Whether it is finding joy in simplicity or learning to cope with food allergies–we are all simply doing the best we can. Maybe Pantry Paratus can offer some inspiration.
Two different friends, two pots of tea. One dear friend (unwittingly) helped me conclude something that has pestered me for quite some time about how we process new information. The other helped me put words to some things that are right. Both conversations had something to do with information we had extracted from blogs.
In the day of internet searching, we can just find the answer with a few clicks. That’s probably a good idea—although not everything online is trustworthy (in case you didn’t know that). Blanching (sometimes called “pre-treatment”) is a process by which you submerge fruits and vegetables into boiling water to stop enzymatic activity that promotes decay, and to soften a tough skin that might prevent proper storage.
Here are a few quick tips to know if you should blanch food:
1) If you have to blanch it to freeze it, you have to blanch it to dehydrate it too.
2) If a food is frozen without blanching but should have been blanched, it is still safe to eat. It might have a strange texture and color, but put it into a soup and give it a fancy name.
3) Blanching kills specific enzymes that speed decay. You food is likely to last longer if you take the time to do this step.
4) Some foods are just fine without blanching, like tomatoes, green peppers, and other night shades. I also freeze chopped onions from time to time and never blanch them, yet have great success.
5) Get the food as dry as possible before freezing, or you risk freezer burn (which shortens the life of the food, defeating the purpose).
6) Many foods take on a stronger flavor and tougher texture if you do not blanch them (leafy greens generally follow this rule).
7) Foods that are naturally high in acid do not generally need to be blanched; likewise, using citric acid or lemon juice on the food prior to storage will help slow down the enzyme-activated decay (slow down, never stop).
How to Blanch Food:
1) Place the food into a colander that fits snuggly into a pan of boiling water. If the food as a skin, such as a berry, they will often split. The food should not actually cook but only be immersed for several minutes (fruits are less than vegetables). You can find times listed online.
2) Immediately stop the blanching by running cold water over the food
3) Towel dry the food, let it air dry if possible to remove moisture
4) Use a vacuum sealer before freezing food to eliminate the oxidization (thus, the opportunity for freezer burn). The food will last indefinitely and retain the maximum amount of nutritional value as possible for frozen food.
Still Unsure, Consider These Resources:
Making & Using Dried Foods by Phyllis Hobson
This awesome book gives you great detail for the general processes of drying foods (whether by sun, dehydrator, or conventional oven) and for each individual food you want to preserve. It is a resource you will turn to time and again. In fact, there is an entire section devoted to the subject of pre-treatment (blanching).
Preserve It Naturally: The Complete Guide to Food Dehydration
We give you this book for free when you purchase an Excalibur from Pantry Paratus, but you can get it separately. This is my personal choice for the go-to reference guide; the photography and instructions are extremely helpful.
If you are curious about a food’s best method, test it for yourself! Do not be afraid to do a 1/2 of a dehydrator tray each way. See what you personally like best. Taste them, note color and texture differences, and put some of both methods away for storage, marking them clearly. Over time, you will learn what you prefer, and it might not be what the internet said.
Produce, prepare, and preserve–
Chaya
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Pantry Paratus is a full retail store; because we thoroughly enjoyed this particular e-book, we have decided to become an affiliate for it. Purchasing this book by following the link helps support the mission of Pantry Paratus through an affiliate relationship. Thanks.
Our Gluten-Free Experiment (Plus Giveaway & Review of Delicious Obsession’s E-book)
Click here to view more book details
(But read to the end to get the 25% off coupon & to sign up for your chance to win a free copy!)
Apart from the brief flirtation with the GAPS diet, we are pro-wheat. We did the GAPS diet for food elimination to determine if allergies or food sensitivities were the root of concern with a child (to learn more about GAPS, read this site top-to-bottom). We claimed Parental Dictatorship Powers to insist the entire family participate in the experiment. Indeed, our child was allergic to corn. Nothing but the GAPS diet would have revealed that, since a “just cut out x, y, or z” approach would never have included corn (the insidious stuff that goes by over 180 names). It was all-or-nothing, baby. And so I credit the GAPS diet with saving my son from a life of pain and discomfort. Yet, while we were on this cruel-and-unusual punishment routine, Wilson and I would occasionally say something painful to each other like, “You know what I could really go for right now?” or “Doesn’t popcorn sound yummy? With melted chocolate on it? Oh, and maybe some peanut butter to dip it in?” It got desperate. Thus, it was only a brief flirtation with a diet that has helped innumerable people regain freedom from food allergies. We discovered the problem and moved on; we added in legumes, starches, and potatoes as soon as possible just so that we could feel full again! Oh, and dark chocolate, I think that was the first to be reintroduced.
I tell you this to emphasize my extreme discomfort for radical diets, eliminating foods unnecessarily, and picking up the next food fad. Through research, we know that many people assume gluten is the problem when it might be a wheat processing problem. However, “wheat belly” happens. Autoimmune disorders, autism, and diabetes happen, too. For as much as I dislike eliminating comfort foods, I dislike illness, fatigue, and unexplained weight gain even more.
We know that our family stays healthy with home-milled flour (healthy because of the high levels of vitamins and minerals it provides) but even that has a limitation. We cannot eat it breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks; and that is exactly the role wheat would play if “what sounds good” took complete control in this house. I did not think I needed Jennifer Espinoza’s new cookbook, Keeping It Real: Gluten-free recipes the whole family will love but in fact, we do. I have made a deliberate attempt to cut back on the bread in our home and we started seeing positive results in the first week! My fibromyalgia pressure points had been flaring up again, and are finally subsiding. My corn-allergic child has experienced noticeable behavioral changes (calmer). Though Wilson feels great on home-milled wheat, he is always trimmer when we limit the amount. Going into our second week, we will be cutting gluten out entirely as our reset button.
The recipes I have used thus far from this cookbook are ones in which I already owned the ingredients or I made reasonable substitutions (like raisins for dried cranberries, or fermented coconut “yogurt” instead of dairy). WOW! First of all, knowing that I have these ingredients already took some of the fear from the process. When we did the GAPS diet, special trips to the grocery store were a necessary evil; it was an expensive diet and no one ever felt full. Ever. I guess I had associated the idea of switching to a no-gluten/low-gluten diet with our singular experience of it (that being an extreme elimination diet) and I was not ready for the added grocery costs. What a relief to know that I was actually saving money!
She starts the gluten-free cookbook with good, solid nutritional information. She explains what types of fats are really healthy, what kinds of bulk ingredients to have on hand, the nutritional value of foods, and the basic how-to on preparing things like nuts or bone broth. If you are new to practicing a real (nourishing) food diet, I highly recommend this book because it is solid nutrition through-and-through regardless of your gluten-tolerance!
We’ve tried more than a few recipes out of the cookbook; I have yet to explore her fermented recipes but I look forward to some new, fresh flavors around here. I’m waiting for the next co-op delivery to start in on that rather thick section of the cookbook. So far, our favorite recipes have been the Simple Summer Carrot Salad (my kids call it “Tigger Salad” because of its color), Easy Cauliflower Salad (definitely easy!), and the Mongolian Beef—which was a quick meal with very few ingredients! The garlicky asparagus spears were a family favorite because apparently I have gotten into a rut with how I cook aparagus. They were delicious and a child exclaimed, “Wow mom, you put flavor in these.”
