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Reading Room:  Animal,Vegetable, Miracle Book Club - Interested?  |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 02 2010 : 05:20:19 AM
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Judy,
that is the most interesting use for zuck that I've ever seen. Good job!
Thank you all for your complements on our farm article. We do not ship cheese,but do enjoy visitors!
God Bless Farmers
Sister #167 |
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textilelover
True Blue Farmgirl
557 Posts
Dianne
Middletown
NY
USA
557 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2010 : 3:51:32 PM
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I love the recipe for zucchini rhubarb pie! And the recipes in the book sound yummy. Anyway, our first rooster (a New Hampshire Red) named Rocky I was HUGE. He was almost as tall as our youngest son who was 9 at the time. He was a great rooster to the hens (who he grew up with) but nasty. Our neighbor's daughter was afraid of him and he nipped my heels when I opened the pen, so we traded him for a small Bantam named Rocky II. He was beautiful and a courageous rooster who died defending his hens from a red fox. Now we have his nephew...you guessed it...Rocky III. He's good looking and gentle but not much in the way of a protector (he roosts in the coop before the hens even come in and eats all the goodies himself!). I do notice that the hens act less bird-brained and flighty when a rooster is around. We didn't have one for a while and the hens were all over the place. I could spend hours just watching their antics. Dianne
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci |
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textilelover
True Blue Farmgirl
557 Posts
Dianne
Middletown
NY
USA
557 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2010 : 3:57:33 PM
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Kris, Just wanted to say I hear you loud and clear. And I laughed about your poop soup. We practically have to use cleats to walk back to our chicken coop. Dianne
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci |
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Celticheart
True Blue Farmgirl
811 Posts
Marcia
WA
USA
811 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2010 : 9:54:06 PM
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I find it very entertaining to watch my chickens and relaxing to watch the cows. Last year we didn't have the calves here at the house but out on the big pasture. I missed them. I complained so much that we get the calves this year! They're so much fun to watch when they play.
I don't think I have any specific animal stories. We've had a series of strange cats. No excellent zucchini recipes either. I did dehydrate some last year and then told my son-in-law I was going to sneak it into his lasagna. He didn't think it was funny.
"Let us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other art follows. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
Daniel Webster
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 04 2010 : 04:17:30 AM
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We have a Collie named Zephie. She is a tri-colored, rough coat. I have had that dog with me since before Doug and the kids. She is definitely 'my dog' so to speak. Actually she is lying by my side with her nose on my feet as I type this! She follows me around when I do all of my chores and never is more than a foot or two away. When the kids come home from school, though, it is strictly play time! She herds them like they were cattle and they all run around together. They even play a game of doggie football - the kids are the quarterback and defender, Zephie is the running back, and they've trained her to run over the "goal" line in our backyard after she catches the ball. I could watch these antics all day!
Wishing everyone a wonderful day!
-Tina
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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Butterscotch Grove
True Blue Farmgirl
196 Posts
Melissa
Fairbanks
AK
196 Posts |
Posted - Jun 04 2010 : 11:46:01 AM
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I'm gonna have to jump into this thread. I started reading this book just this week, but I'm about at the same spot you all are - can't put it down. I did just read 11 pages of posts, though, so now I have to go do something else before my butt falls asleep. Will add my 2 cents soon! :-)
Melissa
My blog:
http://ButterscotchGrove.wordpress.com |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Jun 04 2010 : 7:00:47 PM
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I have a couple really good, really easy zucchini recipes, but I will have to post them later, I can barely stay awake right now.
As to animals, we have one very nosy and talkative hen, she is a Buckeye, named Sue. And if there is anything interesting going on in the vicinity she will have her nose in it and something to say about it.
We also have a very strong-willed basset hound named Annabelle, she doesn't like to be "trapped" in the back yard so has climbed fences (on 4" legs!!), chewed through chicken wire, and worked her shoulders and body through 4" horse fencing. Once she is out of the backyard she mostly hangs out in the driveway so it's not like she really wants to escape. She also is a master of getting food off the counter, again on 4" legs, especially if it's butter, she loooves butter.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2010 : 05:00:48 AM
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Good Morning Girls,
Hope your Sundays are off to a good start. Here are the Chapter 13 discussion questions & topics:
1) The situation w/ the Appalachian Harvest farmers and their lost revenue (and tomatoes!) due to the breached store agreements was particularly disturbing. What were your opinions on this section of the chapter?
