Living La Vida Local

This weekend, I had to go to the store, and I made the trek to the nearest Basha's.  There used to be one within walking distance (well, not in July), but it was one of the stores that was closed during the bankruptcy.
It just so happens that the intersection where this other Basha's is located is under construction.  And what I mean by "under construction" is "complete and total cluster-rhymes-with-cluck."  It's torn up in all directions to be repaved and (I think) widened - chaos, to say the least.
To get there, I pass a Safeway.  And there is another Safeway not far from the house as well.  But still, I went to Basha's that day.
I have to be honest - I'm not always in love with the store.  It doesn't carry the brand of yogurt I buy for Olivia (I get it at Sprouts, thankfully), and there have been occasions when I wasn't able to find something else that I thought should be fairly common, too.  But I go back there, as I have found the service good and am able to find items that I know I will never find at Sprouts (for canning, etc.).  Call it habit, muscle memory, whatever.
When I checked out, I asked the clerk if the construction had affected the store's business (it's in a strip mall that also has a pretty darn good gyro place, a Peter Piper Pizza, and a PetCo).  She said, "Oh yeah.  A lot.  You have to want to come here."  When I mentioned, almost to myself, that I make the effort, she looked me straight in the eye and said, "We really do appreciate it" with the most sincere gratitude I have ever heard in anyone in sales.
When I got home, I asked Scott, who, having a degree in economics, knows a thing or two more about this than I.  He told me that businesses can lose up to 60% of their business when there is construction.  That amazed me.  I knew that the store traffic was down, but I hadn't imagined that it could drop by such an amount.
While I have been working to buy from more local businesses (I am in awe of the pledge made by the Levitch Family), this information really made me take a good hard think of where I buy my items.  If my choice to bypass two national stores (the Safeways) to go to the local store makes a difference in my community, it will be worth it.  I'm just so glad that PetSmart is a local business!

Peanuuuuuuut... Peanut Butter!

One of three
ingredients

As I was hunched in front of the fridge hiding from my daughter this evening, pouring chocolate syrup over the spoonful of peanut butter, I noticed that we were almost out.  SITUATION CRITICAL!
We love peanut butter in this house.  It is always in stock, and the dog has her own jar that is used solely for Kong® stuffing purposes when we leave the house.  It is not good to be out of peanut butter.
Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about an outage for long - last month, I read how easy it was to make peanut butter at one of my favorite blogs, Kath Eats.  And apparently I thought ahead, as I decided to buy a boatload of peanuts a few weeks ago, just for this project.

whir, whir, whir...

Thus, after Her Royal Highness was tucked snugly into her bed, I took Julia (my Cuisinart®) out of the cupboard and got her ready to go.
Uh, a little note - I would not recommend using Spanish peanuts.  There isn't much difference between these peanuts and what might be labeled as dry roasted peanuts, but they have the skins on.  I am not sure how the skins would affect the taste and/or texture of the finished PB, but I didn't want to find out, so I relieved those little guys of their jackets.
I got a little nervous as the crushed peanuts started bunching up on one side, but I persevered, stopping every few minutes to scrape everything down and to even out the mixture.  Finally (seriously, it was like forever), the peanuts went from crushed mess to smooth, creamy yumminess.  I added kosher salt and my homemade vanilla extract, gave Julia another spin, and had... peanut butter (read those last two words in an awed whisper).
I couldn't wait - I threw a few slices of the bread I made this weekend into the toaster and waited impatiently to slather them up (isn't slather the most lovely word) and hork them down.
The result - definitely doing this again.  And again.  And again.

Homemade from base to top!