Not all of her recipes are dairy free, but many of them are and the others can readily modify with simple substitutions. She has some dairy free ice cream recipes, which I really wanna give a shot.
I want to try the No Bean Beef Chili recipe next (pictured above) because her spice combinations are very authentic down to the last ingredient. Plus, it’s Montana and I have nearly 2 feet of snow outside. Chili, ‘nuff said.
We loved the fudge because it is so simple to whip together and it is the healthiest fudge I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy. The only thing—and I mean the only thing—I have found in one of her recipes thus far that required any modification for me was that she did not melt the ingredients together on the stovetop before chilling in the refrigerator. But then again, a drafty old house in a Montanan winter means that things like coconut oil are completely solid for me. I am eating one of her homemade nut butter cups as I am typing this. I just know hubby’s gonna say somethin’ about the chocolate on the keyboard…but oh it is so good!
Here’s a confession: The recipe for the nutbutter cups made 1 whole mini-muffin tray with ingredients left over. What to do? I made a giant one with a ramekin. It wasn’t beautiful because it was tough to get out of the ramekin dish, but worth it 🙂
This great cookbook is only $16 and has a money-back guarantee. It has absolutely made the transition happen for our family, so we hope that you also gain both insight and health through its pages, too!
GOOD NEWS!!! Jessica, in her typical generous fashion, has given Pantry Paratus readers a coupon for 25% off and she’s sponsoring the giveaway!! You can get 25% off of your ebook when you use the code PANTRY25 at checkout. Coupon expires Midnight, March 31st so get yours now. Click the link below to buy it!
If you would like to learn more about getting this great book, click here to view more details
Carry on (gluten-free) Crouton,
Chaya
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
The photos used in this blog are property of Delicious Obsessions and Jennifer Espinoza (with the exception of the bread rolls photo and the giant nutbutter cup by Pantry Paratus).
The weirdest gift I ever received was one of the most influential in my life.
A vacuum sealer.
Wilson and I did not have kids yet, but he was still in the military and deployed. Thus, I lived alone. And my sister bought me a vacuum sealer.
“What am I supposed to do with it?” I asked.
“You are supposed to start cooking,” she said.
“It doesn’t cook things, it seals them.” I retorted.
“Duh, Toad. <don’t ask–it’s what she calls me>… You are supposed to start cooking real food. Healthy food. Enough for more than one person. You eat some, you freeze some. Over time, you can kiss the frozen section of the grocery store goodbye—but not literally. The produce guy gets mad when he has to clean your lipstick off the glass. Ask me how I know.”
Slowly, over time, I started really eating. And slowly, over time, I started to get better. I had been sick, very sick. That was a big part of my Frozen Section Excuse actually, too sick to do much of anything. Too sick to care.
Step 1
I started by cooking one real meal a week. Not spaghetti night, not a hotdog, a real and delicious balanced meal. I worked full time and so I made this my Saturday evening routine. Although I grew up in a home with delicious, homecooked meals, I also grew up left to my own junk food devices too, so I had a lot to learn. I did cook for hubby, but living alone?
Cooking for one is a lonely thing; many-a-meal I ate standing over the kitchen sink, refusing to sit at a table by myself. Lest you think that a nourished lifestyle comes easy to this girl, let me tell you about rock-bottom. I distinctly remember eating cold peas out of the can. Over the Sink. For Dinner.
If you currently live on things that come in packages or cans or are from the frozen section; if you just open it and heat, then try this: Set aside one night a week to cook a real, balanced, healthy meal. Use a cloth napkin, a real plate, and even sit down to eat it.
You will feel more human.
Do not cut the recipe in half to serve one; double it! Use vacuum sealing bags to make your own “t.v. dinners” for other days. Label the package with its contents and date, and you can drop the whole thing into a saucepan of boiling water, or (if this is where you are in life) even microwave it. If you do live alone, you should put 3 of each meal away into the freezer. Give this a month (a variety of 4 real meals) and you now have some choices when you open that freezer. You now have food to take for lunch at work, too, so that you can cut back on eating out.
Step 2
Soups & Stews. This will kickstart Step 1. The reason I suggest starting with soups and stews is because they really are forgiving. If you are not a great cook and tend to spill the cayenne, don’t worry—just add more broth and make a bigger pot of soup. If it is bland or the flavor is off, experiment until you like it. Do not worry about fancy. There is something wholly comforting about the unassuming nature of soup. This is also the best way to experiment with foods that might be new to your system. When I realized I needed to cut white flours out of my diet I started experimenting with grains that were completely new to me—quinoa, barley, teff, and spelt. A handful of anything will fill a soup nicely, and your tummy. If you are really just that bad at cooking, I mean, so bad your dog paws at his nose when offered, consider investing in some great spice mixes (like Chili Seasoning, Mexican Seasoning, or Italian Seasoning).
(Don’t even like soup? You haven’t tried any of these recipes, then….seriously):
To freeze your extra soup: put a serving size into a bowl and place it into the freezer, uncovered. In a few hours, pull it out of the freezer. Turn the bowl upside down under the faucet. With your hand on it to catch your soup-cube, run warm water over the bowl. It will pop out and is ready for the vacuum sealer! Then, to warm it up, you can either warm it in a saucepan or the bag itself. You are now combining the convenience of the frozen section of the grocery store with proper nutrition and homecooked meals!
Step 3
Find something you enjoy in the kitchen. Or find a happy distraction. Let me say this another way. I hated cooking meals because it felt like a lonely task with too much cleanup. But I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Prairie Home Companion every Saturday night; I would get lost in the tales of Lake Woebegone, and you know what—this woman was getting stronger just by getting into the kitchen and making real food. Cleanup was enjoyable when I was laughing at the stories and singing along to the goofy songs. So although meal prep and cleanup are still—to this day—not my fave, I have found a way to redeem that time with something educational, distracting, or just plain fun.
This was also the period in life when I discovered that I love baking! Getting into the kitchen to bake, for me, is completely different than a meal. During those lonely single days, I started baking breads and treats using real food ingredients. This helped my health tremendously because I cut out all white flours from the store. I saw my blood sugar stabilize and my energy come back.
Seeing results serves as its own motivator, too. No matter how much I hate washing dishes, I love being healthy.
Step 4
Always carry something to eat. The pressure to “grab a bite” was strong in my life. The blood sugar problem was a legitimate excuse often, too. And yes, I was that crazy lady that oscillated between hitting the side of the vending machine and whispering sweet nothings to it in great desperation. But once I started baking, I had things like oatmeal bars and homemade cookies that I could seal in snack portions. I would drop a snack into my bag before leaving the house, always glad that I did.
Step 5
Replenish ingredients with healthy alternatives. Some people quit white sugar cold turkey. I did not. But I did begin to replace the empty bags with ingredients I could feel better about. For instance, the sucanat replaced the brown sugar. The wheat and grain mill replaced store bought flours. The cacao nibs replaced the palm oil & preservative-laden stuff I had been eating.
One at a time.
