distribute food. Simply being aware of where your food comes from and spreading the word about being a responsible consumer is important. The food industry will mold to meet the demands of the consumer, and if we demand fresh, local food, perhaps we can shake up the system.

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Last time I checked it was still winter; therefore, I’m still eating soup. I decided to attempt a version of potato soup today with a few more vegetables hidden inside.

 

[super easy] potato soup

 

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion or 1/2 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 pound red potatoes (~6-7 small ones), peeled and chopped

4 T butter

4 cups vegetable stock

Sauté the vegetables in butter until slightly browned (10-15 minutes). Add the stock and simmer until vegetables are soft (15 minutes). Blend soup in small batches via traditional or immersion blender.

Then make these 15 minute oatmeal scones, and you’ve got an easy (but delicious), homemade meal.

Sometimes I think eating healthfully is only complicated because we make it that way…simple food can be fantastic, but we have to make time to cook (and enjoy) it.