Health Dept. Raids Farm, Destroys Harvest

Here’s the scene: You’re invited to a “Farm to Fork” picnic at a sustainable, organic community supported agriculture (CSA) farm, where you can tour the grounds and talk to the farmers who have grown and raised the fresh food you’re about to eat.
Sounds lovely, right? It probably was — until the heavy-handed health department crashed the party and destroyed the harvest.
Two days before this “Farm to Fork” dinner was planned for October 21 at Quail Hollow Farm in southern Nevada, the Southern Nevada Health District caught wind of it and did what the government does best: intervened without reason. Officials told Laura and Monte Bledsoe that, because the picnic was a “public” event, the farm owners needed to obtain a “special use permit” or face a hefty fine. For the sake of the party, the couple agreed to jump through the legal red tape.
But it didn’t end there.
SNHD inspector Mary Oaks showed up during the picnic for the inspection that the permit required. She deemed all of the food unfit for consumption because:
·      Not all of the food packages were labeled (which is not necessary if food is consumed within 72 hours)
·      Some of the meat was not USDA certified (Meaning it didn’t have all the required GMOs and chemically processed preservatives?)
·      The vegetables were cut and therefore considered a bio-hazard
·      The owners could not produce receipts for the food…that was raised on their own farm.
Oaks demanded the food destroyed and soaked in bleach, refusing to let the family keep it for private use or even feed it to their animals.
After destroying the entire meal, the Bledsoes remembered the emergency phone number for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund posted on their fridge. When the general counsel reminded them of their constitutional rights against unlawful search and seizure, they asked Oaks for a search or arrest warrant. Unable to produce either, she vacated the property, calling the cops on her way out.
The local police arrived, baffled at the cause for the call. Oaks could not present a reasonable reason for citation, so the police apologized and left.
So the USDA allows unapproved synthetic nutrient additives in organic foods while the SNHD destroys perfectly organic farm-raised harvests? If this doesn’t infuriate you, you’re not paying attention. The government wants to keep us under its thumb by controlling our food sources and pumping us full of chemically processed garbage, rather than risk us discovering sustainability and taking care of ourselves with food fresh from the garden.
I, for one, echo Laura Bledsoe’s call:
I KNOW that it is imperative that we stand up for our food choices.
I KNOW that local, organic, sustainable food produced by ourselves or by small, family-owned local farms is indispensable to the health and well-being of our families and our communities, now and in the future!
If this work were not so vitally important, the “evil forces” would not be working so hard to pull it down. We will be victorious —  we must be; our grandchildren’s futures are at stake!
Raised on a farm myself, I don’t eat beef or eggs unless I know the farmer who raised them. The government is NOT going to tell me what’s safe and unsafe to eat — just look at the poisons the USDA allows, even in organic food. If you really knew the ingredients in every item you buy off the shelf, you’d turn bulimic quick.
Wake up, America, and take a closer look at what you’re putting into your bodies. Are you going to bow down to the USDA and ignore unfounded tyrannical raids like this? Or are you going to learn how to live sustainably so you can provide for yourself when SHTF?
If you really want to take action, start here.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

The BLT Gains a Few Letters

I could have caved for lunch today and gone with the gang to A&J’s Diner for a burger. Instead, I headed home to my own kitchen and concocted something with a few more colors and few less calories. Behold, the BLT’s dressed-up cousin, the BACTCPM:

That’s bacon, avocado, cheese, tomato, cilantro, parsley and mayo on wheat toast. And it was delicious — which just goes to show that recipes are to cooking as road signs are to driving. They’re just suggestions.

BLT — says who? First of all, you need a vowel in there for it to make any sense. That bare-boned, three-ingredient acronym is just begging for some Avocado. I kicked the L out entirely because I didn’t have any. No lettuce? No worries; find something else green and throw it on. Enter cilantro and parsley, which I keep fresh on hand to satisfy my boyfriend’s every tea-brewing need.

The next time we made these sandwiches, we swapped out the M for an H, spreading on a healthier alternative of hummus in place of mayo. That makes this sandwich a vegetarian’s dream — because, let’s face it, I know you’re not salivating over fruit; you’re dreaming about the temptations of bacon on top of your daily greens.

Molasses Crinkles

For nine weeks of nothing but book writing, I had to ignore the urge to bake. People at work started to ask when the cookies were coming back. I finally had a free night, with Halloween just around the corner, and pumpkin cookies would be perfect.

Unfortunately, it’s one of those weeks where I’ve already been to the grocery store twice for necessities, and pumpkin must have slipped the mind. My favorite seasonal baking ingredient must wait. What’s just as autumnal for the mouth? Cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Therefore: Molasses Crinkles.