It took time for me. Then I noticed a peculiar thing. Even though I saw many of these items as costing more than their junk food counterparts, I found they lasted a bit longer. It was because a real brownie made with real ingredients really satisfies. I no longer crept into the kitchen at 11pm to finish them off! I also found that buying in bulk meant I was saving a considerable amount of money than the typical last-minute run to the grocery store.
A Head Start
You read this blog. You have a plan. Give yourself some grace. Do not compare yourself to some food blogger (who probably still dips into the occasional jar of Nutella in front of her computer screen when no one will find out <cough>). Just take a step. A single step. And then tomorrow, take another. You will look back on this moment as the start of something good, the start of a healthier and more nourished you.
One step at a time,
Chaya
Photo Credits:
Frozen Section: Fire At Will [Photography] via photopin cc
Grandmother’s Spoon: Tassike.ee – Marju Randmer via photopin cc
kitchen radio: Justin Snow via photopin cc
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
At Pantry Paratus, we find the answers to our own questions and share those findings with you. We jump head first into new skills and recipes, and we pass those along too. We know the craziness of life all-too-well and how difficult it is to get your hands on the valuable knowledge you need to make good decisions for your family.
We know that, along the way, you might have missed a blog here & there so we decided to compile the “best of” for you for 2013. I pulled up the numbers & found the top 10 blogs–the ones that had the most views and circulated through Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest the most. I was a bit surprised, only because I had guessed the lineup to be different than it really is (a momma isn’t supposed to pick favorites, right?). I probably aughtta mention that our social media buttons hiccupped a few times, restarting share counts to zero. Yeah, that hit my pride, but it hasn’t affected the quality or enjoyment of the blogs themselves. So, without further ado…
A guest post made our top ten list! Hannah Brock wrote a great meal plan for GAPS & Paleo diets. We loves these recipes ourselves and were glad to see that you do, too!
So it all started with a being yelled at in Russian & getting my hands slapped…but it ends with a delicious recipe for a meal that is convenient, portable, kid-friendly, delicious, healthy, freezable, and simple! I mean, really…it doesn’t get better than that.
Vegetarians, gluten-intolerant, and those with food allergies beware! Your grocery store does not need to tell you–nor is it likely they even know–what is on your fruit and vegetables. We cover the types of wax that the FDA has approved for both organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables, which foods are most commonly waxed, and what you can do about it.
Never even turn down the soup aisle in the grocery store. Most of that stuff is as disgusting as the metal can they use. But what if you are making a recipe that calls for “a can of”? Well, I have this recipe on an index card taped to the inside of a cupboard. In only 5 minutes and 4 steps, you can have any “cream of” soup you need (mushroom, celery, chicken, etc)…fresh, flavorful, and healthy!
This was probably my favorite blog of the year. It took months to formulate, and the back of an airplane napkin to write. When the words came, they came honestly and succinctly. When you read this one, be sure to read the comments underneath as others also pour their hearts and ideas out to add to this discussion in a meaningful way.
So among the list of things that you should have on hand around the old homestead, does Epsom salt appear on your list anywhere? Wilson explains why it should, what it is, and how to utilize it’s power! Oh, and if you’ve heard that it is good for your garden, you might want to read this.
Do you put the canner and dehydrator away when the garden is done? Here is a list of foods that you might be missing. They are listed by month. Help us out and leave a comment to add to our ever-growing list!
Rhubarb is a natural spring-time treat. One that often overwhelms the plant’s owner, who is constantly trying to pawn it off on the neighbors. Well, if you are the neighbor, take it! Here are some great ways to preserve and to use that delicious sour-sweetness!
This is the most powerful information that I discovered during a year’s worth of research. Empower yourself and your children by knowing what is necessary to obtain food security. If you think that food insecurity cannot touch you, please take a look at this. The world’s history is a sordid one. Don’t let this iddy-biddy thumbnail fool you, this infograph is beautifully done and gives you what you need to know in a handy way.
Wilson says it so eloquently and clearly: hunting is a matter of economics. And there is dignity to providing food and processing it ethically. This is a must read.
We have really enjoyed getting to know you guys throughout the last few years. You have provided encouragement and inspiration to us many times over. Please feel free to leave a comment, telling us which Pantry Paratus blog was your favorite (listed here or not). Did you find a great recipe through Pantry Paratus, learn about something on your food label, or gain a new perspective on food production, preservation, or preparation? Share that with us.
To a Healthy New Year,
Chaya & Wilson
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
Photo Credits: All photos used in this blog are the corresponding thumbnails to other blog postings. Please follow the hyperlink to those blog articles to see the appropriate credits.
Sugar is sweet, and so is maple surple, as the old Roger Miller tune goes. He did not, however, tell us in the song that you would have to place a lien on your kidney to afford it. At $96.50 per gallon—yes, you read that right—we have a few choices.
We will either need to:
1) concede with the rest of America that taste and health do not matter, and start guzzling flavored corn syrup
2) attempt to come up with some other alternatives when we can, like making sauces out of berries.
3) Or learn this simple, inexpensive time-tested skill that delivers flavor, tradition, and even a side income!
In regards to the health question, we can bemoan the current state of fake food, but let’s stay focused people—maple syrup is healthy sugar, it is good for you! Oh yes, it is still a sugar and very high in carbohydrates. But it is real, meaning that your body will know how to process it—unlike the fake stuff. You must use moderation, but did you know that it is high in antioxidants as well as possessing more minerals than honey? Katie from Kitchen Stewardship gives us the breakdown; and since she lists price being the only downside to maple syrup, Pantry Paratus is going to try to help you out with that. We also know that storebought maple syrup can have potential problems, as KerryAnn Foster from Intentionally Domestic reports. Tapping your own ensures you are getting the safest–and freshest product possible. You will know where your food comes from, and if you keep reading, you’ll know what to do with it!
Tapping trees for syrup is more common than you realize. The USDA survey data for 2013 reports a banner year! There were 10,571,000 taps placed in U.S. trees, which produced 3,253,000 gallons of syrup (yes, if you are math whiz, you just discovered that a single tap reportedly yields .308 of a gallon). 10 gallons of sap (the watery substances coming out of the tree) makes about 1 quart of maple syrup (or a 40:1 ratio of 40 gallons sap to 1 gallon syrup).
First thing we have to get out of the way right now is whether PETT (People for the Ethical Treatment of Trees) are going to chain themselves to our Maples in protest. Joe, founder of “Tap My Trees” and creator of our Maple Sugaring Kit has this to say:
“Tapping a tree does create a wound, but it is a wound from which the tree can readily recover and does not endanger the health of the tree. Commercial syrup producers are able to tap trees for decades without adversely affecting the health of the tree. A vigorous tree will heal, or grow over, a tap hole in one year. It may take other trees up to 3 years to grow over a tap hole.”
Hmmm, I sense your motivation waning.
Let’s insert food pictures here to keep you focused.
Wilson’s mother grew up in Quebec and her eyes get glassy when someone mentions maple syrup. She talks about the annual ritual of making the candy and…well…her voice sounds different when she recollects it. My goal this next year is to learn how to make the candy myself so that I can send some to her. I’m going to use this recipe from Joybilee Farm.
Not sure if you would really use maple syrup in your kitchen enough to warrant a jug in the cupboard? Check out these chocolatey Power Bites for an energetic family on-the-go; they will make a convert out of you. I added sunflower seeds when I made these–DE-lish!
