Organic Farming Convention

VABF convention

I went on an adventure!! Yeah, it’s called an organic gardening/horticultural convention. I really had an amazing time and learned loads of stuff that I would absolutely love to share with everyone! The convention was focused on self-sustainability and organic food. I went to this convention with my mother, who actually runs a CSA (community supported agriculture) in our backyard! She has a few clients who have come to rely on her for fresh produce every week. She also throws in freshly made bread along with the nutritious, 100% organic vegetables. I always tell her she’s too generous and honestly she is. She won’t let anyone visit our house without giving them a bag of food to take home with them. ANYWAYS, back on track. At this convention I met so many interesting people who all went to either take the classes offered there or to promote their business. Some grew mushrooms for a living, (see my post about my idea to start a mushroom farm) others were soil scientists spreading the word about pesticides and the harm it does to the dirt. I felt completely at home due to the fact we were basically all environmental hippies striving to live off the land and learn as much as we can about eating healthy and growing organic food.  I really learned the importance of growing your own food and avoiding pesticides which poison us inside and out.

One guy who was there was named Tradd Cotter who actually runs Mushroom Mountain, a mushroom growing and researching facility in South Carolina. His workshop was mind blowing and inspired me to go out and start my own mushroom farm. He was such a pro that it took my breath away. Another workshop I attended was about this amazing couple that own a CSA in New York, they have about 250 clients and own a huge farm as well as horses and cows. They supply their clients with everything, milk, vegetables, eggs, meat, and even fire wood! My mom particularly enjoyed this class due to the fact she has a CSA, I think she definitely felt inspired to expand her business and gain some more clients as well as her gardens. There was another class that was really interesting. This man made a speech on how he raised hundreds of chickens solely on compost that restaurants gladly supplied him. Do you know what that means? No more buying grain, which happens to be quite expensive nowadays.  I was so shocked that I quickly asked him if that meant he made a humungous profit, but he told me that he paid the workers that worked on his farm well. Understandable. Overall, I had the most amazing time and I learned more than I would ever learn just reading a book. I fully intend on using what I learned to my best interest by helping my mom in the garden, eating more locally grown food and attending more conventions in the future!

Vegetarian shepherds pie

 

Once upon a time, deep in the heart of Scotland, a lonely shepherd roamed the grassy hills with his beloved sheep. The sky was a fresh opalescent blue and the grass was green and lush. He spent all day outside so when he came home he was ravished. He was delighted to see his mother had made shepherds pie for dinner, his favorite meal of all. The potato topping was so delicious and buttery, the vegetables so tender, the meat was so… WAIT A MINUTE! Oh no no no that’s not going to work, whatever happened to vegetarian shepherds pie?…. I guess I’m going to just have to make one to complete this story, here we go!

FILLING:

1 small zucchini, chopped into little pieces.

1 small onion, diced.

½ cup green beans chopped into bite sized pieces (or peas if you have them, I didn’t)

2 cups fresh spinach

2 veggie burgers chopped into little tiny bits. (Any veggie burger will do, they all tend to crumble when chopped)

1 cup grated cheese, I used Colby jack.

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt, oregano, sage, pepper, basil, rosemary to taste

Instructions:

Sautee the chopped onion, burger pieces and zucchini in the olive oil medium high heat till tender. Then add the green beans and spinach till the spinach is nice and steamed. Now season to taste. Put this mixture aside till you have the topping ready.

TOPPING: (I deviated from an original recipe and added mashed carrots for the sweet taste and high nutritional value, feel free to omit if you want, but I highly consider you try it at least once.)

2 small sweet potatoes or white potatoes if you don’t like sweet potatoes. (Chopped for quicker cooking)

2 medium carrots, chopped into chunks.

Pat of butter

2 tsp. sour cream

Pinch of salt

2 cloves garlic, crushed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Boil a pot of water and add the carrots and potatoes, cook till very soft and mashable. Next, mash it all with the butter, sour cream, salt and garlic.

Now for the fun part; layering the pie. Take a pie pan that is big enough to fit all the ingredients. First put a layer of the veggie/cheese mixture, or you can just layer cheese over a bottom layer of veggie mix. Finally spread the potato/carrot mash on top and cover everything, make it look all pretty and picture worthy. Pop it into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes at 340 degrees.

 

Sprinkle some chopped parsley or chives on top when you take it out and serve immediately, preferably with a cup of sweet iced tea.

Meanwhile… the little shepherd boy ate his veggie shepherd’s pie and was very content. He looked forward to having a piece for breakfast with a glass of fresh milk.