My recipe is the same as this one on AllRecipes.com:

Molasses Crinkles Cookie Recipe - Allrecipes_com

Into the pan goes 3/4 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup molasses. And then the flour…where’s the flour? There’s always extra in the fridge…there’s none in the fridge. How in the world did I, the baker, run out of flour without realizing it? Probably because I haven’t been able to bake for months.

So, a trip to the grocery story the next day after work. Flour and pumpkin both, and more brown sugar.

Back to the kitchen. Now, the 2 1/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ginger.

These are the kind of cookies you roll into a ball and dip in sugar before baking (for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.) So you know they’re going to turn out nice and thick — hearty cookies you can sink your sweet tooth into.

And, with the spicy flavor, these were the perfect snack during the decoration of the Haunted Hall. Every year, several of us at the office help the nonprofit organization down the street put together its annual Halloween party for the disabled children it provides services for. The cookies were gone long before any of the kids arrived.

Margherita Pizza

Looks yummy, doesn’t it? Well, it was – and even more so because I had no part in the making of this pizza, other than grilling the chicken and being at the grocery store while the other ingredients were purchased. Sure, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from making your own meals; but the only thing better is when someone makes it for you.
Believe me, the hype around this dish had been building up for months as my boyfriend kept telling me about his specialty margherita pizza. Finally, last Sunday – appropriately, after we saw “30 Minutes Less” about a pizza delivery guy who gets kidnapped, strapped to a bomb and forced to rob a bank (true story, although the real thing wasn’t as funny as Danny McBride and Nick Swardson in monkey suits) – we decided to make our own. Pizza, that is, not a plot to rob a bank.
I was feeling guilty for being away from my book writing for the duration of the movie, so he took over in the kitchen while I got back to work on the laptop. He even stirred up the cupcakes I ambitiously agreed to bring into work for birthdays the next day – but he told me not to tell anyone that because he wants to maintain his reputation as a cook, not a baker.
As long as he keeps making me pizzas, he can call himself whatever he wants.

Flower Garden

 No words to blog today, just pictures of vividly bright flowers from my garden that say it better in color than I can in sentences:

Million Bells
Wave Petunias
Phlox, I think?
Iris
Mouse Ear Coreopsis
Columbine

3 Flowerbeds + 10 Dirty Fingernails Later…

Today launched our post-Memorial summer hours at work, when we’re released at 3:30. And I made the most of my extra hours. First, at a Rocky River garage sale, I found an armload of name-brand clothes for a dollar each and then something I haven’t purchased for at least 15 years: A family of Breyer model horses like the ones I used to collect when I still thought I’d grow up to be a cowgirl. I bought them, ostensibly, because I know old Breyer horses are valuable (these turned out to be almost as old as me, created in 1986) – but if there wasn’t nostalgia behind these plastic figures that consumed my childhood imagination, I wouldn’t have made the special trip to the ATM.

Then, back home with the new clothes in the laundry, I headed back out to the still-70-degree sunshine to get the rest of the flowers I ordered in the ground before they fried. A few flowerbeds and 10 dirty fingernails later, the remainder of my impatiens, dusty millers and salvia are safely in the ground, ready to be watered with tomorrow’s storm.

petunias pink flower garden fresh domestic

Aside from the squash, zucchini and pumpkins – who already have their homes by the patio – I still have to plant what I started from seed, as well as the vegetables and herbs I hope to get from Emerson Farm in Goshen, Ind. But my plans for these seedlings are quickly fading because when I mailed my rent this week, I included a note telling my landlord I’ll be out when my lease is up later this summer. I won’t be around to reap what I’ve sowed (this said to clear my name of blame when vegetables show up missing later, ahem.) I won’t be around next summer to see how much more space the pesky lemon balm commandeers, or how much fuller the chamomile flowers come back. This saddens me briefly, but such is the transient life of a renter.

Now, it’s time to watch my man Daymond on Shark Tank. The highly-polished fashion mogul told me himself that dirty fingernails reveal something about your personal brand. I guess I’ve branded myself a gardener.

Plant Progress: Day 5

The company flowers and African Daisies keep coming up. Joining the green ranks today: Some Simpson’s Curled Lettuce. They don’t look anything like lettuces. I guess it’s logical that it would look like any other sprout – the same thin stalk with a few leaves as a hat – but it just seems like mini heads of lettuce should pop out of the ground.
In other news, on this Friday the 13th, I managed to lock my keys inside my car and receive a parking ticket. Then, for good measure, ended the night with a migraine headache. TGIF, indeed…but I really can’t wait for Saturday the 14th.