Perhaps a little less healthy but oh-so-divine is this maple syrup popcorn (think “homemade Cracker Jacks”).
Speaking of midnight fridge raid, this recipe by Real Food Whole Health gets my vote for Comfort Food of the Year: Maple Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes!
Tapping for your own maple syrup gives you a plethora of homegrown gifts for others, too. Apart from the obvious—a bottle of pure indulgence—maple roasted nuts are a holiday tradition that no one can resist.
Look at this gluten-free and grain-free buckwheat apple granola that features maple syrup, the secret ingredient!
Is there anything more elegant (or delicious) than this? I have a new scheme to get my kids to eat squash!
LearningAndYearning makes her strawberry preserves with maple syrup, showing just how handy it is going to be in the pantry when the industrial food supply finally goes bonkers. Even better than her jam is her Maple Pecan Pie—proving to me that I can indeed make my old favorite even in spite of our corn syrup ban.
And finally, the Food Renegade’s Chocolate Mousse!
Now that I have your full attention…let’s get started. You can do this. You’ve got this.
Learn your trees. Maples are the only to make syrup, you know, although it is much preferred. Walnut and Birch trees can be tapped for syrup too!
Visit your local farmer’s market, find the local guy making maple syrup. For real. Ask if you can tag along, or pick his brain about the trees in the local area, the tips and tricks. No local guy—that’s where we come in. We’ll hook you up with the tips & tricks of maple sugaring.
Read up. Local guy or not, we can point you in the right direction. Our kits come with a top-notch “how to” that nothing can rival, but if you are looknig for something to whet your mapley appetite, try this Country Wisdom Bulletin for only $3.95.
Get the right tools—we have you covered. Get a starter kit with everything you need for 3 taps: buckets (plastic kit or aluminum kit), taps, drill bit, hooks, lids, cheesecloth, and THE book you need to get started.
Mark your trees. This might means asking some neighbors if you can use their trees. Make a friend; maybe they will want to learn how, too. You need to start doing this now! Large trees can support more than one tap in it at a time. Find and measure the trees, and determine which types of maple you have. In order of sweetness, you are looking for Sugar, Black, Red, & Silver Maple Trees. Do not overlook alternatives like Birch if you do not have the Mighty Maple.
Get out there and do it! Maple Sugaring takes place in February and March. Don’t let the season sneak up on you. The sap begins to flow when daytime temperatures are above freezing but it is freezing at night.
Sap Collection & Processing. The season usually lasts between 4-6 weeks. Usually around April (when the weather is above freezing, or the buds appear on the trees) your entire process is complete.
Cleanup: Before you put the tools away, you will need to roll up your sleeves and bleach out the buckets and taps. Or hire the teenager. Yeah, better idea.
So what’s up with the grading system? Learn what the grades mean, and it will inform your own tree tapping process!
Now, about our Maple Sugaring Kits. These have been featured everywhere (from Martha Stewart Living to National Science Teacher Association). The “Tap My Trees” kits were developed by someone who wanted to teach his own kids that food is real. He wanted them to engage in the process of bringing food to the table. Joe found, though, that existing literature was all geared to commercial operations and not for the average person. His solution was to write the book and develop the kit. We are proud to have these start-to-finish kits for you to provide real, wholesome food for your family.
There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on your kit. The only risk you are taking is your reliance on grocery store pricing & availability by NOT diving in and giving this a try.
Enter our giveaway for a Maple Sugaring Kit with Plastic Buckets!
Know Where Your Food Comes From. Know What To Do With It.
Pantry Paratus
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
Photos:
Each recipe’s photo can be found on the blog with the yummy recipe. Thank you to each blogger that allowed Pantry Paratus to feature your delicious recipes and equally-delicious photos. Please check with each blog for the blah-blah legality about photo ownership.
When you love making food as much as I do, having your own indoor garden right in the kitchen is a fantastic way of getting your herbs and veggies as fresh as they can get. Cultivate your own countertop garden with this simple indoor garden how-to guide, with tips on what you can grow and how to take care of your countertop plants!
Feast or famine: that is the nature of a laying flock. The bright sunshine and summer smorgasbord of creepy-crawlies will produce eggs a’plenty. The cold huddle-down winter months, on the other hand, will leave you wishing for more. Of course, people do put lights on their chickens in the winter to stimulate egg production; we do not do that. Whether it is for fear of burning the place down or a desire to maintain the healthy rhythm of nature, we have decided to make do with what we get and to extend the summer harvest inasmuch as we can. People have been preserving eggs since…well…since eggs.
I have attempted freezing the summer surplus of eggs. I must have seen it on a pinterest board. Most of my dismal failures come from that. The easy-peasy method (in theory) was to just put the entire raw egg into an ice cube tray. Have any of you had success with that? It drastically altered the texture; it is almost as if they are hard boiled. It’s kinda weird, really more like reconstituted powdered eggs after you factor in the desication from the freezer. My hope was that I could preserve enough raw eggs to get through the winter’s bread baking. It was a backup plan anyway, since we have ducks that lay in the winter and produce fine eggs just right for baking. They just don’t lay quite enough for all of our eggy delights.
My method of choice is to pickle eggs!
Oh my, you have to bite into one or you would never believe me. They are really a delicious food that makes later food preparation all-the-easier. We have been pickling eggs for a few years now, and I cannot tell you that I have an old family recipe or anything; I have chosen to do it differently every time. I hope that you give it a try with your summer harvest. But before you do, there are some things you really ought to know.
Eggs are extremely alkaline. As you know, anything that is not acidic must be pressure canned, not water bath canned. This is because botulism can only grow in low-acid environments. The pressure canning method has a much higher heat than water bath canning, and it is enough to kill the botulism spores found in a low pH. Adding vinegar certainly makes it acidic, but only the outside of the eggs, not the interior. Therefore, if an egg has a cut or nick than the low-acid interior might harbor botulism spores. The eggs should be pristine for making pickled eggs.
Eggs should not be pressure canned. But did I not just say that pressure canning is the only approved method for non-acidic foods, such as green beans or venison? Yup, that is right. So it would stand to reason that you could just pressure can the eggs to kill the spores and then the low acid environment of the eggs would not matter. Right? Wrong. Eggs are too sensitive, too volatile for the pressure canning method. The heat is too high and too long and you have a nasty rubbery mess that you will not want to consume. For all I know they could be safe, but there is nothing left worth saving. Many say that they do not care for pickled eggs that were even water bath canned. Those who advocate a water bath canning generally suggest that you only boil the eggs just enough to peel them but not to cook them entirely—that way, the actually canning method will cook the egg and hopefully not overcook it.
I do water bath can my pickled eggs, and I probably overcook them. Are they rubbery? Well, I do not think it is extreme and they still work rather well in recipes in which I smash or cut them. I like them as is, but I can see that it might be a matter of preference. In either case, the process-on-record is that you should still refrigerate them.
There is not an approved canning method for pickled eggs that is shelf stable. The recipes generally do not require canning at all; you simply heat the brine and pour it over the eggs and spices in the jar, seal, and refrigerate. Even water bath canning recipes still call for refrigeration because of the potential for botulism. Although the risk of getting botulism from home canned foods is extremely low, the results are catastrophic. It is like playing with matches; the likelihood of your house catching fire might be low but since the result is catastrophic, you use prudence in the matter and avoid the danger altogether.
