Garden Goodness

This year during our time at home, my daughter and son-in love planted a big garden, and I've enjoyed the benefits! They have a large lot, and a lot of familiar crops. 

Last summer, I got a damaged wading pool from our local Toy Store, planning to use it for a raised bed garden ... I found a sunny spot between my garage and apple tree, planted some simple containers in it in June. I also moved in a couple of tomatoes and a Taro. 

I'm enjoying watching seedlings emerge Orach, okra, spicy greens and salad mix, carrots, purslane ...

I recently harvested seed from my perennial spinach and quinoa relative, Good King Henry - Blitum Bonus-henricus, and simmered some with quinoa for a tasty and naturally gluten free porridge. I've had my past colony over a decade, and appreciate it's carefree nature! It is in a corner that rarely gets extras water, is one of the first spring greens, and I'm still harvesting leaves to eat like spinach. I found the idea for porridge on a British blog. 

 

Pollen from GKH has been found in sites back to the bronze age in Britain and Western Europe. The author Alison also enjoys perennial herbs - which with their developed root systems, are often more nutrient dense than their annual counterparts. 

She offered a recipe for Khoubiza, a Moroccan warm "salad" - or pesto - made with common mallow and purslane! I loved the idea, and those plants both volunteer freely in my daughter's garden! My younger grandson loves purslane, so I had him keep me gather the leaves. I used coconut oil, and gathered fresh Thai basil and parsley to add to a colander of the wild greens - yum!! 

 I sometimes forget how much flavor pesto adds to a dish - the small dark seeds in the quinoa are Good King Henry, and I added coconut milk yogurt and Khoubiza for a delightful lunch! What's growing in your garden?

Among the herbs

Lovely day for being outside, again!
I putzed around in the kitchen for awhile, reorganizing my herb/spice rack, & clearing off that counter. Doesn't it seem like things like that take an inordinate amount of time?? But so nice when done!
I made yogurt out of the last of the goat's milk - will see how my grandkids like it! It's easy - & the milk is available from a friend - nice option. The 'milk' kefir cultures so well on the coconut milk - nice & thick, plus tasty!
It's funny - I ordered a case (12 cans) of the coconut milk, but I've noticed that it takes awhile for the message to get to the right folks at the natural foods store!! I saw 'more cans than usual' on the shelf last week, & asked if my order had come in - the checker went & looked (in the back) . . . . No . . . .
Last year I asked for them to carry the coconut OIL I like in a larger size - & there were several quarts on the shelf before I got called to say 'it's in.' So my sense is, when the 'special order' comes in, they just shelve it, unless it's the person who took the order doing the stocking! So I need to ask again, (seems like they were extra busy or I was in a hurry when I did ask) & suggest they come up with a more consistent system?

Meanwhile, yesterday a friend mentioned having smudged her yard, & I mentioned my 'land clearing process' as another option - so sent her the link to my post on that - tuning & clearing! It will be nice to get her feedback - I love doing it! In the afternoon, I began weeding & trimming my herb garden. Some of this garden was already in place when I moved in, & I've added to it over the years.
Lavender, sage, rosemary, bronze fennel, lemon balm, a vitex & a grape, rue, several Thyme plants, chives, catmint, parsley & feverfew (that self sew) . . . with a border of lambs ears that gets bigger every year, & stones. I trimmed lavender & thyme, pulled some weeds & roots, & decided to use a bit of that in the ground edging I got a few years ago at a master Gardner event as a border, & ripple the edge of the garden a bit.

I got quite a bit done before the light faded - plus had phone calls from two old friends that I hadn't heard from in awhile :) More tomorrow, weather allowing!

Kefir!

The Water (& milk) kefir 'grains' arrived in the post today! (Thank you, Marilyn 'kefierlady')

I went off to a square dance, & (horrors!) popped them in the fridge -- then got home & opened the packet, which warned against refrigerating them - yikes!! Poor babies! (the outside of the package didn't mention that!)

So I held them, warmed them up & did some Reiki, then 'as suggested' - stirred 1/3 Cup raw sugar into almost a quart of purified water, added a scant ~ 1/8 tsp Cal/mag powder, & the 'water kefir grains' - & set them on top of my stove hood, where the light provides a bit of warmth - & they're bubbling!! Looks a wee bit like a lava lamp, bubbles float up, . . . .

The instructions say "don't worry about all the other ingredients for now. This will feed them for a few day while you gather (them) In other words, do not make them wait to be fed just because you are missing an item or two. Keep them out of the refrigerator!"

I'll move them to a cupboard, as they don't really need to be warm (40 - 80*) but thought they needed a 'head start' after I so rudely made them cold!! I've been enjoying the coconut milk yogurt (there's a suggestion of using coconut milk with the water kefir grains, too) & have eaten/drunk about half of them. I found powdered agar agar, so will try that in the next batch.

