Community Garden

Tomatoes!

   
     This community garden is really great because it uses land along a fence that would otherwise not be used to grows fresh, healthy food for lots of people to enjoy! If you are interested in a community garden for next summer check on bulletin boards at your local town hall, in your local newspaper or on your city's website for information! It is a great way to improve the quality of your diet, get some exercise and meet your neighbors!

Cheers,
Brittney

Fresh Produce!

My fresh produce for the week is all washed up and ready to use!

Cheers,
Brittney

My Weekend Spent Preserving!

     One great way to make sure the food you are eating is fresh and free of artificial additives is by doing your own preserving! This weekend I made strawberry freezer jam and learned to make pickles and sauerkraut!

     I recently got a bread maker and have been making my own bread which I eat as a part of my breakfast. I wanted to have some homemade jam to put on my whole wheat bread. I made freezer jam, which doesn't involve using a water bath. It is really easy to do! The process of making the jam takes about an hour and then it sits for 24 hours.

     I started with fresh, organic strawberries, sugar, water, and Sure-Jell pectin. Unfortunately the season for the U-Pick farms in my area was in June, so I missed it. I bought my strawberries from the grocery store. I used the low-sugar version of the Sure-Jell, it has less sugar but still tastes just as good! Make sure you follow the recipe exactly when preserving!

The Ingredients!

     I washed up the strawberries and cut the stems off. Then I mashed them in a bowl with a potato masher, until I got 4 cups of mashed berries. Once those were all ready I set them aside. I mixed 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, and the packet of Sure-Jell in a kettle. I brought it to a boil, stirring constantly, held it a boil for 1 minute then took it off the heat. I stirred for 1 more minute, then added the mashed strawberries and mixed thoroughly. Then I poured the mixture into 8oz jars, I ended up needing 12 jars. You can use whatever size you want! Last, I put the lids on the jars and let them sit for 24 hours! That's it; super easy!

Finished Product!

     I put one jar in the fridge so I can start using it right away and the rest in the freezer to use when needed, and to share with friends! This is going to go great on my home made bread tomorrow morning! Keep in mind that with freezer jam you don't need to use the water bath and seal the jars. You can even use plastic containers if you want to! I like the glass jars because they look so cute! This is the exact recipe my grandma always used!

Yum!

     In addition to making jam, I also attended a class on pickling through my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA - http://nutritionall-rd.blogspot.com/2011/08/community-supported-agriculture-csa.html) farmer! We made refrigerator pickles and sauerkraut, which were both just as easy as making the jam! Here's a pic of my pickles. They will be ready to go in 4 weeks!

Pickles!

     Overall, doing your own preserving is a really great way to make sure you and your family are eating pure and natural foods without added preservatives, flavorings, oils, coloring, sugar, and other additives. It also helps you and your kids learn about how food is made and the history of making food!

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Dietitian Approved: More Fresh Veggies!

     Participating in a CSA is one of the best things you can do to support your health and you local economy. As the summer goes on the loot from my CSA keeps getting better and better! Check out this pic of some of the fresh veggies I got this week!

Dietitian Approved

     Keeping with the spirit of eating locally and healthfully, give these super easy recipes a try sometime! 

Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad:

I used arugula today since it was fresh picked from my local community!

Fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved

Homemade croutons (Mix any of the following: garlic powder, Ms. Dash, oregano, or pepper  with some olive oil and toss with cubed, stale bread. Bake in the oven at 300F for about 15 minutes or until crisp)

Red or white onion, chopped

Hard boiled egg, chopped

Caesar dressing

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad:

Fresh tomatoes from the garden, chopped

Fresh basil from the CSA, ripped in half

Fresh mozzarella from the grocery store, cut into bite sized pieces

Sprinkle with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar

If you like it spicy, sprinkle some red pepper flakes!

      It is recommended that adult women consume 2 to 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day. Men should consume 2 1/2 to 3 cups. For younger kids the number is 1 to 2 cups. Another way of looking at it is to make 1/2 your plate fruits and vegetables at each meal. Most of us are probably falling short on this goal. One way to increase your vegetable (and other healthy food) consumption is to turn the tables on the way you might usually approach making healthy changes. Instead of thinking "Man, I really have to cut out [insert your guilty pleasure food here]", think of it as ADDING servings of fruits and vegetables each day. If you try to meet your vegetable servings goal you will be filling yourself up on vegetables and have less room/time for those unhealthy foods. You can have just a bite or two to get the satisfaction, but you will be replacing the unhealthy foods for the healthy ones! Think of it as adding instead of taking away! 

    What exactly counts as a cup? Here are some examples so you can judge what you are eating without getting out the measuring cups every time. 

Examples of 1 cup:

• 2 medium carrots
• 1 large tomato
• 3 broccoli spears
• 1 large ear of corn
• 8 large strawberries
• 1 small apple
• 1 mango
• 32 seedless grapes
• 1 medium pear

Here's some examples of  1/2 cup:

• 10 string beans
• 1 medium orange
• 6 asparagus spears
• 8 baby carrots
• 6 canned peach slices

     Other ways to increase fruit and veggie intake: add a fruit to your breakfast, bring a fruit or vegetable to snack on during your evening commute, make sure you always have at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable at lunch, try fruit for dessert! Don't forget about dried fruit!

     So, try some of these suggestions in the upcoming days to increase your vegetable consumption and cut down on your intake of less healthy foods!

For more information for fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, check out: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

Cheers,

Brittney

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

This week's haul from my CSA!

   
     Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to increase your vegetable consumption and to learn about a variety of local produce in your area!

     How it works: In the spring you sign up with a local farmer that runs a CSA and pay an upfront fee. This fee helps the local farmer to buy supplies and get the farm planted for the season. Then, once the produce becomes available, you get your share each week throughout the harvest season. You pick up your share from a location designated by the farmer, usually the farm or a farmers market in the area. Many CSA farmers offer a full or a half share. I purchased a half share. A full share would be good for a family, but for just one or two people a half share works well. I wanted to make sure I didn't get more than I could eat so I wouldn't have to waste any of the great produce! Each week's share is different based on what is available at the time. This week I got a lot of stuff: bell peppers, hot peppers, carrots, beets, lettuce, wax beans, chard, basil, and cucumbers! Participating in a CSA really gets you thinking locally. You are getting exactly what is ready to be harvested at that exact time so the produce is a its peak freshness. Having the wide variety of produce available at home each day helps increase your vegetable consumption, and you get to try a lot of new foods that you otherwise would probably not!

    If you are interested in getting involved for next year check your local newspaper or public message boards in government buildings such as the library. Also visit Local Harvest's CSA webpage at: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.

Cheers,
Brittney

First Harvest from My Garden!

Tomatoes! 

Garden Fresh Veggies!

Almost time to pick the tomatoes!

My garden plot in a community garden!

     Garden fresh veggies make great snacks, and gardening can be a good workout. This is my first year gardening so I started small. I have two rows of lettuce, 4 bell pepper plants, and 4 tomato plants. Even if you don't have a yard where you live you can still have a garden, by renting a plot in a community garden! While its late in the season this year, you can keep it in mind for next spring. I found out about this community garden by reading my town's weekly newspaper. You can also search online or contact your city hall or chamber of commerce!