People have been preserving eggs since…well….eggs. We know so much more about safety measures now than ever before, and we need to follow the advice given. With that said, however, I simply do not have room in my refrigerator for many pickled eggs. I do not see it as a viable way of preserving eggs if they are taking the same electricity-dependent space in my fridge that the raw eggs occupied. Do I have other options besides pickling? Perhaps not from a protecting-myself-legally standpoint.
I can tell you that eggs were traditionally root cellared. We currently understand that they must maintain a fairly consistent temperature between 32-40°F, which is colder than most any root cellars. Many times, they were placed in sand, oats, or other dry goods in an upside down (skinny-side-down) position and they remained there for many months as fresh as the day there were laid, so they say. The eggs were candled before use, meaning that the eggs were checked for fertilization by using a candle to see through their semi-translucent shells.
Another root cellar method that was common beyond pickling was to use “water glass”. This chemical (potassium silicate) is still available today, and it seals up the pores of the egg. Since this included silica, the stuff in the packets that warns not to eat it, you would not be able to recycle the egg shells for animal feed calcium (and I would not personally add them to compost, either).
I have never personally used either of the traditional oat-burial or water glass methods. I would love to hear from someone who has (or who remembers grandma’s use of these methods). I do pickle my eggs and I do maintain the correct temperature range (and whether I use electricity or not is not the discussion here). The temperature must remain fairly consistent, that is the key.
Pickled eggs are absolutely delicious and—especially if you skip the water bath canning—as easy as pouring water. I wish I could invite you over for a salad, or for a barbecue featuring my famous potato salad as a show-stopping side dish (thank you, pickled eggs). Try a jar out just so that you can experiment with the flavors and using pickled eggs in recipes. You will get hooked, just you wait and see.
Looking for more info about eggs? Check out these resources:
Pickled Eggs HACCP by Peter Snyder Jr, Ph.D.
How To Can Pickled Eggs the Safe Way (with 2 recipes)
CDC: Information on the singular known case of botulism through preserved eggs
Interested in building a root cellar?
Country Wisdom Bulletin: Build Your Own Underground Root Cellar
Recipes from the Root Cellar (a cookbook)
Breakfast, Snack, or Dessert Recipe
Our favorite breakfast, snack, and dessert.
There is joy in cream. If you have never had the opportunity to drink milk fresh from the cow, you might not relate to this…but fresh cream brings delicious things. Thick ice cream, a great cup of coffee, perfectly delightful whipped cream, oh the list!
This is a raw milk recipe with fresh cream, but if you do not have access to that by state or province law, then you can use the cream from non-homogenized milk. Hey, we all have to work within the confines of our current raw milk anti-farmer laws. We know that you are doing the best you can for your family. But if you are not sure what that is, check out the Raw Milk Map on FarmtoConsumer.org.
Here is our favorite use of fresh cream in our home:
We do not often have fresh strawberries; those are just a happy addition.
All you need (per bowl):
1 sliced banana
¼ cup honey (to taste, really)
½ cup fresh cream
That’s it. It is to die for. My kids and I are unanimous about it. It takes less than 2 minutes to create, definitely less than 2 minutes to consume…but it’s the best 4 minutes of the day!
Be Nourished,
Chaya
All pictures are property of Pantry Paratus; feel free to share them but please keep proper attribution. Thanks.
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
It is no secret, Chaya and I are smitten with a great kitchen. You can have a great and functional kitchen without the entire catalog of fancy plug in gadgetry with French sounding names, but you cannot get by without a functional pantry—call it the unsung hero of a homestead. Yet, I had never put a lot of thought into where the term “pantry” came from or what the history might be behind it.
Let me say this upfront, I loved this book. It chronicles the history and history-shaping role of the modest pantry. From complete rooms with thoughtfully engineered construction to regulate temperature, or economized movement to simple utilitarian converted closets, the pantry is indeed a noteworthy fixture on a homestead.
At Pantry Paratus, we love all things having to do with the pantry. Recently our last surviving grandparent passed away, and it is largely to her credit that I associate my sense of thrift and propriety when it comes to the value of the pantry. Whereas today people who keep shelves of Cool Whip and Ricotta cheese containers cleaned, stacked and sorted by size might find themselves on some reality TV show, to my Italian Nonnie preserving everything was just part of how her large family made it through the Great Depression. Two generations ago, putting food away was about as hip as shoveling snow or cutting the grass—you just did it. And it is that no nonsense approach that Catherine Seiberling Pond captures so well in this book that helped ground me today with the wisdom of my blue collar immigrant roots.
The Amish farmwife, in her almost total self-sufficiency, is a fine modern example of how American women used to exist on farms. Farmwives of the past began to embrace the conveniences afforded to them in grocery stores and with modern utilities and appliances. Mormons, too, have long advocated having a storeroom with a year’s supply of saved foodstuffs and provisions. People in communes and those in the back-to-the-land movement were also avid food preservers. Where canning was once a necessity on the farm, especially before freezers were available, it now continues as a pleasant pastime for some (p. 34)
I found myself turning page after page to find out how the humble pantry went through medieval times, to colonial era of America with its trademark Yankee ingenuity, through the Industrial revolution, wartime rationing and even the suffrage movement did not leave the pantry unchanged. Yet with all of these changes we still feel the effects of the pantry on our families, politics and even literature. Fun fact: Emily Dickenson used to write poetry in her pantry (p. 43).
The Victorian period ended with the struggle for the right to vote, while at the same time there was a crescendo in the home economics movement. It presented a domestic struggle that continues today—can women have it all and have it at the same time? As long as our kitchens are in order—and sinks scoured everyday (as the Beecher sisters preached)—and pantries well stocked, the answer is probably yes (p. 47).
We do not have war rations today or anything like it—heck, you can go right down to your big box store and load up on all of the CAFO meat you want. So it begs the question, how did our ancestors make it? Answer: they leveraged the ebb and flow of the seasons and saw the pantry as the store. When Chaya posted her late grandmother’s chocolate syrup recipe, it helped me to put into perspective how recently it was in this country where people had to live with a prominent civil defense mindset under the threat of the atomic age. In America not too long ago, it was then as it is now in dozens of other countries around the world, the pantry is the first line of defense; and that reality was not lost on me as I read this book page by page, cover to cover.
You have heard Chaya say it many times, “Your Grandma knew how and you can too.” Think of this book as an anthology of many centuries worth of Grandma innovations beautifully rendered in beautiful pictures and well written text. If you love the pantry as much as we do, then I would highly recommend picking up a copy of The Pantry directly from Catherine Seiberling Pond for $14.95 (shipping included). These are beautiful books and would really make a nice gift for anyone who loves kitchen self-sufficiency. Be sure to sign up below to win a signed copy of the book from the author!
I leave you with this poem from page 71:
A Bride’s Pantry
There’s a dear little pantry that pampers a bride,
Its walls are of yellow, its window is wide,
And airy blue curtains coquette in their pride
With crisp, crinkled things in the garden outside.
There are quaint little jars with blue labels displayed,
For red currant jelly and plum marmalade;
There are vegetable soldiers in tin coat parade,
Plump jugs of sweet cider and muscadine-ade.
