Getting Started in the Kitchen

For me, and the work of mothering Mother, it all starts in the kitchen. Well, maybe I should back up a little and say it starts when you are choosing the ingredients and prepared foods for the kitchen supplies. There is great joy in preparing food and sharing it with others, and I have experienced the joy of eating food prepared by friends and family.

Yesterday was a birthday for a mothering Mother associate. Baking a cake would be easy, except that Katie is gluten-free. Cake without gluten, well, what is holding it all up?! The texture and taste of non-gluten grains invite disappointment for those who are accustomed to gluten flours.

I had been working on a recipe for fruit crumble. After reading a bit about gluten-free online, and looking at other recipes, and checking in with Katie, I went ahead and made a small substitution for flour in the crumble topping, and it worked out beautifully! Even the adolescent teens were in for additional servings. And Katie could enjoy the "fruits of my labor" without any post digestive affects.

The autumn weather is around us. Warm up with some grounding grains and fruits!

Shanthi Shanthi

Katie's Crumble

Fruit
6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon sucanat*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Juice of 1/2 lemon


Topping
6 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup sucanat
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar** (or skip this and add more sucanat)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons rice flour (or soft whole wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats (large or small flakes)

Place the sliced apples into an 8"x11" pyrex dish (or something similar, but not metal). Pour over the lemon juice and then sprinkle the sucanat and cinnamon over the apples.

The topping can be made in a food processor, or by hand with a pastry cutter. In a bowl combine the butter, chopped into many pieces, the sucanat, flour of choice, cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into the flour until the butter is small crumbs. If using a food processor, turn the machine on and off frequently to create this consistency. Add the oats and combine process lightly so that the oats are mostly whole.

Cover the apples with the topping. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cover the crumble with a cookie sheet or something reusable, lower the heat to 325°F and bake a further 15 minutes. The apples are cooked when the apples in the center of the crumble are soft.

Remove from the oven. Let cool. Enjoy! The crumble does not require refrigeration, only covering. I often store it in the oven, eliminating the need for wasteful food wrap.

Alternative Fruit Filling
Earlier in the fall we enjoyed this crumble with a mixture of fruits that were here at home. I combined apples, pears and plums. The mixture of the flavors gave a mystery to each bite, and the red in the plum added wonderful color. This topping works with many fruits.

 (Click photo to enlarge)

*Sucanat is an unrefined sugar that is available at most health food stores. The name sucanat is a brand name for this whole cane sugar. It is dark in color and contains the natural molasses that is in the sugar cane
**Turbinado/Demerara Sugar is a partially refined refined brown sugar. It is found under these two common names.

Into the Wild: For a Summer, For a Lifetime

Joanna Falcone mothering Mother McGill University Student         As a student of the environment entering my final year at McGill University in Montreal, I was looking to have a little adventure this summer before I graduate and  enter the "real world". Desiring to avoid the typical summer jobs, I ventured outside the box to the US National Parks website. There, I discovered a section devoted to youth corps programs. These programs revolved around conservation projects and were located across the country. I applied to several, but decided on Rocky Mountain Youth Conservation Corps,  a non-profit organization partnered with AmeriCorps, and based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Basically, I was to be living in the woods for 3 months on a chainsaw crew with eight of my peers working outdoors and truly experiencing nature.  Not a bad place to work... When I first heard chainsaw, I thought "isn't this supposed to be about conservation? How will cutting DOWN trees help with that?" I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I packed up my life into a 45lb backpack and headed out to Colorado. The first week was a whirlwind. My crew was stationed at a desolate campground in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. Here, we built a fence and planted trees. My crew & I bonded immediately because we were with each other 24/7. As the weeks went on, we underwent intensive chainsaw training and found most of our projects to be about forest fire mitigation and forest health. A few years ago, there was an invasive pine beetle epidemic that left most of the Rocky Mountain pine trees for dead. To help remedy this problem, one of our projects was to go in and remove fallen trees, which could potentially fuel a forest fire. We put them into teepee-like piles to be burned in a controlled environment come winter. We also cut down these "beetle kill" trees, as they could fall and become hazards to hikers or campers. We then utilized this wood to construct a fence that was used to protect an endangered plant species.  The work was meaningful, but the best things about my experience were meeting amazing people, being isolated from society, and living completely in the now. Living in a tent and going to work everyday was my life. I didn't have to worry about paying bills or rent, or buying gas. It was so refreshing to have a single focus rather than constant sensory stimulation. Where I used to find myself bored without an iPod to listen to or a computer to surf the web, I experienced a new form of stimulation- nature and my own thoughts.  I have always had a love for the outdoors, but living in a city, I find it difficult to take time out and be strictly in the present. I found myself taking in more than the fresh mountain air. It was my own form of meditation that allowed me to reaffirm my values and reconnect with myself in a sense. On the weekends, we took recreational trips in the region, adding more and more locations to my adventures. The breathtaking scenery was perhaps more incentive to be completely aware of where I was. The smells, the sights, the sounds, the feelings- I took in every detail that was presented to me in these fascinating places.   I was not in complete isolation the entire summer, however. We would venture into nearby towns to restock our food supply and shower every weekend. I did notice I reacted differently to people upon these visits. Large crowds overwhelmed me and loud "city" noises made me anxious, neither of which had ever really been an issue before. It was culture shock almost. After 2 months back in civilization, I have adjusted to the city sensations. I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience, and can honestly say I've changed in a positive light. My passion for the environment and being in nature was most certainly confirmed, and, as I prepare to venture away from the academic world that I have known for so very long, I hope this passion will lead me to more amazing adventures.