Our Health Food store has a water purification system (filtered & alkaline), & you can ask them to fill bottles you bring in so I got a gallon or so yesterday, plus some grapefruit probiotic to wash produce.
A favorite herbalist author, Lalitha Thomas, suggests using GSE in her '10 Essential Foods' - & when I asked the owner 'OK, it's a grapefruit probiotic for washing veggies?' she took me right to the shelf, & commented 'oh, yes! We use GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) on the produce here!' It's very concentrated, so you use ~ 10-20 drops in a gallon of water, & soak the fruits of veg ~ 20 minutes.
Check out the website - there are so many uses for the GSE!! My daughter has been fighting skin problems that have flared since going Gluten Free - maybe this will help! & a bit internally can help fend off an upset tummy if you ingest allergins!

For the milk kefir grains, I asked the friend from whom we get Cherve if I could get some goat milk, that will come Monday! I don't tend to buy milk, but my daughter does, & could prob. spare a quart of 'store milk' till I get the goat milk . . . (I shouldn't 'make them wait to be fed' either!) Her girls love yogurt - hope they enjoy the kefir as well!!

The dance tonight was fun - I rode with severl folks from our club to the town just north of us, for their dance with a different caller - interesting adapting to his quirks & sense of humor! I thought to bring along a GF cookie, so had my own 'cake' (um, cookie) with their ice cream (it was their 'birthday dance')

I'd picked up a dress awhile ago at a thrift store with an intriguing Egyptian print fabric. I'd meant to do 'something' with it, as I didn't really like the style - a 'tent' with full elbow length sleeves. Ah ha! Cut off the skirt, hem the top to make a square dance shirt!
I began the project yesterday, & when I found the red & black ribbon in my sewing box, decided to make it into a 'ribbon shirt'. Our club is 'Braves & Braids,' & while my native heritage isn't obvious to most folks (a little bit of Cherokee on my daddy's side), this seemed like a fun dance costume! I found a black tiered skirt at a thrift store Thur, which I wore tonight.

I'll use the skirt fabric from the 'old' dress with yardage I found today to make a new, fuller skirt. (& pulled the 25% discount slip, so got that discount on my whole purchase!)
There's also a 'club fabric' which I can get from one of the other dancers; they ordered a bolt of print, & a harmonizing brown solid. It's fun to see the different way each gals have put the fabric together, & the matching shirts for the guys.

It was a rainy afternoon, so after my weekly grocery shopping (on 10% when you bring your bag day) I asked if I could 'tuck in' to a cushy chair in the local yarn shop, so I could finish putting the ribbon on the shirt. The bookshop, a couple of coffee shops & the library have comfy corners, too; but the yarn shop seemed a better choice for a crafty project.

Yep - the water is still bubbling away - yea!!

Cultures

YEA - The Yogurt Maker arrived today!!
I was excited to see the big box on the porch, & took it over to my daughter's to unwrap . . . then home again with my granddaughers to have a 'play date' (ie: 'let mom & dad watch a movie for grown ups!) & to make some yogurt!

We went to the Natural Food store to pick up some Agar Agar (seaweed to help the coconut milk jell) & home again to fix dinner, wash the jars, & then make the first batch.

I ground the agar agar flakes in my trusty seed mill, which broke it up some, & emptied two of these cans of coconut milk into a glass saucepan to heat (just above 110* - warm on the wrist) with the agar agar.
I LOVE Greek Gods yogurt, so got a small one to use as my starter. The 'live & active' cultures include S Thermophilus, Lactobacilis Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, & L.Casei. (for a dairy free starter, I could have used the S O Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk, or the contents of dairy-free acidophilus capsules.)

After taking the pan off the heat, I put ~ 1/2 C of the coconut milk into a glass measuring cup, & added several Tbsp of the Greek Gods yogurt, then returned the mix into the pan, & stired some more.
Two cans of Coconut milk filled 6 of the 7 small glass jars. I usually add ~ 1/2 C of filtered water to a tin of coconut milk (transfer to a quart glass jar as soon as I've opened it) to make it a more 'milk-like' consistency, but I hadn't for this batch of yogurt.

To fill the last jar, I heated ~ 1/8 C water with 1/2 tsp of the agar agar, & let that simmer a few minutes, then added coconut milk from the fridge, & a tsp of Dalmatia Orange-Fig spread & a tsp of honey to the milk as it was warming. After I took the pan off the heat & let it cool, I added a spoonful of the yogurt, & stirred before pouring it into the last jar.

For the next batch, I'll simmer agar agar in a 1/2 cup of water at the beginning, then add the coconut milk. I intend to experiment with using tapioca starch (already a powder) - simmering the starch in water first. And I can culture futer batches with some of my own yogurt!

The black bar on top of the lid indicates the time the yogurt should be done - then it should cool in the fridge for an hour before eating (ha!)

Within the next few days the kefir 'grains' should arrive, & I'll begin making some sugar water kefir.
On Sunday I attended a wonderful Gluten free BD party with my daughter & granddaughters, & had a brief conversation with a friend who's made water kefir in the past, & said she really likes it! (here's a tutorial on making Water Kefir)
I also found this blog - & happened on a post on water kefir!!

I look forward to these new adventures, & to experimenting with different adaptogen herbs during the second ferment, & experimenting with the milk kefir grains. They culture at room temp, & are a more liquid 'product' than Yogurt.

What adventures have captured your fancy this week?