Oh, the goodies galore that a bride can devise—
Fat gingerbread bunnies with black raisin eyes,
Spice cake and pear salad and cinnamon pies,
To foster the pride in a certain man’s eyes.
So when you are planning a little house, new,
Be sure there’s a pantry with curtains of blue,
And a wee kitchen garden spread out to your view,
To grow with your singing and smile back at you.
—Hazel Harper Harris, American Cookery, 1925
Wilson
Pro Deo et Patria
Works Cited:
Pond Seiberling, C. (2007). The pantry. (p. 45). Layton: Gibbs Smith.
Photo Credits:
Catherine as a little girl used with permission from Catherine Seiberling Pond
The Pantry, book cover used with permission from Catherine Seiberling Pond
Grandma’s Pantry taken from the public domain (found on p. 75 in book)
For Further Reading, check out Catherine’s other websites:
http://www.farmwifeatmidlife.blogspot.com
http://www.growcaseycounty.blogspot.com
http://www.inthepantry.blogspot.com
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
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If you read our blog, you probably have heard of the early morning SWAT team style raids on the Amish Dairy farmer. In light of that, the best place to start with an introduction of our guest Mr. Pete Kennedy, Esq. is to paraphrase our friend Paul Wheaton, “I used to think that superheroes wore capes, but I guess that in the modern day these defender’s of justice trade in their capes for a brief case and defend the little guy against the big machine in court.” Sit back and contemplate on food and farm freedom this 4th of July with our special guest, Pete Kennedy, the President of the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. If you have ever seen the movie Farmaggedon, consider these guys the legal cavalry.
Right Click Here to Download This Episode
We talk about:
– Pete discusses his cancer recovery and the role Weston A. Price Foundation played in that, and how that began his involvement doing legal research for WAPF, including raw milk laws throughout the United States.
-Pete explains what the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund is, how they operate, and their mission of food freedom. They work in policy, advisory, and litigation in their efforts to defend food producers’ rights to produce and sell food through direct commerce. This is most frequently in regards to dairy farming at this particular time in history.
-The modern regulatory system is set up to protect industrial food production and processing as well as pushing commodity agriculture (thank the “Farm Bill”) and is not set up to protect (nor is it friendly towards) small producers. This is ironic, because small producers are how much of the non-industrialized world eats!
-Pete describes who becomes a member and Chaya sums up, “Either you’re producing food or you’re eating it.”
-The role of Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund in education, especially in the area of raw milk.
-The increase of consumer demand for raw milk (is going up!), and the importance of education.
-Happy Birthday Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund! Founded on the 4th of July in 2007—celebrating 6th anniversary.
-Pete and Chaya discuss the Constitution and the Founding Fathers’ likely assumption that food rights were basic to the human experience. There is a body of law developing in regards to the right of privacy with court rulings that have protected areas that are more controversial than protecting food choice.
-It all started with Prohibition, the Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act so that the government is now between you and your food in the name of “Consumer Protection.” But who is to protect the consumer from the regulator when the laws become injust?
-The regulatory schemes dwindled the number of small farms, but the good news is that the trend is reversing.
-The right to privacy laws are developing, how that evolves is directly correlated to food freedom. Or put more succinctly by Joel Salatin, “Who owns this person?”
-The criminal case of Vernon Hershberger, an Amish farmer, in Wisconsin. He had a private buyers club for years. Raw dairy products (such as raw milk, butter, and cheese) are legal to consume but illegal to sell. He was raided several years ago, in which his refrigerators were taped. They eventually brought criminal charges due to his lack of proper permits and for having removed the tape off of his refrigerators. The judge made rulings that made it extremely difficult to win this case.
-After a 5 day trial, Hershberger was acquitted of all but 1 charge. The jurors later determined that they did not have the proper information and if they did they would never have found him guilty; there will be an appeal.
-Did Wisconsin try to make an example out of Vernon Hershberger? Pete said, “He stood up for what was right and I think they resented that.
Picture and story found at “Inside Story of a ‘Juror Revolt’
in Amish Raw Milk Trial” from Modern Farmer Magazine.
-The Juror Revolt, four of the jurors had a change of heart, individually researched the issue after the court case, wrote letters to the judge, and are now looking into joining the private buying club.
-Civil court cases are much more difficult but it is a judge’s sole decision and the evidence is in the state’s favor; in contrast, criminal cases have a jury of peers, there is the requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
-Fewer states are listening to the FDA, which is very dogmatic when it comes to raw milk and makes public statements like, “drinking raw milk is like playing Russian Roulette with your health.”
-The variation of state law; raw milk map on the FTCLDF website: www.farmtoconsumer.org
-Challenging the FDA regulation that it is illegal to cross state lines with raw milk
-Other recent court cases, such as 1 in Minnesota last year where a volunteer manager for a buyers club faced several misdemeanor criminal charges. He was acquitted of all 3 charges. Many members attended with their children. The judge commented on how well-behaved the children were, someone in the crowd shouted, “It must be the raw milk!” Alvin is still facing more charges in another county; the state dropped the single charge about the raw milk itself.
-Organic Pastures Dairy in California is trying to get its product from one state where it is legal to another state where It is legal.
-The great trend of towns passing local food sovereignty ordinances.
-The types of court cases Farm to Consumer takes; they defend the legality against government agencies.
-The signs of an unjust law—where have we seen this before?
-Most states have “livestock lein laws,” recognizing the rights of someone who owns livestock. Herd shares; unless there is a law that expressly outlaws them, they are legal.
-RFID tagging of livestock: the implications in regards to food freedom with federal or state mandates requiring RFID. Most states have laws in place, we are worried about federal government leveraging their will (read: withholding funds) following the defeat of NAIS.
-Tagging each poultry bird? Total Lack of Common Sense—but still part of the federal program.
-The Annual Appeal: The fundraising goals of Farm to Consumer—a true grass roots non-profit = no government funding (let’s face it FTCLDF sues the government), only small business funding, not large corporate funding. Most funds come through individuals.
–Joel Salatin (love that guy!) hosts fundraising dinner at Polyface Farm.
-Wrap up
Links:
Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Like FTCLDF on Facebook
Raw Milk map legal/illegal color code state by state
Join the FTCLDF mailing list or check out their podcast
Donate to FTCLDF or attend one of their fund raisers and meet some of our other great friends!
Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF)
Modern Farmer article on the Juror Revolt in the criminal misdemeanor case of Vernon Hershberger
Wilson’s trip to Polyface Farms
Pantry Paratus podcast with Natasha Simeon on the raw milk situation in Minnesota
Paul Wheaton at Permies.com and at RichSoil.com
Paul’s podcast with Sally Fallon Morell
Pantry Paratus podcast with Sally Fallon Morell
Wilson’s trip to Sally Fallon Morell’s farm
Pantry Paratus podcast with Buck Adams of Veterans to Farmers
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice. You should consult your own physician or legal counsel before making any personal life changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
There I was walking down the sidewalk on a hot summer day and I saw these ants working feverishly on what was left of somebody’s ice cream lying on the sidewalk. Regardless of the fact that the consumer did not care to properly discard of the container, there were still all of these ants. Of the earth’s entire surface only about 29% of it is land , which totals about 149 million square kilometers (Coffey); and of that only about 2% is inhabited. Now statistically taking all of the available inhabited land mass on earth, and divide that into about 100 square meter blocks (or probably a rough guess for the distance an ant colony would forage) and it leaves you with a 1 in 1,490,000 chance that the ice cream container would land in the foraging area of those ants—random chance or design?