Fruits of the Harvest

We have included 2 recipes in the newsletter this month! The first recipe came out of the late summer fresh ingredients. In this recipe quinoa is used as the grain to replace bulgur. In our wheat-based world (bulgur is a wheat grain) it is nice to eat a grain that is from a different grain family.  Experiment, try something new! Alternative Grain Tabouli ½ cup quinoa 1 cup water pinch of salt 1 tomato 1 cucumber large bunch of parsley Optional: several mint leaves, chopped finely Dressing Olive oil Juice of ½ lemon Salt, pepper Rinse the quinoa well under running water. Roast in a pan to dry the grains, then add the required amount of water and salt. Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat but leave the quinoa to sit in the pan for a further 5 minutes. Turn the cooked grains out into a non-metallic bowl. As the grains cool off chop the tomato, cucumber and parsley (and mint if using this). Combine the ingredients for the dressing. When the quinoa is at room temperature add all of the remaining ingredients, including the dressing.  Stir well to mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary. And that is it! Enjoy the simplicity of each taste! Makes 3-4 servings. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The second recipe centers around a paragraph in the "Eating Our Way Out" article. Since the cookie recipe is egg-free it is safe to nibble on the batter right out of the bowl, or use it for cookie dough ice cream. No concern for salmonella! Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup sucanat 2 T turbinado sugar Egg replacement - mashed banana or applesauce equivalent                                (¼ cup) ½ t vanilla 1/3 cup rolled oats ¼ cup shredded coconut ½ cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup white flour ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 scant cup chocolate chipits ½ t baking soda ¼ t salt Cream butter with the sugars until it is soft. Add the egg replacer and the vanilla. Cream together again. Add all remaining ingredients at one time. Mix on low only until the flour disappears. Drop by spoonful onto baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for a couple of moments before moving to wire racks. Cool completely before eating, if you can wait that long!   Makes 24 cookies

Eating Our Way Out (Part 7)

Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor I have recently been exploring different aspects of our food consuming habits. Sitting in a public place, and watching all of the activity going on, gives time to observe our habits. Specialization was created to raise us up from minimum survivors to group thrivings. Having persons specialize in different trades gave rise to increased production and less time spent on pure survival. As barter and trade advanced to money, the levels of exchange increased, as did the specialization. Although this is not meant as a mini history lesson, the question of what benefit has come to the world from this specializing, and how far can we take it until it is no longer beneficial, came to my mind. Has the pleasure of feeding your Self  become a task that is left to others? Time and effort is needed to properly nourish the body, mind and spirit. Eating food from your own home, from your own hands, with focus, attention and care, does create a different level of awareness of life. As one becomes attuned to the physical body, and the post digestive effects of foods, one begins to become more attuned to the physical world around. How attuned are we to the words that another is speaking? How far into conversation until the attention is averted elsewhere? A friend is "fasting" for an upcoming religious celebration. To prepare the body, mind and spirit for this event, all flesh foods including eggs are to be avoided. So when offered a cookie, she will ask if there are eggs in it. Her young son wanted a chicken dish for dinner. Despite his young demands he was told that they would not be eating that right now. The interesting observation is the subtle development of limitations and restrictions, and living consciously and happily with these restrictions in place. Most often we are fearful of what life will be like without our favorite food, or our favorite drink and this fear can paralyze us, and keep us stuck where we are, which may not be where we want to be.  The act of denying a food, or limiting a food, begins an inner discipline. We are able to develop this discipline with school and work, because we are accountable to others and scored for the effort and achievement. What about a personal health plan? A personal environmental commitment? Who is keeping score? And what is the purpose? Only you can answer this question, although I will give you some nudges on this journey!  There is the recognition with this fasting practice that what feeds the body feeds the mind and the spirit. The mind is a great tool that works best when it is sharpened regularly. What this means is that everyday the mind is bombarded with information that comes in through the senses, and this information is processed with a hue from past experiences. Who you are now is a culmination of your experiences and processing. The mind becomes cluttered with this information and as a result spends most of the time in reverse or fast forward as opposed to the present moment. Practicing daily times of intentional quietude and stillness begins the process of calming and clearing the mind.  The following is a quote from a talk given by Ravi Ravindra, a professor of physics, philosophy and comparative religions. His words below are in reference to the mind. "[Begin a practice of the] silencing of the mind, with the clear suggestion that the mind is not the real knower. It is an instrument of knowledge and that as long as it is noisy it is a bad instrument. But it can be quieted with practice and then it can be a good instrument... Then it can be like a clear diamond, wherever it is placed it just shows the color of that thing without introducing its own color." So now I have filled your mind with knowledge. Joanna has filled your heart with her personal discoveries in nature. Unclutter your mind of all our words. Let silence wash over you and sit in quietude. It is then that the real message will arise, and give you the strength and joy to act accordingly. May you shine for those around you. May others shine for you. Namaste, Sydney

Detergents & Washing

Similar to the kitchen soaps, commercial laundry detergent creates problems for marine ecology. The phosphates, chlorines, perfumes and anti-caking agents all play a role in disrupting the quality of marine water. Buying laundry detergent that is marked as environmentally sensitive is helpful. All detergents will bio-degrade; the larger question to be asked and answered is how long will it take to go back to nature, so choose carefully.

Here are some other ways to change our habits, and utlimately change the amount of resources we use for laundry:

• Set water level accurately to the amount of laundry in the machine
• Run only full loads of wash as much as possible
• If given the option, choose to buy a front loading machine
• Wash dark colors in cold water and white colors in warm - using cold water is less of a drain on the hot water tank and your clothing
• For stains, choose to pre-treat with soaking rather than using harsh chemicals
• Begin to reduce and possibly eliminate bleach and fabric softners
• Hot water, bleach and hot dryers will literally rob you of months and years of your clothing, and the dryer lint represents a loss from clothing

Creating a Health Foundation in the Kitchen

One of the first objections that arises when the discussion of eating healthy wholesome food comes up in conversation is "I don't have the time!" We all have the same 24 hours, it is how we use them. In creating new habits for eating, the decision to implement change is difficult to impossible to make when you are actually hungry. The food that you have on hand will begin to support this shift to a new way of eating in your life.

Homemade vegetable stock is a staple to have on hand to support this shift. Commercially prepared stock is often over seasoned, and involves wasteful packaging. Soups are a beautiful way to eat vegetables, to warm the body and the soul. It is also a wonderful way to begin the shift away from a meat centered diet, if that is part of your healthy eating plan. Vegetarian soups open the door to an entire world of creativity with so many grains, legumes and vegetables that abound in our world!

Using organic ingredients is ideal. The goodness of the vegetables is distilled in the creation of stock, and this is preferable to pesticide distillation. Having said that, making the stock with the food that you have on hand at least gets your foot in the door!

The following recipe comes from the "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" cookbook. We make a double batch in our home, and freeze the stock in glass jars. Use the careful techniques for freezing food in jars that is outlined in the "Dried Beans" section below.