2) On a lighter note, BK began "puttin up" her harvest. Share any stories you have from your life related to the theme "Adventures in Canning".
Well, I'm off to spend the day at my youngest son's football team benefit car wash and bake sale. I'm the head of the bake sale table - hope I don't do too much sampling!
Wishing everyone a blessed Sunday!
All the best,
Tina
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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Butterscotch Grove
True Blue Farmgirl
196 Posts
Melissa
Fairbanks
AK
196 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2010 : 11:01:46 AM
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Hi Tina
1. It was disturbing that folks in the stores didn't buy the local stuff, but I think that it really points up the need for MAJOR education campaigns. "Reading labels" isn't just for Weight Watchers anymore! And I thought the silver lining of donating, first the "factory seconds," and then the unpurchased produce to low income families, instead of letting it rot was brilliant and a heartbreaking at the same time.
2. When I was a kid, in the mid-70s, my mom's close friend from childhood was a TV news producer. She knew my mom did canning, so when her station (the local CBS affiliate in Philadelphia) did a segment on the resurgence of home-canning, she tapped my mom. We had a news crew in our blue and yellow kitchen. My mom wore a light blue polyester shirt with a pointy collar and matching eye-shadow. I wish I could describe her hairstyle accurately - she had dark red hair, it was short, teased and curled, then hairsprayed to death. (AquaNet!) She cleaned the already spotless kitchen for 3 days beforehand, and arrange all her canning equipment out very nicely. When they finally showed the segment, Mom was washed out by too strong lighting that made her squint, she was shown from the shoulders up, only, and the spot lasted less than 30 seconds!
On the plus side, Mom made the BEST bread and butter pickles ever, IMO. She also made grape jelly from our own wild grapes (in suburban Philly). And tomato jam - sounds weird, tastes like heaven in a jar.
Melissa
My blog:
http://ButterscotchGrove.wordpress.com |
Edited by - Butterscotch Grove on Jun 06 2010 11:04:25 AM |
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Celticheart
True Blue Farmgirl
811 Posts
Marcia
WA
USA
811 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2010 : 11:14:23 AM
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Melissa,
I made tomato jam a couple of years ago. Found the recipe in an old cookbook of my sister's. It was so good!
"Adventures in Canning"......I've had a few. I'm going to go ponder that while I shampoo my living room carpet. Doesn't that sound like fun?!
Marcia
"Let us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other art follows. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
Daniel Webster
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textilelover
True Blue Farmgirl
557 Posts
Dianne
Middletown
NY
USA
557 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2010 : 04:20:07 AM
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I was heartbroken when I read about the farmers' cooperative whose tomatoes were not purchased because the California tomatoes were a bit cheaper. I am making a conscious effort to buy locally and tell anyone who will listen about the benefits. Education is the key.
Just purchased and ate rib-eye steaks (grass fed, corn finished) from our local farm (Pierson's Bicentennial Farm). It was the most delicious beef I have ever tasted and I didn't even season it with salt and pepper.
I have canned but got away from it for a few years. I'm going to start again this summer, but because I work at a college, it's busiest in August and September and leaves little time for canning.
PS...Amy, my older yellow lab, Annie, is an escape artist like your dog. When we rescued her we were required to buy a $200 chain link kennel. I can't tell you how many times Annie has "escaped" by chewing the chain link and breaking out!
Dianne
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci |
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2010 : 2:17:42 PM
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Hello Everyone,
The impact not buying from the local tomato farmers made me particularly upset because the information on the change was not readily available to the consumers doing the buying. I wonder how many of them would have opted for the slightly pricier local tomatoes if they were fully educated on the impact?
I have only tried to can a few times and must admit that I'm not very good at it. The lids never seal right, my jams are too runny, and I even had something explode in the boiling water bath once. I'm determined, though. Practice makes perfect as they say!
Have a lovely rest of the day.
All the best,
Tina
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 05:00:10 AM
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I hope everyone's Wednesday is off to a good start! Here is the discussion point/question for Chapter 14:
BK presents her arguments for choosing meat eating vs. vegetarianism. What are your opinions on vegetarian and meat eating lifestyles?
Have a great day!