At this point, we cannot call it merely a coin toss. Rather, looking at the fact that this was a crowded East Coast suburban area means that the probability is much higher than in an outlying corner of an abandoned rural lot. Moving past the probability leaves us with the fact that the natural order has “closed loop” systems, in other words it is very hard to find an example in nature where things are wasted. Take this guerilla compost pile that I started a long time ago on a forested lot—the insects are making quick work of what was once “waste.”
Of course if you have been reading this blog, you know that we strongly encourage composting because it is harvesting otherwise discarded inputs. The best of someone else’s farm exported to your house can be reclaimed by you in your compost heap/bin. Whereas free radicals wreak havoc on living things, they are absolutely critical in the decaying process. “Decay is a free radical mediated process returning matter back to its simplest inorganic form” (Reams, 1978).
“Nature does not move carbon around very much” (Joel Salatin), and this is true, but in the natural order we find many clever rearrangements of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. That list pretty much chemically sums up the major constituencies of any living thing or a compost pile (formerly living things). The cycling of carbon on a homestead or farm is a sure sign that the land’s true value is being realized. To that end, there is no better expression of self-sufficiency than the harmony between perennials and herbivores. In all reality, any other method is (in the true sense of the word) unsustainable and not being totally honest with oneself.
Take for instance the precious gift of soil that we have in the Great Plains. I have heard some credit that wonderful soil to centuries of being “pulsed” by bison (herbivores) eating the prairie grasses (perennials). I always think of this beautiful relationship when I drive down through Wyoming and see the ruminants eating grass (not corn). Yet the grass growing there is not a waste product and the cows are not scavengers. It is hard to see the grazing cattle as anything else other than opportunistically eating what was growing there. Yet the cows eating the grass and leaving cow patties is what makes the grass grow back healthier still all the while providing rich nutrients to the cow’s meat, namely Vitamin B12.
Living grass will continue to thrive whether or not something eats it (it is resilient stuff, overall). What about something that is truly wasted? I immediately thought of that when I saw this picture of a Ruddy Turnstone eating a dead crab. This small shoreline wading bird is making the best of a bad situation. Not that the crab has any say in the matter, but we see that in the natural order nothing is wasted. We are reminded of this in Montana, where the deer outnumber people. It is not uncommon to see extremely large populations of scavengers (of which only the eagles are beautiful) having a roadside feast. Throw an apple core into the wood line and some chipmunk or deer will eat it for sure. Hopefully, the seeds will be either buried and forgotten about (read: planted) or deposited in a scat pile somewhere thus bringing about a new apple tree (assuming that those were not hybrid apples).
The next time you see pesky autumn leaves around the base of a hardwood tree, note that those leaves are not wasted—the tree self-mulches! That is the tree protecting itself and in some sense recycling all that carbon, nitrogen and oxygen again for next year. And in the natural order, carbon (e.g. the leaves) does not move around a whole lot—unless your neighbor did not rake up his/her leaves and they are now in your yard.
Did you ever hear of Mao’s Four Pests Campaign in China? Bizaare piece of history. Basically, he sent the people on a mission to kill sparrows, mosquitos, flies, and rats. The ecological balance was so disrupted that the campaign is credited by almost every scholar on the subject as the primary cause for the massive starvation resulting in the death of millions of people. Along with the near-extinction of sparrows and the subsequently unchecked population of crop-eating insects, compost-waste was piling up for lack of natural consumers! You see, even the pests serve a purpose in the closed loop.
We do not like certain obnoxious creatures—scavenger birds, ants marching one-by-one, or even those annoying flies—but remember that they have a very important role to play in the cycle that ultimately provides us with fertile soil, lush fields, and food for the table.
Wilson
Pro Deo et Patria
Works Cited:
Coffey, J. (18 February 2009). Retrieved from http://www.universetoday.com/25756/surface-area-of-the-earth/
Hadley, D. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://insects.about.com/od/antsbeeswasps/a/10-cool-facts-about-ants.htm
Reams, C. (1978). (p. 8). Spencer: Nutritional Counselors of America Holistic Wholesalers, LLC.
Photo Credits:
Ruddy Turnstone by Rob Graff
All other photos by Pantry Paratus
For Further Reading:
Nauta, P. (2012). Building soils naturally. Austin: Acres, USA.
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
Most of our blogs either depict the joys of our newfound homesteading life, or a baking tip I want to pass along for your enjoyment, or some geeky food fact that we find fascinating and hope that you do, too. We never considered ourselves political people before getting into this business–but as we have discovered, food has become political. We seem to be on the wrong side of those politics these days. Would it not be easier to show a picture of a baby lamb and suggest our idyllic life as a romantic notion? Easier, but not ethical. You see, when you discover a truth that could very well be killing your closest friends and family, is there not an obligation to stand up for justice?
We have yet to completely determine how we (just a small family-operated kitchen self-sufficiency store) can effectively fight for justice when so many more honorable, noble people (like Michael Schmidt, Alice Jongerden, and many others) have been fighting this battle for food freedom with their very livelihoods — even lives– as they often face the threat of decades in prison. I have little to offer, but I do have this–my personal philosophical response to GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms–“Frankenfood”).
If you have also arrived at some of these conclusions, please share some of your own reasons below this post. Let’s discuss this together.
Because I give a rat’s….tumor….about the scientific data surrounding cancer as linked to a genetically modified diet.
The human construct of invincibility is a lie.
We strive to create the unsinkable Titanic. If we could just create a plant that would not succumb to an insect, to a drought, to the crisis of the moment. If we could just create a plant with higher yields or longer transit life…. Passion like that of Captain Ahab in his search for Moby Dick overwhelms the logical limits of what is within human jurisdiction. The lines are blurred and societally we become a collective version of that 17 year old child with a driver’s license and a sports car. Something that we intrinsically know on the individual level is unknown on a corporate one: there is such a thing as right and wrong, evidenced by the mere concept of “consequences”—that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and that our push-and-pull on this world will push us and pull on us back.
Collective amnesia—the “Out of Sight/Out of Mind” phenomenon, that what cannot be seen cannot affect us.
Very similar to the Invincibility Shield, but the Invincibility Shield will ultimately recognize the possibility of travesty (the car could wreck—for someone else but not me). The societal Collective Amnesia is denial, pure and simple. The term “GMO” may mean something to an individual but does not have practical application to the plate simply because –squirrel—that was then and now is now, and now is a steamy plate of chili cheese fries. I remember taking our family dog to the vet, who was a mutt intelligent enough to know a needle when he saw one. The vet would draw the needle, holding it menacingly in the air. The dog’s response was clearly that if he could not see the vet, the vet could not see him—he would bury his muzzle deeply into my chest and have the greatest surprise at the sting greeting him at the other end. If we cannot see the GMO—on the label or otherwise—then it is not worthy of another thought. The pleasure of the moment (the food at hand) is our immediate temptation and our immediate concern, not the contents thereof. I saw something on Pinterest about GMO once, but that wasn’t now.