Vegetable Stock

2 large potatoes, unpeeled, thickly sliced

2-3 medium onions, quartered

3-4 medium carrots, unpeeled, thickly sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 apple or pear, quartered, core in

1-2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

2 1/2 quarts water (10 cups)

Wash and prepare the vegetables. Put all ingredients in a stockpot. Cover, bring slowly to the boil, reduce to a simmer for 60-70 minutes. Let cool briefly, then strain through a colander, gently pressing the vegetables to remove as much liquid as possible. In the refrigerator stock will last 3-4 day, and almost forever in the freezer.

Stock up! Stay warm and healthy this winter!

Namaste,

Sydney

Gardening (Part 2)

Amanda Cooke  mothering Mother Student- Colorado College Gardening Inspiration  Growing your own food is a journey not many take in these times of abundant inexpensive and high calorie foods that fill the shelves of super markets just a short car drive away. To know and see with your own naked eye how a seed transforms into the plant that produces the next ingredient of your recipe is to know the secret of good eating itself. Nothing is more whole and local than fresh food you produce in your care on your very own land or inside your home. With your home garden you will avoid the carbon footprint of transportation and processing of both conventional and organic industrial agriculture. Even your soil is thriving with life! Producing your own food is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences, to connect with your food in a whole new way and to bring to life an entire meal with your bare hands!  You have the freedom to grow whatever vegetable you please. All it takes is a trowel, some seeds, and a good spirit to get started in one of the most ancient yet constantly evolving arts. Indoor Garden   If you don't have a backyard or would like to grow herbs and other indoor plants year round, growing indoors is certainly possible with a southern facing window. Terracotta pots, planting containers, or any other container with a hole in the bottom can provide a home for your indoor plants. Perennial herbs that must come indoors in the winter include rosemary and bay leaf while you can also grow annuals from seed such as basil, cilantro, and dill among many others. Perennial mint and chamomile for tea also grow well indoors. You can also grow lettuce indoors in a seed tray, planting seeds every couple of days for a continuous supply. By the time you are finished eating one harvest the next one is ready! Sprouts are a great way to incorporate plant protein into your diet and add a delicious element to any salad or sandwich. Lentils, beans, and grains like wheat berries are great to sprout. Composting can also be done on a small scale indoors. Under the kitchen sink or in the basement are potential locations for indoor worm composters or bocashi kits. If you contribute food waste to a community compost bin, you can save your waste in the freezer to avoid unpleasant aromas.  For further information in your specific areas of interests, see the resource list below. Books: Food not Lawns by Heather C. Flores    The Healing Kitchen: The Indoor Herb-garden Pharmacy for Cooks by Patricia Stapley Sites: Composting Tips: http://www.howtocompost.org/ Permaculture: http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/index

mothering Mother  Pesto Sauce

It is basil harvesting time, and there has never been a better time to make pesto sauce. In the shorter, darker and colder days of the winter, the freshness and lightness of this pesto will spark reminders of the basil days of summer.  This recipe is intentionally dairy free. Why? Dairy is hard to digest, and the production of it takes a large toll on the environment. Those cows eat a lot, drink a lot and poo a lot, as well as passing some good gas. So, lighten the load for Mother Earth and for your digestive system and create our mothering Mother Pesto Sauce. The mixture of the flavors of the basil, the lemon juice and the garlic, coupled with the subtle supporting flavors of walnuts and olive oil, are sure to keep you a "happy healthy eater"!  mothering Mother Pesto Sauce  2 cups basil leaves, densely packed 3 cloves garlic, sliced 3 T walnuts 1/4 cup olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Salt, freshly ground black pepper T=Tablespoon Separate the leaves from the stems. Rinse in a sink of cold water and then spin to remove most of the water.    Prepare the garlic by removing the skins, and slicing in half lengthwise. Carefully pull out the center core and then slice the garlic clove. Squeeze 1 lemon and remove seeds. Keep pulp if you like.   Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend to puree, about 30-60 seconds. Taste for seasoning and adjust.   Immediately pour the pesto into a jar and cover with a lid, to preserve the vibrant flavors. The pesto will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 days, and will stay fresh in the freezer up to 1 year.  We recommend letting go of the pasta with the cow! Try breaking from the traditional pasta combination and trying one or more of the suggestions below: add to grilled vegetables as a topping, especially zucchini serve the pesto as a dip with fresh raw vegetables accompany sliced baguette with pesto dipping bowls use as a tasty filling for celery (careful not to drip any pesto on your shirt!) add to tofu  jazz up salad with pesto sauce, olive oil and balsamic vinegar Enjoy the bounty of the Summer harvest!