From London to Dakota - Saving the World

This weekend I was fortunate to run in another 5K for a great cause; Dakota's Run was sponsored by the local FCA and held at my friend Veronica's church.  This run raised money for a little girl who is fighting leukemia.  Early Saturday morning, HRH and I got in the car, picked up Veronica, and went to church!
This was my first real experience using the jogging stroller.  Um, wow.  Totally harder than it looks, although when you think that I was pushing a contraption that weighs about 10 pounds (-ish?) and had in said contraption a 27-pound Wee One, that puts things into perspective.  My time was a great deal slower than my inaugural run at the Undy 5000, although part of that was the four small stops we made because HRH needed... well, something, I don't know - you know how toddlers get.
But I can't complain; one woman, Dakota's mother, actually, was pushing a double jogging stroller!  Two kids!  Including Dakota, who is 4 years old!  So not only am I not able to complain about my precocious little girl insisting she was "all done outside" before we even hit the halfway marker, I am not able to complain about the additional weight I was lugging around.  Again, I am so fortunate to have health for myself and for my child.  As we ran together for part of the way, I learned that Dakota's mom has run in 6 half marathons in the past year.  All I can say is WOW.  What an amazing woman.
It was a great way to begin the weekend, and I hope that the crowd that gathered in orange (the color that represents the fight against leukemia) helped offset the family's medical costs and give them hope that they have a large and loving support group no matter what.
After an exhilarating and exhausting morning that also included a lavender lemonade for me when I grabbed our weekly veggies, we went out to dinner.  We do not celebrate Valentines' Day in a traditional manner; instead, each year we have dinner with friends.  This started about ten years ago; a large group of us made it a "date."  This year, there were two of the original five couples.  HRH spent the night at Nana's house, so it was actually a real date for us.  We had dinner (sushi - sorry, no pics - we were too excited to eat it, but maybe next time) and a movie (The King's Speech - amazing).  While I know there will always be a market for random chocolates in cardboard boxes shaped like hearts, I don't need a requisite day for my husband and I to offer rhyming sentiments to one another.  But it's always great to go out to dinner in the company of great friends.
Other than that, bread and pectin were on the agenda for the day today.  I have a new basic bread recipe from my friend Christie that makes three loaves, so I'll be using that to experiment with fun flavors (she keeps telling me to stop kneading by hand, though, and I'm just not sure I want to give up that exercise!).   This time I used half bread flour and half whole wheat flour.  There are still a few slices left in the plain loaf I made last weekend, so I have to wait and see how it turned out, which might actually be a boon.  We are nearly out of peanut butter, and I happened across a recipe for homemade, so I am already slobbering over the thought of homemade bread topped with homemade peanut butter and homemade lemon marmalade.

I was told that the finished
product looks like a urine
sample; I don't want to alarm
anyone who looks in my
freezer.

And the pectin - I am really excited to have discovered the website Punk Domestics!  While dinking around on it, I came across this recipe for homemade pectin (OK, so not really recipe, as it's not that involved, but still - and there are other recipes for lemons on that link), and I was delighted to also learn that I can freeze it.  I'm planning on taking full advantage of the Schnepf Farms U-Pick orchards during peach season, so I am envisioning a shelf full of glistening orange jars.  But I digress.  Making the pectin was a perfect way for me to start using those leftover pithy parts from our limoncello project.  I've frozen the remaining rinds and plan to make more pectin as I need it.  What a great way to 1) cut down on waste (I used those lemons three ways!) and 2) cut one more item off the shopping list; pectin certainly isn't that expensive, but if I can make it from rinds and water instead, I've got that money still in the bank.  I just really wish I could find a use for rinds after that - it's really not good to compost that many rinds (too much acid).

Here are a few photos from this weekend's projects.

Before I peel an orange, I'm starting to zest and dry/save it.
The lemon zest - at least thus far - has come from a few lemons
I had to juice to finish off the preserved lemon jars.

Pork chops with a cinnamon-cumin rub on top of a
potato-daikon radish hash and topped with the
rhubarb-lemon-chile preserve as well as chopped
pineapple and oranges

This weekend was also tinged with some sadness; I learned today that one of the two benefactors of this year's London's Run, Breanna Pena, passed away late last week.  One of my co-workers received the news from her son's school, where Breanna went last year.  I am struck at the loss of a child whom I never had the opportunity to meet, and I grieve with those who loved her.  Like Dakota, London, and the other children who fight all forms of cancer each day, Breanna will serve as a reminder that I have an absolute duty to help fight and defeat this disease.  May Breanna be at peace.

When a Friend of Yours Gives You a Bazillion Lemons, Part IV

I actually shipped off some of my precious, precious lemons (and grapefruit) to three of my friends earlier this week, so I am running low and may need to go steal some more off Danielle's tree (pretty sure she'll let me).  I'm looking forward to finding out what they make!
Last night, I decided to preserve some of the lemons I have left.  Preserving lemons is pretty simple.  The secret ingredient is salt.  No, really - you take kosher (or sea) salt and lemons that have been scrubbed clean, and stick them in a sterilized jar... voilà!  Preserved lemons!
OK, there is a bit of a process.  First, cover the bottom of the jar (I would not recommend pint jars like I used - still too small) with salt.