God of Wealth

Feels like spring!! Sunny, sunny day, & flowers are starting to bloom! Here are some violets & a bit of daphne (mmm) from my yard!
Thursday marks the 'God of Wealth's birthday,' & again my lovely friend Gwynne will be at Portland's Chinese Gardens, doing ritual & talk. I want to visit the gardens again soon - haven't been there for more than a year!

This seems to be a week for ordering goodies! My daughter helped me sign up as a practitioner with Pure, so we could order vitamins & other supplements (it's the brand her doc's office carries) & they should arrive on Friday! They're very high quality & 'hypoallergenic,' a real plus for us Gluten Free folk!

I love using mineral make-up! Most of the time, I don't bother; but I tend to use some when I go to a dance or other 'dress up' activities. A little over a year ago I ordered sample sizes from CMH Essentials, & I've been very pleased!! The 'sample' 5 gram size is $1.95m & I've only used up two - Chamelion Sparkle eyeshadow, & the Shimmer Veil!!
My order included an eye shadow collection, so I substituted the Chamelion for 'Enchanted Emerald" (which I have) & got the 10g size of the Veil (the only larger size I ordered - a little really does go a long way!) One reviewer said: "This eyeshadow (Chamelion Sparkle) is FUN! It adds a great twist to any other darker eyeshadow you may have, reflecting lots of different colors. The base color for Chamelion Sparkle is brown." It's the one I use most, & do still have a bit left!
Christine writes: "Being natural, they are allergen-free and contain no chemical dyes, added preservatives, fillers, perfumes, oils, talc or other ingredients commonly found in traditional mineral makeup products. CMH Essentials makeup contains only pure mineral pigments in concentrated form. Due to their concentration they perform the functions of concealer, foundation, eyeshadow and skin care all in a single application which binds to the skin so well that very little touch-up is required as the day progresses."
What a treat that is!! I looked at 'mineral make-up' in our local beauty supply shop - & there were lots of fillers inc talc!!
This line doesn't contain "Bismuth.Oxychloride, a thick, heavy mineral, which makes it difficult for many people to wear. It must be packed into your pores (heavy application), which can sometimes result in plugged pores and irritation of the skin. B.O will feel smooth between the fingers." The popular 'Bare Essentials' line contains B.O.! I've gotten a few of their products, as a local spa carries them, & I went for a 'make-over' several years ago. CMH also carries make up brushes - again, a lot less expensive than elsewhere.

The other item I ordered is a yogurt maker!! I found it on Amazon a few weeks ago, & called our Health Food store to see if they might be able to stock it, as I'm trying to buy local when possible. The manager called back, to say she'd looked it up, & was having trouble finding a distributor she could buy from - & that Target seems to stock it! Since we don't have a Target in town, & I don't know when I'd get to one, I decided to order from Amazon, as it qualified for the free shipping . . .

The 'Yolife' yogurt maker comes with glass jars & has 2 lids, a short one for the little jars, & a higher one for using your own pint or quart jars - nice option! I've written before about our trecks to buy raw milk when my kids were young, & finding a great little local dairy. We also frequently made our own yogurt, wrapping the jar of warm milk in a towel, & leaving it in the oven (turned off) overnight.
A common problem with gluten sensitivity is developing problems with other foods, which frequently includes milk. (after 6 months or so aftter going Gluten Free, the other sensitivities may go away!) These days, I use coconut milk for most recipes, & did try making my own coconut milk yogurt once or twice. It didn't set too well, so I plan to experiment with adding tapioca & perhaps a bit of gelatin.
I also like the 'greek style' yogurt (OK - Greek Gods yogurt is almost better than ice cream!!) & intend to use some of that as my 'starter' . . . another suggestion is to use buttermilk as a starter for one's own 'quark' (that was in one of the Amazon reviews!) . . .
I found this post on making coconut yogurt - she used 2 T agar agar - (seaweed) (I'd grind it in my trusty seed mill!!) & I think a combo of that & some tapioca (either starch, or making a batch of tapioca & using some of that) should work well!
When I want a sweetish treat, I often make tapioca, adding dried fruit & cocoa or carob powder, & a bit of sweetening. My son-in law also REALLY likes tapioca, my daughter's more neutral. It's so easy to make 'from scratch' rather than using a pudding mix! Just soak the tapioca for 20 min or so, then add some more liquid (I add coconut milk) & bring to a boil, stirring frequently, & simmer for ~ 15-20 min more!

Ooo - & then I decided to check out Kefir, & found Dom from Austrailia's fascinating site!! So much info - inc. how to make 'water kefir' - cultured on sugar water (& possibility of adding herbs, fruit, etc, to make your effervescent potion even more delicious!) He responded quickly to a question about ordering - but pretty expensive to ship stateside . . . . (do check his site!)
So I poked around on one of my yahoo forums, & found the suggestion to check out Marilyn the Kefir lady - so will be sending her $20 for live Water Kefir Grains!!! She only takes cash ("I don't bank!") & ships on Monday - so one can order today & have the 'grains' next week!

Have a great week - SO enjoying the sunshine! Red Hat 'do' Friday :)