The End J

"Into The Wild"

         I just recently I watched a profound movie that literally changed my life and resulted in a dramatic emotional meltdown on my part. It was “into the wild.” I hear there’s also a book out so I might also try to check that out because sometimes books are better than the movie. Anyways, it’s about a true story of a guy, Chris, who had just graduated college when he decided he was tired of trying to live up to his parents expectations. Actually let me rephrase that, he was tired of trying to live up to society’s expectations. He noticed how everyone was becoming greedy and ignorant, caring only about themselves and obsessing over “objects.” He realized he didn’t need fancy cars or lots of money to be happy and he knew that he wasn’t living the life he wanted to live. So, what does he do? He burns his social security card and money, cuts his credit cards and ID’s, and goes on what turns out to be a long journey to Alaska, taking many trips to various places such as Mexico and Arizona. Along the way he meets an assortment of wonderful and sometimes crazy people. He also takes on different jobs and activities such as wheat harvesting and kayaking. He completely breaks the chains of modern society and lives on his own taking on challenges you only see on TV or read in books. The entire time he’s working his way toward Alaska with nothing but a backpack and a dream to live off the land. He finally makes it to Alaska and you get to watch amazing scenes of him living in the wild, finding food and staying alive. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would tell you the ending of the movie, but I decided I will. He ends up eating a poisonous plant and dies at age 24. HOWEVER; I’ve never watched a better movie in my entire life. It was filled with energy, rebellion, freedom, liberation, revelations, epiphanies, danger, and overall a message that will stay with me forever. The message that you can do WHATEVER you want in this life, all you have to do is seize the moment and live all out. When he died at the end, I literally broke down and cried for 20 minutes straight. I realize that the chances of you dying in the wild after eating a poisonous plant are pretty prominent but I just became so attached to the character that I felt devastated when it was over. I felt a surge of emotions overcome me and there I was, at 1 o’clock in the morning blubbering like a baby.  I realize now I learned so much from that movie and I immediately contacted a few of my closest friends urging them to watch it. It’s so good that you really have to watch it yourself to believe it. If you question authority, the government, modern society, then WATCH THIS MOVIE!! Seriously, go get it. It’s the best. Alright I’ll stop writing now so I can re-watch it. Hope you enjoyed this review and if you do end up viewing this film, by all means comment below or email me so we can talk about it!! :D

 

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmiers2/6338141481/">blmiers2</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankfarm/166871650/">frankfarm</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

 

War against plastic baggies!!

You know those little plastic baggies that everyone uses to pack their sandwiches or little snacks in?.... Their evil! Plastic itself is evil and accumulates in landfills just waiting to suffocate us with its never-decomposing plastic-ness… I know that’s not a word but its fitting. Since I believe in the “REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE” way of life, I’m going to show you a couple ways I REDUCE my use of plastic baggies every day.

 As some of you know, I pack my lunch every day for school because the issue of school lunches is an story all on its own that I don’t feel like getting into right now. The usual things I pack for lunch include soup, tofu scramble, egg salad, or beans and rice. (If you want any recipes to anything just comment below) I also pack trail mix and dried fruit for bus trips or after school activities. It is for these little snacks that I created a wonderful little baggie made from reusable material and waterproof lining. I love my little baggie and I’ve made plenty as gifts for friends and family members. You can pick up reusable sandwich bags at practically any kitchen store or even online. Their not only good for the environment, but they also come in lots of cute designs and sizes. Another feasible alternative to plastic baggies are what I’ve come to know as “the snap on lid containers.” I’ve got about 5 of these, all ranging in size from big to small. I like to use the big one as a storage container for left overs and the little one for trail mix when I can’t find my trail mix baggie. Their easily washable, durable, and cheap. Think of all the money you can save by not buying plastic baggies every week and using a great reusable container instead!

Of course, some people are extremely hard headed and can’t grasp the idea of giving up plastic bags. Some like the idea of just packing their lunch in a plastic baggie and then filling it with trash so that they can just throw it out when their done eating, (this makes me cringe, seriously.) If you’re not open minded to the idea of reusing or taking that extra time to wash out a small container every day, then I really question why you’re reading this post in the first place.

As a last resort, if you REALLY must use plastic bags, then I implore you, at least reuse the plastic baggie a couple times. If it’s dirty or sticky then by all means, wash it!! (You CAN do that you know) it’s a pain in the butt but hey, at least you’re trying right?

So yeah…. I hope your taking what I’ve written to heart and making plans to run out to buy some reusable bags and containers. On top of that I hope your planning on actually using them haha! If you want, I can write an instructional post on how to make a reusable baggie, it’s actually not that difficult!!