The Legacy Argument.
The companies that create the GMOS are the ones with the rather expensive campaigns touting the “American Farmer” showing pictures of children in cowboy boots, staring over a corn field with Farmer Daddy. Such unspoken messages of legacy are very real messages indeed—never mind the irony that it is given by the companies who sue farmers for saving seeds or for harvesting plants that may have been inadvertently cross-pollinated by their poisonous ones. Oh, they are leaving a legacy alright, but there will be no Iowa farm for that boy or for the generation after him. Years of chemicals, mono-cropping, over-tilling, and the loss of ecological diversity have killed the land and depleted the topsoil. The real work has been done for centuries by the microbes and underground life teeming with nutrients and aeration for that land, but those are long since strip mined. And for what? Higher food prices and more ethanol subsidies (but I repeat myself). The price of a bag of groceries to the consumer is up and the take home to the farmer is down. No, I was not the first one to notice that.
So while Monsanto and the others (Monsanto is not the only one!) give you the pictoral vision of legacy, they are co-opting the argument to claim for themselves the very thing they destroy. At the end of the day, you have to decide how much scientific evidence supports the propaganda that they are improving the state of our health and our land—or not. And at the end of the day, I want my children to put seed into the ground and get a life-giving food as a result. Will they have that opportunity? I speak out as a Mom to all the farmers trapped in the spin cycle who are likely fathers themselves. Who wants to destroy a farm’s greatest asset, namely its top soil and fertility for today’s profit when tomorrow’s generation will inherit the second dust bowl.
The Transparency Argument.
Picture from Polyface Farm: Joel Salatin is giving a tour. Farm tours like these are common all over the United States.
Oh what a tangled web they weave between public and private job titles! The back-and-forth of government positions to corporate execs is dizzying. The disappearance of evidence, the shutting up of the evidence, the laws that pass in the dead of night against the citizen seeking governmental independence from their personal agricultural pursuits….if GMO is so noble, so life-giving, why is all this legal racketeering needed pray tell? The only transparency seems to be coming from the local family farm. We could cite Ag-Gag laws from every state saying that photographs of CAFOs are illegal, or we could relay multiple cases of dead-of-night ordinances rezoning farms that ultimately shut their barn doors, farmers being followed by unmarked cars or under survelliance as they plant their fields; we could talk about the unannounced confiscation of animals with the claims they hold diseases completely unknown within the animal breed nor are they tested prior to their annihilation. If you follow this stuff at all, you know of case-after-case-after-case-after-case. If not, get to know them. And then go to Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund and become a member.
What are your reasons? Which ones did I forget to mention? Leave a note and explain your reasons against GMO.
Let’s leave a legacy for our children,
Chaya
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
Photo Credits:
Unless otherwise stated, all photos are property of Pantry Paratus, so please keep proper attribution if you share them in any way.
Captain Ahab: petesimon via photopin cc
Monsanto’s Billboards of Altruism: Property of Pantry Paratus
Joel Salatin: Picture from Polyface Farm Website.
This blog originally posted last year. We find this weekend to be a wonderful time of laughter, love, and new memories made with family and friends. We also, however, pause to reflect of those who sacrifice.
I hope to not disappoint you if you were looking for a great grilling recipe for your get together today. I am sure that you can do a search and find a skillion of those. Today I wanted to reflect on Memorial Day and what it means to remember. You may have noticed the bracelet in pictures or videos of me (Wilson). I neither try to hide it nor show it off because I wear the bracelet to remind myself that every day is Memorial Day.
The text of the bracelet reads:
SGT Nicholas A. Robertson
SOT-A 3301 3/3 SFG(A)
KIA 03 APR 2008, Afghanistan
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
I can remember Nick the last time I saw him in Afghanistan. I would love to tell you about how great of a person he was, but there just would not be the space to do that topic justice. He was the kind of All-American kid who opted to serve his country because he loved her. Ultimately that love would put him in harms way and he would sacrifice his life.
Nick was an academic, a soldier, a linguist and a philosopher. I came across a duty roster that he had made which showed an algebraic formula for figuring out which day your duty slot came up. Needless to say, not everyone got it and some further interpretation was required, but this was how Nick saw the world. A philosopher is always looking to leverage logic in the search for the “why.”
So why do we take a day to honor the fallen? I believe it is because they willingly gave. Nick was a very smart guy and he could have done many other careers—yet he chose to apply his talents for his country. It is this act of freewill that makes the sacrifice so meaningful.
So as we take a day to honor the fallen, I wanted to pay a personal tribute to Nick and his family by saying that you may never have gotten the chance to meet him, but he indeed embodied the very best of our volunteer Armed Forces. Seeing his picture there on my wrist reminds me every day the value of sacrifice and free will.
If you choose to, please leave a comment below for his family.
Wilson
Pro Deo et Patria
Websites that honor Nick and some press releases about him:
http://www.mainesecurity.com/IMO/IMO-Nicholas-Robertson.htm
http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/bangornews/guestbook.aspx?n=nicholas-robertson&pid=107378945
http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11810
http://www.soc.mil/uns/Releases/2011/May/110527-02.html
http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2009/add_names_09.shtml
http://www.nsa.gov/about/_files/memorial_wall/robertson.pdf
http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17940
http://www.patriotguard.org/ALLForums/tabid/61/view/topic/forumid/29/postid/836510/Default.aspx
It isn’t glorious, glittery, or glamorous. Hard work and empty pockets. So why do I bother?
This is not philosophical, discussing the next generation raised in an agrarian society or any such thing. This has far more to do with the taste of a real tomato.
1. Daily life has many sides. From creativity to accounting, to creative accounting; the need for ingenuity and need for routine, even ingenious routine…I actively use both sides of my brain.
2. No one’s egg tastes better than the ones I find under the wheelbarrow or in the playhouse.
No other apple rivals that from the tops of my own trees.
3. I have a constant awareness of just how small, minute, and meaningless I am as an individual in comparison to the marvels of Creation.
I have a constant awareness of how much the little things matter.
Both extremes keep everything else in perspective.
4. I know what I am eating. I can pronounce it. I can recreate it. Heck, I probably even named it.
5. Duty. I am fulfilling a rather joyful obligation to take care of the earth (man’s first directive from God himself). Some do this with a flower box on a balcony, I do this on the side of a hill, but we can all take part in this one.
6. I have something to show for my work at the end of a day. Often, anyway.
7. I have no commute, no big city monthly parking fee, no homeowner’s association & no need for a gym membership.
8. I get to play in the dirt.
9. I have always loved the combined smell of wet grass and manure, ever since I was a little girl. Who’s with me on this one?
Alternatively… the smell of the early spring blooms, the buzz and hum of the birds and bees working hard towards that end. The slightest breeze, the gentle beginnings of a summer rain. The taste of the carrot straight from the ground, the tomato from vine-to-mouth…the happy honking of a goose or the taily-wag of an excited outdoor companion…these are the things that construct my day as I homestead.
10. I know where my food comes from, and I know what to do with it!
Chaya
*Catch the next blog (a continuation, of sorts): Homesteading: 10 Things I Have Learned
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.
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