One of the most wonderful parts of the summer is the produce. Especially summer tomatoes. This time of year makes those beautiful red, (and if you're lucky enough to get heirloom tomatoes....green, yellow, mottled brownish purple....) globes burst with flavor.
Yeah, I'm a bit nuts about it- But who could blame me? You can't get REAL tomatoes after September as far as I'm concerned.
Here are pictures of some delicious heirloom tomatoes I ate tonight!
Delicious!
So what is an Heirloom tomato some of you may ask? Click HERE to learn more.
For a quick answer to that question, they are varieties of tomatoes that are not common (i.e. your average red, often boring- tomato). Often they vary in size, texture, color, and flavor. One of my favorites is the Zebra (first picture). They're great for pickling (which I WILL be doing this weekend... Pictures to be included in that follow up post). There are so few ways to make the delicious summer veggies last all year long.
This week will be the week where all I eat is tomatoes. Thats not bad right? Maybe some kale or spinach with olive oil and a smile. That could work.
Oh, and the best part about these tomatoes? LOCAL, AND ORGANIC. It's like a belated birthday gift.
Easter is an especially important holiday for many people.
Me? I just come for the food and people!
One of my dear friends has often had me over for various holidays, and this year it was Easter! Her mother makes these delicious cheese pies! They're amazing! Since I was a little girl I've loved them...just thinking about how tasty they are makes me want to eat about 10 of them right now!
See below some pictures from the great afternoon I spent with my friend, her mother, and nephew!
As you can see, the dough for the cheese pies have to be rolled out to just the right consistency.
On to the muffin tin to be filled with eggs, and three kinds of delicious Greek cheeses!
Below is my fellow blogger MG, (check her blog out if you haven't already! it's like sitting down to have coffee with a dear friend when you read it) making sure that the dough settles into the nooks of the muffin tin.
Once the tins are filled with the egg and cheese mixture, the edges are cut with a special dough cutter. This one is well over a hundred years old. It was her mothers, fathers, mothers tool.
A sprinkle of cinnamon....and then into the oven!
Blurry but cute pic of us... and then another of us eating the yummy Easter cheese pies (* not out most flattering photos...but I am sharing it nonetheless).
Yum!
Next we colored some eggs, which as a non-Easter celebrator, was a rare treat!
This will not be fluffy. You have been warned. There will be many links.
Here is why ORGANIC neesd to be the new normal. Here is why MONSANTO is shamelessly and viciously raping our mother. Mother Nature.
Yeah, I said it, and it's true. See below for some links that tell some stories that aren't an urban legend, and aren't exaggerations. It's the bloody nightmare that is Monsanto. Click this link to take you to the seemingly benign website for Monsanto.
And here is a link to their brands, so when you're driving, and you see these little signs next to the crops you'll know you are looking not at the yield of beautiful crops nurtured by nature, and the earth- but a science project destined to kill us all in the end.
http://www.monsanto.com/products/brands.asp
They blatantly lie and spread mis-information about SUSTAINABLE farming?! Anf dskmgnds893wru32984ytqrui(*@T$E(*#YHREWJ BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is nothing sustainable about Monsanto. They are making people sick. They are harming the soil of these farms. They are bankrupting small farmers who won't capitulate and use their seeds. Even worse, they are SUING farmers who due to cross pollination have the genetic MUTANT BASTARD SEEEDS in their crops on accident. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. There is something primal in my hatred for this company. They are harming the planet and our nation, along with the other countries who allow them to sell their demon seeds. I am livid. This is why I promote local, organic and true sustainability.
Below are some links to stories about this horrific company. (from one of my favorite websites- ecosalon)
This is how i plan to revolutionize. I don't buy conventional if I can avoid it. The conventional I DO buy is local and from small farms that use real sustainable practices. Not huge farms innundated by this harmful terrible company.
The change I want to see is people being concientous about where there foods comes from; I want people to take a stand against big businesses and make companies that are harmful pay the prices. I am trying to be the change I wish to see in the world.
