Daddy, Papa and Me

So, today we are having beet and beet greens risotto. Only one of us likes beets, but somehow sticking them in a risotto transforms them. I was thinking of what we should have in addition. In our CSA box yesterday we got red onions, cucumbers, bell peppers and grape tomatoes (among other things, gotta love living in N. Cal!)… and what should pop up in my RSS feed from Smitten Kitchen? mediterranean pepper salad | smitten kitchen.

Kismet!

Soon the Bread Will Be Making Itself – New York Times. Yep. I make no-knead bread all the time. I find it very easy and very good and very quick. Now this promises to make it easier and quicker and just as good. Yep, next step is ‘making itself’.

So, this morning Emma wanted me to make some herb tea for her for breakfast. I did.

She then told me that we should drink more tea. “Why?” I ask (though you don’t need to convince me .

Well, she explains, it will help us breath and keep cool. I must have looked slightly puzzled because then she explained it to me (somewhat paraphrased):

“Tea is made from leaves. Leaves that grow on trees.  Trees take in the gas that makes the world hotter and put out the gas that we breath. So, more trees, less heat, more breathable air. We drink more tea, we need to grow more trees. We should have tea every day”

Marion Nestle, who also has a great blog, has a very good article about the arguments for (and some of those weaknesses) of organic food in the San Francisco Chronicle: Certified Organic may not be 100%.

On the last point, is it elitist to push organics when they are more expensive, her point is correct I believe… it has to start somewhere. But, I also believe that organic food (or at least locally grown, direct from farmer, whole and not packaged, seasonal) can be almost as inexpensive as what we normally buy. We tend to eat lots of fruits and vegetables seasonally, and get the directly from the farm, so the price is actually not much different than regular produce, perhaps slightly higher. I have just made it a habit of canning, drying and freezing a lot of it .

Twitterverse working to confuse Iranian censors | Webware – CNET.

One thing you can do to help

Soft Power and a different view of Islam, if they continue with the peaceful protests, calls to God, they could bring a whole different view of Islam to the Western world.

I too am praying for them.

We already get the bulk of our vegetables and fruits from a local farm (a “community supported agriculture” CSA, we get Capay Farm’s More Capay Valley box) and just this month started getting our chicken, eggs, beef and what little pork we eat from another local  farm (Clark Summit Farm, a CSA also).

A friend sent us this link the other day, it’s a “community supported kitchen (CSK),” called Three Stone Hearth. I like the concept, though I am thinking the cost will be beyond what we can afford (that remains to be seen though, I haven’t seen a menu yet). And it brings me to the issue with eating sustainably. Sustainable eating is all well and good, but it has to be sustainable for the family, in the sense that we have to be able to afford it both in time and money. So far, I’ve been able to do that. Even with eating nearly completely organic and sustainably farmed, our monthly food bill is lower than most average families of four (which the USDA suggests is about 500 on the thrifty side, 1,000 on the high). But that is because I make a lot of our own stuff, bread, granola, all our meals, mayonnaise, etc. When you make things from scratch, plan meals, buy in bulk, things can be cheap. I could make it cheaper by not buying organic and sustainable as much as I do, but why? I spend less than 600/month for four people and we are eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats, nuts that are all organic.

Which brings me to the CSK. I like the idea, but I have a suspicion that is won’t be sustainable, for us financially anyway. That said, I’ll give it a try and let you know. I might even volunteer. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make a cold cereal that is tasty, but haven’t, they have some. I’ll order some and try it.

Every night this week, people in Iran go to their rooftops and call to God for freedom. This, the massive silent rallies and marches, are a testament. The translation of the commentary below:

I know campaign ads aren’t exactly what any candidate stands for, they are marketing tools. Still:

The Translation:

1 (Girl in street): Defending civil rights
2 (Boy next to old man): Counterbalancing poverty/deprivation
3 (Boy pushing away donation box): Nationalizing oil income
4 (Man standing on rooftop): Reducing tension in international affairs
5 (Boy sitting next to satellite dishes): Free access to information
6 (Girl sitting besides her mother): Supporting single mothers
7 (Girl with cast): Knock down violence against women
8 (Boy): Education for all
9 (Boy infront of man locking car): Increasing public safety
10 (Girl on rooftop): Ethnic and religious minority rights
11 (Man on rooftop): Supporting NGOs
12 (Girl in front of wall): Public involvement
13 (Boy and girl): We have come for change
14: Change for Iran

N.H. Legislature Approves Gay Marriage – NYTimes.com.

Final step. After both houses approving, governor sending it back with added language, senate approving but legislature taking it’s time… they approved today and the governor said he’d sign this afternoon.

6 states now have marriage equality! Who’s next? NY? NJ? RI? CA?