All the best,
Tina
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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patchworkpeace
True Blue Farmgirl
478 Posts
Judy
Jackson
Michigan
USA
478 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 06:56:45 AM
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The vegan lifestyle is a great way to lose weight quickly - I lost 40 pounds in two months. I'm all for anyone who can sustain it, or a vegetarian lifestyle, or ova-vegan one. In our case, we weren't able to get enough necessary vitamins, minerals so we now eat meat about 1-2 times a week. This has worked well for us. Also, we found a farm that sells grass-fed beef -- Yea! Now, we just have to find a local source of eggs and chicken and organic veggies that we don't grow. We're getting there.
Judy
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
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Butterscotch Grove
True Blue Farmgirl
196 Posts
Melissa
Fairbanks
AK
196 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 09:52:28 AM
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I believe humans are omnivorous creatures. We are the only omnivores who have the ability to choose not to eat something because of ethical or religious reasons. I assume taste preferences are a human luxury as well, when we're talking about entire classes of nutrients. My little family did a vegetarian experiment for awhile (never managed to go completely vegan) because I read a book called The China Study, all about how our American diet contributes to "diseases of affluence" like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. My pediatrician, after we were eating vegetarian for a year, suggested that, since I wasn't eating this way out of religious need, I should consider what I might be doing to my kids - that they might not be getting all the necessary nutrients growing bodies need. Since they were both well over the 50% percentile for height and weight, I wasn't all that concerned, but I relaxed on the meat eating. We still don't eat that much meat, but I have to say that, having grown up in a meat-eating family, I like having the variety available when you can make a meal that includes meat.
I think, having read A,V,M, and having located a VERY EXPENSIVE source of locally grown, grass-fed meat (beef, buffalo, goat, lamb, poultry), we'll be getting back to an almost vegetarian diet, supplemented with local meats. I don't want to eat meat from feedlots, that's been shipped all the way up here under refrigeration. However, I won't be able to replace that meat with local stuff, because I just don't have that much money.
Local eating is a conundrum for us. BK's rule was 100 miles, right? And even her flour was made with wheat from farther away. It's nearly 400 miles to the nearest dairy from here, and noone in AK raises wheat - so even homemade bread is iffy. I'm not trying to do what she managed; I don't want to say it's impossible, though, because I'm just in the beginning of our experiment, and I'm lots more aware of where my food's coming from.
(Wow, that sure was wordy - Sorry!)
Melissa
My blog:
http://ButterscotchGrove.wordpress.com |
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Celticheart
True Blue Farmgirl
811 Posts
Marcia
WA
USA
811 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 12:55:26 PM
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I eat very little meat myself but my DH is a meat eater. We raise our own beef and it's wonderful but I just don't like beef that well or any red meat really. It's nothing new. When I was a kid, I used to spend lots of time sitting at the dinner table alone because I wouldn't eat the meat. So we have a compromise. Meat a few nights a week, meat or chicken in soups or salads a couple of nights and then a vegetarian meal or two per week also. It works. It's cheaper--even though it's our beef it still costs us to raise it--and it's healthier.
"Let us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other art follows. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
Daniel Webster
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 3:08:28 PM
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My family is split right down the middle most of the year. My youngest son and I would take veggies, fruit, and beans over meat any day and my oldest son and husband would take meat and potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! That all changes during summer though when all of us will eat a nice steak on the grill every chance we get. I hate to have meat based meals too much a part of our lives, so I try to use the "Meat Free Day" technique that is in the news a lot these days. One day a week, I fix dishes for each of the meals that is purely vegetarian. It has been a great way to introduce new foods to the kids - I think they have suprised themselves with what new things they actually like (artichoke hearts! avocado! patty pan squash!).
All the best,
Tina
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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TexBetsy
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Betsy
Princeton
TX
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 6:20:07 PM
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I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle because I definitely want to eat more local foods. I work for a company that provides processing equipment for the food industry so I see the processing side of the business and it is huge. There are a few major players as referenced in the book and they "rule the roost". I want to get away from supporting such big business and offer my business to the local farmers that provide fresh fruit and vegetables. My husband loves a good steak, so we're not going to give up meat, but I want to find a local source for that as well.