It's unfortunate that in todays day and age where people have access to so much information, that we still fall into the patterns of ignorance and complacency. Whats even worse is that corporations like this are manipulating where more than just our fruits and vegetables and fatty, inhumanely raised, corn fed beef come from; they also shape our health. There are miniroties (and the majority of people suffering from ill health as a result of a poor diet ARE minorities) who have no access to healthy, organic foods. They have no choice but to eat what is government subsidized. This puts them at a greater risk of diet related illnesses such as high blood pressure, obesity and more commonly, diabetes. A great blog about this is yet again, Jessica my friend who is a fellow food (among many other things) activist. Her most recent blog does discuss this in depth. Food injustice is something that not many of us have to deal with but it's a very harsh reality that exists.
Please choose organic- it's better for the world, better for you, and it sends a message. While it may seem subtle, it's loud and clear. When you vote with your dollar you don't mix any messages. Loud and clear let the big businesses know that they are messing with the wrong consumers, and do NOT want their science projects in their bodies!!
If somebody was to ask you what your most prized posession was, what would your answer be? A family heirloom? Photos from the past? An award of some sort?
Well, if you ask me what my most prized posession was, I'd have to say that I have many (and wont' choose just one becauseyoucantmakemenononono!)....and aside from my most absolutely final 100% first answer being my soul (as it's the only thing you can really possess) I have to say my many dear excellent friends. Old ones, new ones. It's amazing how blessed I am to know the stellar human beings that I do. Kind, generous, beautiful, wild, creative, amazing people who are accompanying me in my life.
One in particular needs to be called out. Jessica R. Now we've known each other...almost 5 years. Maybe a little more or less- I don't know the exact awesome date that we met- but it was an awesome day. And like all friends we've had disagreements, and don't always share the exact point of view; luckily though we usually do and completely agree that the world needs a REVOLUTION, and it'll most likely be though food. She's a [LEVEL 9] vegan and has basically committed her life to making it better. For 9-5 she's a social worker and all the time she's an artist.Now this awesome girl Jessica- She is really changing the world. She's my most favorite vegan (even more so than Alecia Silverstone), and a sick writer. Not ill/sick feeling bad- but SICK like her words are like precious jewels strung together to create an abundance of treasure that is her knowledge, compassion and ability to make anyone feel empowered. She has a blog (posted on the bottom of my blog, Mother Earth R.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.S.), and is a writer for Change.org (here is a link to her most recent contribution).
I am so proud of her, and honored to call her my dear friend.
Of course there are SO many of my friends whom I could blather on about who are also incredibly talented, kind, and do amazing things for the world- but is it selfish if I say that my friends(each and every single one) is special to me because of how happy they make me, and how much they make me smile and laugh?
In other news I am happily gluten free right now. Here is a link on why gluten is not so great to eat...
While I am not a Celiac, gluten, is like glue....who wants that in their body? I just feel better. I mean, yeah bread is great but not better than how I feel.
But of course I know that while I have made this change, there are plenty of others that can be made as well. In the past few days I've been feeling overwhelmed- I'm less lazy so more things are getting done but I really need some time to create and work on some projects that have been on the back burner. One of them is a collection of paintings using mixed media as a critique on the world around me....as well as seeing if my town is able to start a composting project with schools. I hope it's feasible b/c there are so many great things that can trickle down from there. All in due time I suppose.
TO conclude I have started my 2 week crash training for a 5 mile race. It's my first one and I'm scared actually. But it's cool. Things that are scary are often scary because they force you to grow and challenge you to rise out of your current state. So I'm excited too.
I'd like to post this link to Jessica's most recent blog. She's a mind blowing talented writer who expresses her thoughts brilliantly. Please read, and subscribe. I adore her. What she's talking about was what I initially started my blog to do. I wanted to share ideas in a similar vein- somehow I got sidetracked.
What the hell am I talking about? I'm not planning some wild, gung-ho sixties inspired bra-burning-fist pumping- march on the mall in Washington, D.C. (for now- stay tuned because you never know with me!). But it'll have a similar, but more subtle impact.
Allow me to start at the beginning.
I am leading a REVOLUTION and I want to take you with me. Actually I am not acting alone- My dear friend Jessica is my partner in this change we can FEEL coming! It's not just us either. There are a lot of people who are doing the same things, or similar. The really good part about it- is that it's easy. Yes, YOU can change the world around you. Between your thoughts, actions and words, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. It's about choices.