Plant Progress: Day 4

Science tells me there’s been a lot going on underground for the past few days, but today, Day Four, was the first unveiling to the naked eye. The first seed to rise to the challenge: the assorted flowers from my company and an African daisy or two. They’ve sprung little bright green leaves above the ground.
seedling plant garden
Meanwhile, most of the outside is a similar neon shade. The Cleveland trees are finally more leafed than not, and a month of solid rain has cast everything in a clean hue.
Trying to recall Science Fair projects about plants. I did one where I watered plants with different beverages. I can never remember which liquid, between Coke and coffee, killed the plant and which fertilized it as well as Miracle-Gro. Another common one was playing music for plants. I wonder how that turned out.
“Spring has sprung
The grass has ris’
I wonder where the flowers is?”

Blogs from Battle Zone & Homefront

If my sister, who’s caring for three young girls and teaching while her husband is deployed to Afghanistan, can blog every day, and he can blog every few, then dammit, so can I. This is my motivation.
And they are actually what I wanted to blog about, because I think it’s really cool what they’re doing.
They’re keeping coinciding blogs (Aaron’s and Heidi’s) to document the experience of separation by war from both sides — a loyal husband/father staying connected with his loved ones from the war zone while his busy counterpart plays Wonder Woman on the homefront.
Even if you’re not related to them and reading the blogs for the obvious family update aspect, there’s value in this project, I reckon. What a rare, raw glimpse into the emotions and daily lives — not to mention cute kid quotes — of a family separated by sacrifice. To boot, my sister is an English teacher and published poet, so her writing is sometimes even better than mine, which is saying quite a lot. And her hubby, who beats us at Trivial Pursuit every single time, is pretty bright himself, and his writing is just as wonderful.
It’s a personal journey for both of them, but I think the lessons are broader. The courage of every member of their family is admirable. It really makes you appreciate what people do so you can run around drunk on St. Patty’s Day, even if you’re not Irish at all, or sit there and read a blog on your laptop. Thank you, Congers.

Ginger-Sherry Pork Chops & Cheddar Rhubarb Biscuits

Last night on the phone with my mom, I had to explain why I own a cookbook called “The One-Armed Cook.” It’s designed as a cookbooks for new mothers — hence, baby in one arm and one left for cooking — or mothers in general, with quick recipes they can easily prepare and spend more time with the fam. Now, I’m not a mother, and I don’t have anyone gathered around my dinner table. But quick? easy? I’m all about it. And it was $1 at Half Price Books. And it’s spiral bound, which is a must for cookbooks and anyone who’s ever released an otherwise bound book is inefficient.

The first recipe I tried was for Ginger-Sherry Lamb Chops. OK, so “cheap” obviously wasn’t included in the “quick and easy” tagline, because the only lamb I’ve ever purchased are the lamb burgers at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair. I can afford pork loins though, so I adapted it and soaked them in this marinade overnight: (their measurements are for 4 lamb chops. As usual, I eye-balled it)

pork chop pork recipe fresh domestic  ginger recipes fresh domestic

Ginger-Sherry Pork Chops
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp chopped garlic (I used Pampered Chef’s Garlic Garlic)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground ginger (I used a few shakes of ground ginger and then chopped up these strange crystalized ginger slices my sister bought at an Amish grocery story in Shipshewana, Ind. Remember those gummi orange and lime slices we used to eat when we were little? They remind me of that, because they’re coated in sugar. We decided that they’re kind of horrible to eat plain because the ginger flavor is so strong, but they’re excellent prepared in a dish.)

So it sat in my fridge all night while I laid awake in bed until 2 a.m. watching my newest obsession, “Pawn Stars,” and the little crystalized gingers soaked up sherry – mmm. When I got home from work, I threw the pork on the Foreman and cooked the marinade (the one-armed ladies suggest bringing it to a boil over medium-high heat then simmering on low for 5 minutes. Yeah, something like that.)

Now, I’m not a huge pork fan. It’s only in my freezer now because Giant Eagle had a mix-n-match BOGOF with meat, so I stocked up on every animal I could find. But wow. These were delicious. It’s a very fancy but simple marinade/sauce. Especially with the chunks of ginger on top (and I served it all over leftover rice), it was a fancy little dish.

But even better, I had half a roll of Pillsbury seamless dough (like crescent rolls without the crescents) I needed to use up, so I greased a couple muffin tins and layered a circle of dough, a slice of cheddar, and another slice of dough and baked it at 350 until brown. They were like little cheese-filled biscuits. Pretty good, I thought, but could be better. Yesterday, a coworker brought in several jars of rhubarb jam her mother-in-law made, so I slathered some on top of a roll. I don’t know if cheddar and rhubarb go together. Maybe you’re gagging at the thought, and would do more than gag at the taste. I don’t know. But I thought it was freakin’ delicious. And really, how fancy does “cheddar rhubarb biscuit” sound?

Now time for the All-Star game. So I guess hotdogs and peanuts would have been more appropriate.