Helloooooo, in there!

Then, take your lemon and cut off the stem and the little bump/nub at the other end.  Slice them nearly in half; turn 90 degrees and repeat; what you'll have a lemon that is almost cut into quarters, but it's still all attached.  Do this to all your lemons (duh).
Confession - I did accidentally slice all the way through two of my lemons.  I totally squeezed them together and pretended I didn't and then shoved them into a jar where there wasn't enough room to tell the difference anyway.

Hiiiiii-yaaaaaaa!
(Miss Piggy impersonation)

Pack a bunch of salt into the lemon - a tablespoonish amount appears to be the norm for recipes you'll find online.
Once finished, shove the lemon into the jar and repeat the process, adding a layer of the salt between each layer of lemon.  You may have to really truly shove at the end to get everything in.  End with a final layer of salt.

Clearly that lemon was too big.
Got it in there anyway, like the ship in a bottle.

Now, in Morocco, different spices are added, and I would love to add a little cinnamon and whatnot into some jars next time (read: when I can get some bigger jars and a few more lemons) to see what flavors I end up with.
Regardless of the different spices that may or may not be added to the jar before sealing, once the jars are sealed, they can be left on the counter (where you can't forget them) for two or three days.  Every time you go into the kitchen, give the jars a little shake.  This helps spread around the salt AND get those juices flowing (it's helpful to have juicy lemons - look for lemons that are heavy for their size; that means they have a lot of juice - same goes for any citrus).

Mmmmm.... briny....

After three days, the lemons should be completely submerged in their juice.  If not, add more from another jar or another lemon that has been relieved of its zest for another tasty endeavor.  Then, throw them in the back of the fridge, where they need to "age" at least three weeks before using.
I am not completely certain what I will use these lemons in, but I'm thinking a salad would be nice as well as perhaps a fruited couscous or even add an accompaniment to fish... as well as perhaps snacking on them right out of the jar (once properly rinsed, of course).
I'm also thinking about what I could do with the brine.  It will be more acidic than your run of the mill brine made with water, but I would hate to just pour it down the drain.  At first I thought of having a salty dog party, but those are with grapefruit, and THOSE certainly won't fit into pint jars!
Any suggestions???

Seriously, I think one of the best things about working with lemons is their cheery color.
I would love seeing these on my shelves were I living in the frozen North.

Scope it Out

I have changed the subtitle of this little blog of mine to better reflect what I realize I will be considering in my words.  While originally, I had planned to keep an online journal of what our family is eating, I can't just discuss the food we put in our mouths in a complete vacuum.  What I put on the table is linked to the runs I take after dinner and the actions I (try to) take on a regular basis.  And were it not for my desire to behave more sustainably than we have, I wouldn't have even take up with our darling CSA.
So I'm officially expanding the scope of DPSTW to include my rantings on compassionate acts (expect several about the charitable running events I've planned out for the year), new discoveries on how to reduce waste (not just table scraps), and being more healthy overall, from organic and local broccoli (which we roasted this evening for dinner) to making my own shampoo/conditioner (really - I'm intrigued).
Honestly, the more I started being conscious of what I put in my mouth, I started thinking that I had to be more conscious of the other things that I do.  No, I'm not planning on living off the grid any time soon; there are a few indulges without which I can't live (think Princess Vespa in Spaceballs), but that doesn't mean I can't pare down for the good of the order.
Thus, this month I'll be reworking my objectives to make them more sensible to my new intent, although I haven't forgotten about my February goal of flossing daily.  It took me a few days to get into it; I realized we were out of floss, and I had to get myself to the store (this time I went to Basha's rather than Target) to buy some.  I am doing pretty well, although as I type this I realize that I DID forget to take my daily vitamin.  But hey - it's not January anymore, right?

When a Friend of Yours Gives You a Bazillion Lemons, Part III

FINALLY!!!!!

Finally, I was successful in getting good-tasting marmalade to set!
Mostly.