This all started a few months back. Jessica and I started to talk about and share ideas about the things that are really important to us. Things that we think about constantly,(like how to make the world a better place, food, politics,health and wellness). The conclusion that we came to is that we need to revolt.
Both of us realized we wanted better for ourselves and the world we live in- And what it came down to was what CHOICES we made every day. Here's how I CHOOSE a better world.
The refusal to purchase the products of an individual, corporation, or nation as a way to bring social and political pressure for change.
I boycott companies that are negatively impacting the world around me.
For exapmple : WALMART/BJ's/COSTCO/SAMs Club ETC. I don't approve of their business tactics, the impact they have on the local economies around them, and the fact that no matter how much organic yogurt they buy- it's not going to make me like them as a company, or the idea of them. While I am not going to dedicate an entire page (right now...) to dissecting these large companies, do some research- maybe you'll find yourself boycotting a company. It feels good to know that you are making SOME kind of impact. The only thing that is redeeming is that when Walmart can price organic yogurt at 89 cents and a person who wouldn't normally have access to it can then buy it. (Every cloud has a silver lining)
Buying power- This is ultimately the back bone of the boycott- but it's also what you buy and not what you don't buy that speaks volumes. When you know the origin of a product, and how it came to be you can make better decisions. I choose to buy organic, local and fair trade whenever possible. This is because those are important issues for me. Organic isn't just a trendy word to throw around that only means more expensive. Though often it is.When you choose to buy an organic food/product, you are choosing nature. The soil for organic crops is richer and more nutrient dense, and it's also going to benefit the environment because organic farming doesn't allow massive amounts of pesticides to leach into the ground water and surrounding rivers, streams and ponds (meaning the life in those bodies of water remains unharmed). Not to mention the amount of chemicals that are not being absorbed into your body. And to back track a bit- Yes, Organic can be more pricey. This is because organic crops aren't subsidized by the governement. The Gov't will pay farmers to grow what the lobbyist in DC pay them off to grow. Organic farmers who don't use the techniques that rape and pillage the land setting it up for a famine undoubtedly do NOT get money. Right now, if you drive through our nations farm land, more often than not you will see acres upon acres of corn. Corn is in EVERYTHING in hundereds of forms from High Fructose Corn Syrup, to Cornstarch. It's being fed to cows (and please note, COWS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO EAT CORN AND GRAINS- they are fed these things so they get fatter faster and then sent off to slaugter in less time......it's a mess of a system that the masses can't seem to unclench their mouth from the teat of...but I digress). Corn is grown to excess....and it's almost always GENETCICALLY MODIFIED So when it's pollen floats to other crops, it too then gets RUINED. It's a terrible system) The DairyCouncil and Beef Board also have a big hand in this kind of lobbying. Thats why organic dairy and beef are so expensive. The larger of many reasons I am vegetarian/vegan inclined is because of the politics behind animal products. Agribusiness is a global nightmare. I do not agree with it, so I do not want to be a part of it. I CHOOSE to not contribute to a problem. If you think that these things are awful, just one vegetarian, or organic meal a week can make a change.
In fact, if you choose to eat one vegan/vegetarian meal a week :
Now I am far from perfect. There are days that I have had dairy b/c I wanted it. Or fish. But currently I am avoiding food that makes me feel like I'm contributing to things I do not beleive in. Thats what the basis of my choices are. What makes me feel good- What makes me happy. What choice has the least harmful impact? And there are things that are completely different from this- If you don't want to be a part of conservative mainstream media, you can opt to watch independent films and listen to local music that hasn't been plundered by big record labels and the like. Or you could just be sick and tired of mean people getting the best of you and others around you. Simple solution- CHOOSE TO BE NICE! It's a lot easier and has helped my sanity more often than not(of course there are days where people do get verbal ass-whoopin's, but it's few and far between since I've taken on my new stance on change).
Here's how to figure out if you want to really make change(and not the Obama kind of change, which sadly is more like, non change as of late):
1) You are angry when you watch the news.
2) Helping yourself and the world around you seems like a pretty awesome deal.