Eating Our Way Out (Part 6)

Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor The summer season of fresh food is so exciting that it is difficult for me to pull myself away from the kitchen to write this newsletter. Beautiful fresh vegetables that have come from the market and from the gardens of friends are calling to me. To pull me out of the kitchen and into this writing I am choosing solitude, except for the chant music and the single candle. Change is in the air. A year ago the mothering Mother raised eyebrows and voice levels as retailers told us that the idea was interesting, but not for them right now. Now a year later a knock off has been created. What is the expression, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery!" We'll take it. We are celebrating the fact that more of you are seeing the cotton experience as a natural combination for the whole foods experience. Keep going... a retailer asked us for canvas lunch bags, and this opened the door to the cotton lunch experience (see the green bites in this newsletter). Nothing endures but change! How open is your door for change? The doors are all around us, inviting us, but what blocks us. Fear of the unknown is what holds us back. F-E-A-R - False Experiences Appearing Real - the only way to overcome it is through desire that powers action and commitment. So easily said but not so easy to do. Desire requires careful observation to understand the difference between what is a gateway for the unexplored, and what is a gateway for addiction and greed. John O'Donohue in "To Bless the Space Between Us" writes: "In terms of its creative side, desire is the quickening of the heart that calls forth change. Somehow the eye of desire can glimpse possibility where the overfamiliarized mind cannot see it. Once it glimpses this, desire cultivates dissatisfaction in the heart with what is, and kindles an impatience for that which has not yet emerged. Our dreams and fantasies showcase the directions in which our desire would love to lead us. Dreams are narratives of desire... There should be a healthy tension between the life we have settled for and the desires that still call us. In this sense our desires are the messengers of our unlived life, calling us to attention and action while we still have time here to explore fields where the treasure dwells!" Take a quiet moment, and slow deep breathing, to begin connecting with the desires of your Self. It is my wish that healthy Earth eating provides the fuel upon which these desires come to fruition. With a healthy body and a peaceful mind the unspoken within you has an opportunity to speak. Listen, and act. Peace & Light Namaste, Sydney

The Revolving Door or The Refrigerator Door

Some days when I am creating in the kitchen I am opening and closing the refrigerator door constantly. It would be better if it were a revolving door, and at least less cold would be lost with each pull on the handle.

Soooooo, when you are creating, or cleaning up from creating, become aware of how many times the door is opened. Notice the lightbulb that dutifully assists you and feel the rush of cold air that escapes. All of this activity increases the demand for electricity.

Begin to practice a new habit in the kitchen. Create a pile of items to go into the refrigerator and open the door once. Be aware at the beginning of cooking as to what is needed from the refrigerator, and again, try to open the door as little as possible by being aware of what you are doing and what is needed.

Just reading these words can plant a little seed that can slowly take hold! Celebrate creating in the kitchen, share the food with others and minimize the footprint on the earth!

Namaste,

Sydney

Sydney's Quinoa Salad

The following recipe follows the new plate guidelines. This recipe offers a combination of fruits (mango, cranberry), vegetables (celery, lettuce), grains (quinoa), and protein (pumpkin seeds, quinoa) and no dairy sidebar to make this meal light and satisfying.

Rinse the quinoa well under running water (run water for a good 20 seconds). Dry roast in the saucepan before adding the water to alkalinize the grain.

Quinoa Salad (3 Servings)

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

large pinch of salt good

1/2 cup mango, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

3T pumpkin seeds, lightly roasted

1T mint, chopped

3T dried cranberries

lettuce to garnish

T=Tablespoon

t= teaspoon

Dressing

4T olive oil

2T lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4t salt

1t honey

1/8t red pepper flakes

Dry roast in a saucepan, then add the water and salt. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Allow the cooked quinoa to sit, covered in the pan, for 5 minutes before turning into a bowl to cool.

When the quinoa is at room temperature add the prepared mango, celery, mint and cranberries. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisk it all together and poor over the combined salad. Stir thoroughly. Fold in the pumpkin seeds at the time of serving. Letting the salad sit for 30 minutes enhances the flavors.

Serve, give thanks and enjoy!

Namaste,

Sydney