It's still a little more liquid than I'd like it to be, but after a taste test (on some freshly baked bread), I determined that this batch - #3 of lemon, #4 overall - is going to count as real lemon marmalade and NOT a failed attempt.
Of course, since we still have lemons, I'll be tweaking things in a fifth go around.  But, basically, I used this recipe as my starting point, modifying from what I've learned in previous attempts:

• Instead of letting the lemons and water sit overnight, I had them sit for four nights (it was supposed to be three, but I went out with a friend last night), changing the water each night.  This is in a similar vein to what one would do in order to candy lemon peel, although I didn't boil the lemons.
• I added an extra cup of sugar to the ratio; I had 8 cups of the lemon-water combo, so I had nine cups of sugar.
• The recipe didn't call to have a cheesecloth with the piths and seeds, but I did include this in order to increase the amount of pectin; this was mostly due to my terror of yet another batch not setting up.

Next time, I need to cut the lemons into fourths rather than half, as the rinds were a little long.  But overall, I am extremely pleased with the outcome; I have never been a fan of marmalade, but right now, I am trying to decide how many half-pint jars I can justify keeping.

Freshly baked bread slathered with butter and marmalade:
I can't really think of a better dessert.

Left to right:
lemon marmalade,
grapefruit syrup,
rhubarb lemon chile preserve

So far, I've been able to make the lemon marmalade, the grapefruit marmalade-come-syrup, and a rhubarb lemon chile preserve that is going to be awesome with cheese and crackers.  I also started the process of making limoncello, which will net the results in about three more months, and I tried to make that Shaker lemon pie; I would be willing to give that a second go.  I still have plans to make lemon curd with scones and some preserved lemons.  And what about the grapefruit?  I'm thinking candied peels with the remains from some tasty breakfast sides.

Adventures in Marmalade Setting

You might think that I'm cheating on the title so I don't have to give a recipe.  But the joke's on you!  This post is about GRAPEFRUIT!
Yep, I decided to try grapefruit marmalade.  Even tart grapefruit is sweeter than lemons, right?  So it can't be that hard to screw up, right?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
I found what I thought would be a pretty fail-safe recipe (clearly, I am Einstein's definition of insanity, right?).  The most difficult part of it, really, was removing the pith.  Grapefruits have a s*** ton of pith, by the way, in case you were curious, and it took a good long time to scrape it all off but keep the peels in tact.
The biggest difference between a marmalade and a jam (yes, I totally looked it up) is that marmalades don't use an "outside" gelling agent (like Sure-Jell®).  All the pectin is found in the fruit; marmalades generally use citrus, and in fact the pectin that is used to make store-bought pectins generally comes from a type of lime (fun fact of the day, right?).
Thanks to our limoncello making party, I had an entire gallon sized zip top bag filled with pithy lemon rinds, so I tossed those into a cheesecloth bag while my concoction of grapefruit, grapefruit juice, grapefruit peel, water, and sugar boiled away to ensure a lovely spread buddy for my peanut butter.
After the allotted 30 or so minutes, I started gel testing with the saucers I had frozen the night before (when I started the process - it would seem that most marmalades are a multi-day project).

What a gorgeous color, though

First saucer - runny.
Second saucer - runny.  I put the first saucer back in, just in case I needed it.
Third saucer - runny.  I put the second saucer back in the freezer, too.
Fourth saucer that was really the first saucer used again - runny.
Fifth... second saucer - runny.
I was now at over 45 minutes AND, of course, HRH decided to take a really short nap (even though she was sick and needed a good long sleep), so I did what I could, but at some point, I had to jar this stuff.
So I did, hoping against hope that, like gravy, it would "thicken as it cooled."
No dice.
For the count, that would be three marmalade batches that turned out less than expected.
However, at least I got the taste down on this one.  I think.  I mean, basically, what I have is... grapefruit syrup.

Not bad with over vanilla
with some cashews, too

So I did what any self-respecting wannabe home chef who has failed at all marmalade attempts would do: I had ice cream.
I think it's good, but I'm not sure how it's SUPPOSED to taste.
Fortunately, I was able to see our friend Ellen for coffee this morning, and I gave her a jar.  I did tell her that I wasn't totally certain of it's tastiness factor and to be honest with me (and to pour it down the sink if it really is flat terrible).
I have a few more friends who, I hope, will be willing guinea pigs for this.  Who knows - perhaps this is going to be the best waffle topping since peanut butter and maple syrup.
But I have another batch of lemons waiting to try their turn even as I type this.