3) You know that things can be, and should be better than they are.
4) You have a really strong desire to take action, but don't know where to start.
5) Inspiring people to live their lives on their terms is something you want to do.
If you answered yes to any of these things, then you are on your way to being part of a revolution. On your own terms. You don't have to be loud, but certainly be proud. Live life with purpose, and put your money where your mouth is.
* Please check out my friend Jessica's blog. She's a phenomenal writer, as well as an extraordinary human being. http://saynotobarbie.wordpress.com
Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm. ~Ambrose Bierce I love food. Reading about it, sharing information about it, eating it. Eating....I LOVE eating. Comfort foods,bursting with flavor, some tasty, warm, fatty, sweet thing. Eating is fun. And I'm good at it. I had never been a picky eater, this was evident by my borderline Rubenesque physique, and penchant for large portions, and more often than not, second helpings. Be it pizza or pot roast, potatoes or lasagna...I wanted more. Savory, sweet, candied, roasted broiled, grilled- I had no objections. And even now there is a part of me that wants to eat with wild abandon. No second thoughts about the origin or global impact of what I'm consuming...Ah, ignorance- like a good porterhouse steak with a side of creamed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes and a generous glass of Shiraz- is bliss.
Backing up a bit... At a particularly young age, when I was about 8, I came to the daunting realization that I was fat. Not gross morbidly obese fat. Not even get teased at school fat. But the kind of fat that made me feel like I had to be extra funny, or extra nice always so nobody would call me fat. And luckily all of that came easily for me. Nobdy ever really did. I always had friends, and people to sit with at lunch. And in reality I was just a kind of chubby kid- not quite fat enough to get teased, or run through the mill of unjustified cruelty. I was just very well aware of my chubbiness. Not because of anything my parents would say- or other kids. I just knew. So that was the end of second helpings(while people were watching...If I was lucky I'd squeeze in a 3rd if no eyes were on me), swimming without a t-shirt, and the start of chub-rub, feeling self conscious when I was in pictures and looked bigger than the other kids(even though I was always one of the shortest), and my seemingly never ending battle with food. But as we all know that when one door closes another one opens.
Early on it was guilt, and media driven desire to be a blond gorgeous amazonian woman that would shape my dietary choices. Atkins diet? Did it. Pfft...20 lbs shed in a month and a half? Nice. One handful of jelly beans, and a slice of pizza helped me quickly add on what I had lost with an additional 15 for good measure. South Beach? Oh great...I need to make food even more fussy? Then came Sugar Busters, Eat Right for your Blood type, Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss.....Yeah, madness. And after each attempt I started to feel like I'd just have to deal with the extra weight. But I was hoping it'd stop...and with time I learned in my own way a REALLY easy diet. It's called pulling my head out of my ass and eating normal sized portions(with a hearty thank you to Weight Watchers for helping me learn that portion control is actually quite important). Also, exercise...but that's a whole other topic.
So what is it that now drives my never ending power struggle with food?
Politics. It's a farther reaching and integral issue. Where my food comes from is more important to me than how many or how few calories it has. I want to know it's Fair Trade. Local if I can help it. Organic is important, and they're much kinder to the planet as well as our bodies. Eating things that aren't processed, and degraded is really the key. Foods from a lab are not for me. Genetically Modified foods are destroying our food supply and making us more susceptible to a famine. Agribusiness is really damaging and it's the epitome of greed and one of the largest contributors to global warming.
I think that every step that has led me to this new way of thinking about food has been a healthy one. And I can thank everyone from the many chiropractors I've worked for, to Michael Pollan (or Jason Schneiderman for reccommending his books to me) to helping open my eyes to these things. At one point it became an obsession. I had to know more about the evils of the conventional foods we don't often hear enough about. Like the EVIL VILE PUTRID SCUM that isMonsanto. About the terrible things that large companies do to get money at the cost of peoples health and well being. I digress.
Being political about what I eat isn't the same as being obsessed with calories. It's a healthier way to choose whats on my plate. And screw the labels that go along with it. Be it omnivore, or level 9 vegan, I just want my food to be healthy because you are what you eat- but I want to keep my planet healthy so it can give me food. I'm such a selfish bitch.