Betsy
Farmgirl #1444 |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 7:44:48 PM
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I had a period of time when I was vegetarian when I was younger but now I eat meat. We bought a side of beef from a local farmer - grass fed, pastured - and it has been great. I tend to eat small portions of meat and larger of veggies. I have a really hard time eating conventional meat anymore - for one thing the moral ramifications, and another is the taste. Since I work in an organic food store I am around good food all the time so I can really taste the difference when I have conventional. I think you can get perfectly good nutrition as a vegetarian, but I also appreciated BK's comments on insect/animal life that is lost in the harvesting of grain. You can't get around the impact that we make on the earth, particularly when you start to do anything on a large scale.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2010 : 8:34:53 PM
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I've recently tried to go back to being a vegetarian (I was one some twenty years ago) but I find that my body craves some meat if I don't eat it. I recently found out that my potassium levels are very low, and lean meat is a good source of potassium, so i treated myself to a steak tonight. It wasn't local, but it hit the spot. there is a farmer who raises pasture fed meat, but I don't know if I'd buy enough from him to make it worthwhile. The farmer's market also started in June and there is a farmer who sells pastured longhorn beef. It's easier for me to make it to the farmer's market than to drive the twenty miles (one way) to the other farmer. So I guess I'm what's considered a "flexitarian". That's a vegetarian who sometimes eats meat, usually fish or chicken, and occasionally red meat. But I really do believe a vegetarian diet is the way to go, if you can handle it. My body has changed since I was a vegetarian those many years ago, and it's needs have changed too. I think the decision to be a vegetarian is a very personal one and not to be taken lightly.
"There is more to life than increasing its speed". Mahatma Gandhi
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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textilelover
True Blue Farmgirl
557 Posts
Dianne
Middletown
NY
USA
557 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2010 : 03:47:20 AM
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I'm a little behind (just read the last chapter last night), but wanted to say that I thought BK's explanation of her family's eating choices was very enlightened. I am learning so much from this book and the discussions, and I am trying to implement changes slowly and effectively in our home. I have to thank every one of you for taking the time to post your replies--they are an important part of education for me! Dianne
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci |
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2010 : 5:56:58 PM
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Hello Ladies,
Sorry for the delay in this question's posting. My family and I headed to a long weekend trip out of town to New York City and just got home. We enjoyed fresh made pasta in Little Italy and ice cream cones near Central Park. We even had a minor brush with fame - Kelsey Grammer walked along side me and the kids for about 5 seconds total!
Anyways, here is the question/discussion for Chapter 15:
BK's admiration of Italian food culture is clear in Chapter 15. What food culture do you admire and why?
Have a wonderful evening.
Wishing everyone all the best,
Tina
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2010 : 7:44:33 PM
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French, and for the same reasons that Barbara Kingsolver loves Italy. I know I would love italian food and culture if/when I get to go there.
I love French food because there is an emphasis on quality over quantity, because a meal in France takes time, because by and large they create fabulous meals with simple ingredients, because it is a law that baguettes have to be affordable so that everyone can afford really good bread, because even tiny little towns of 300 or so have bakeries with fresh croissants and bread every morning, because the farmers can and do go on strike to protest McDonalds, because they are in touch with seasonality of fruits and vegetables, because there is a still such a strong farmer's market tradition and finally (although I'm sure I could think of more to say, can you tell I love France?) because the country produces upwards of 400 different types of cheese.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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textilelover
True Blue Farmgirl
557 Posts
Dianne
Middletown
NY
USA
557 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2010 : 04:04:25 AM
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Amy, I don't think any of us can top that description! I have not yet been to France, Italy or Spain, but I read a lot of travel narratives, and if they describe cooking and eating, all the more enjoyable! We did go to Germany (northern and southern), England and Amsterdam years ago and I was not excited about the food until I ate it! It seems most European cultures have a love affair with food, not the love/hate relationship we Americans have (Zone, South Beach, Atkins diets). Good, slow food takes time, thought and fresh ingredients, something most Americans (myself included) don't always have, but we're trying. Dianne
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci |
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dreamingofafarm
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Tina
Bangor
Pennsylvania
157 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2010 : 11:50:57 AM
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I am fan of the peasant food of Ireland, England, and France. Ratatouille, Stew, Shepard's Pie and so many others. The 'make do' and 'use it up' sensibilities of European peasant cultures is admirable. Many of the recipes have survived hundreds of years and in their simplest states are so delicious. They are also quick and easy to prepare with minimal watching the oven time - something I appreciate with my hectic schedule as a mom and reflective of the farmer wives having not only children and households, but entire farmsteads to run.
Farmgirl Sisterhood #1355
"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones afterall." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen |
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Reading Room: Animal,Vegetable, Miracle Book Club - Interested? |
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Animal,Vegetable, Miracle Book Club - Interested?