*don’t you just love my little trail mix bag? I look soooooo cool at school when I eat trail mix out of it lol:D

 

The philosophy of happiness #1 (first of many more to come no doubt)

 

The philosophy of happiness #1 (first of many more to come no doubt)

What is happiness? Is it a feeling? Is it a way of life? Is it a condition? Well, it’s all of those things and more. Everyone may perceive it differently but it’s no secret that everyone searches for it and craves it like they crave food and water. People go about finding happiness in their own way. Some find happiness in shopping or drugs, others find it in other materialistic and superficial ways. This, however, is NOT the way to pure, complete peace of mind and contentment. It’s taken me a while to become content with my life and find true happiness. I too used to shop excessively and as a result I was sad and I felt empty inside. It was one morning when I decided that I would stop my compulsive shopping, rid myself of all the material things holding me down, and start fresh. What I discovered after that changed my life for the better and I would like to tell you how you too can find true happiness. It all simmers down into one simple concept…. Simplicity and love.

There’s a reason monks are happy and content. There’s a reason why people can be poor but not be down about it. There’s a reason many millionaires sit in their mansions with their clothes and their money and not feel any satisfaction. It’s because you start to realize that you can’t come to depend on materialistic things to make you feel complete. The day you let go of all the lifeless objects you hold on to, the more you’ll start to recognize the things that lift your spirits up and fill you up with a feeling of love and truth. You open your eyes to your family, your friends, nature, pets and so much more. The happiness you feel when you hug a loved one is not a fake, superficial, temporary happiness, it’s for real. I’ve come to the point where I can look at my little sister laughing and running around and feel on top of the world. No $200 purse or perfume was ever able to give me that same feeling.

Not only have I accepted the fact that money and objects have no soul and love, I’ve also come to the conclusion that we need to live in the moment.Now! This very second in time. We need to stop looking forward to the future and think that some other time will be better than the time we have now. Think about how many people say “don’t worry, tomorrow will be a better day” or “I cannot wait till next year, I’ll be so much happier then.” Why have we come to depend on future dates to excite us or keep us going? It’s because we refuse to come in contact with our present day feelings and emotions.

I present you all with a challenge. Look deep inside your soul right now and ask yourselves, am I happy? If you answered yes, then I’m happy for you. If you answered no, please take some time to consider what I have written and I assure you, things will get better  find love, give love, and let go of all that’s blocking your heart. Live in the moment and appreciate every minute of your existence.

-Gloria W.

Juicing!!

Juicing; Why I juice daily and reasons why you should too!

It takes a strong, health conscious person to decide to juice everyday and reap the benefits that juicing can provide. It all relates back to the idea that you don’t need to pop pills everyday to be healthy or to cure a certain illness. Juicing, in fact, has been shown to help prevent and reverse many types of problems such as hair loss, obesity, arthritis, acne, and sooooooooooo much more. I know this is true from experience. A while ago I was suffering from some serious hard core acne. I know now that I was going through some hormonal changes that affected my skin in a negative way. Anyways, with a few changes to my diet and a determination to juice all that I can, my acne disappeared…. Like WHOOOOSH!! All gone. I now have radiant, clear skin that continues to amaze me every morning when I look in the mirror. Juicing takes all the essential vitamins from whatever you have chosen to juice, and injects them straight into your blood steam infusing you with energy and life!! I realize some say that juicing wastes all the fiber from the ingredients but honestly I get plenty of fiber in my diet and I compost so what’s being wasted? Some of my favorite vegetables and fruits to juice are:

Oranges: chock full with vitamin C and beta-carotene. Vitamin C helps boost your immune system to ward off illnesses and beta-carotene is a vitamin that helps your body produce vitamin A, which is great for hair and skin. (Isn’t it funny how many articles tell you what vitamins each vegetable has but doesn’t explain what those vitamins do for you? Lol)
Grapefruit: also a great source of vitamin C, significantly more tart than oranges.
Apples: used in many green juices due to the neural flavor of the juice. You can juice apples along with practically anything!!
Sweet potatoes: Now this is an interesting vegetable, many people didn’t know you can juice it raw. When I tell some people I juice raw sweet potatoes they get this suspicious look in their eyes like “is that safe?” I assure you it is and its sooooooooo healthy. Actually I read somewhere that sweet potatoes are almost as good to juice as carrots!! Now that’s something.
Carrots: my absolute fav!! Drinking fresh carrot juice everyday gives you more than enough beta-carotene as well as vitamin C and potassium. The potassium is great for cramps and muscle movement. Not only is carrot juice super nutritious, it’s also DELICIOS!
Swiss chard: I am so lucky to be able to go in my backyard and choose whatever greens I want from my mother’s organic garden. Of everything she grows, Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens. Swiss chard has an abundance of micronutrients and contains lots of precious iron. Swiss chard is so amazing that it’s been labeled a “super-food.” Yeah, it’s that awesome. Swiss chard works hard to regulate your blood sugar and supplies you with antioxidants.
Spinach: also rich in iron. Since everyone’s pretty familiar with spinach, you commonly see it being used in green juices.
Cabbage: even though cabbage juice may cause temporary gas, its benefits blow any concerns out of the water. Cabbage juice is full of vitamin D which helps clear your skin and iodine which is necessary for proper muscle development.
Beets: fresh, raw beets really pack a punch. They have an extreme benefit of detoxifying the blood and are great for those with anemia and high blood pressure. It’s important to use very little in your juice due to its potent properties.
Now that I’ve given you the run-down of nutritious, popular ingredients, let’s get to juicing!! Here are some of my favorite recipes. Feel free to throw in anything else you would like. The key here is to experiment and be creative. *juice is best taken on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning when your body wants it most*

The Orange Canary

½ medium sized sweet potato
2 small oranges
4 medium sized carrots
1 small apple

The Raving Lunatic (you’ll understand the name once you’ve tried it:p)

¼ small cabbage
2 handfuls of fresh kale
2 medium sized apples, any kind.
2 handfuls spinach
2 handfuls beet greens

The Pink Heartbeat

1 very small raw beet
3 oranges
1 grapefruit
4 carrots

I really hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article, I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have, simply comment down below or email me. In fact emailing me might result in a quicker response but whatever. Oh and if you have any new and exciting juice recipes I’d love to try them!! Viva la juice!

-Gloria W.

Appley-Pumpkin soup

Hello all!! I hope everyone’s having a great, spectacular day. I feel great partly due to the fact I spent my entire day making the most delicious, tummy-warming, who-cares-its-cold-outside soup. I call it, Appley-Pumpkin soup, and I would absolutely love to share the recipe with you so that you too can bask in its healthiness as well as the amazing aroma that I promise will fill your kitchen like a smell sent from heaven. Feel free to play around with the measurements; I honestly don’t worry myself about precise ingredients. Cooking is best when it comes from the heart, not from a page.

Appley-Pumpkin Soup

½ a pumpkin, depending on how much you want to make (I like making hugeee batches for a week of school lunches)
2 or 3 medium sized apples cored and diced. Fuji are great!
1 onion, roughly chopped, (don’t worry about how you chop it; you’ll just be blending it together later anyways.)
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
Assortment of herbs such as thyme, basil, and oregano. If you want a more dessert-like soup feel free to add cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The possibilities are endless!!
Salt and pepper.
How-to-make-this-amazing-soup

1. First of all, you need to bake that pumpkin. I prefer to put the whole pumpkin on a tray, whole, and bake in the oven at 360 for about an hour. Leaving it uncut results in a moist, mash-able inside.
2. Sautee the onions in the olive oil in a pan with raised sides, you’ll be adding a bunch of stuff into this pan so make sure you use a suitable sized one. After the onions are translucent, add the chopped garlic. When fragrant, add the diced apple and stir for about 5 minutes or until the apple pieces are a little soft.
3. Meanwhile, add the broth to a big pot and bring to a simmer. Go ahead and add the onion mixture.
4. When you’ve taken the pumpkin out of the oven, slice sideways and scoop out the seeds and put them in your compost bucket. Scoop out the insides of the pumpkin and add to the broth mixture.
5. Add the herbs, if your totally lost on how much to add, I suggest just adding a tsp of each herb and then taste. *You can always add more but you can’t take any out.
6. Add the milk. This part is optional, but honestly it’s the milk that will give your soup that nice, creamy feel and taste. If you don’t want to add milk then leave it out and just add 3 tbsp of sour cream.
7. Once you have everything together in the pot, you’re left with a question. How to blend it all together. I own a little hand-held blended so I simply place it in the pot and blend till smooth. I’ve included a picture of my hand blender in case you’re having a hard time imagining what sort of invention I am talking about. It’s a lifesaver! Especially when you love soup as much as I do  anyways, if you don’t own a hand blender, place it in a normal blender and blend in batches till you’ve blended the entire pot.
8. Heat the soup back up till it’s the desired temperature, garnish with a sprig of oregano if you have one on hand, or decorate with a slice of apple.
9. ENJOY!!

If you happen to make this soup, please comment and let me know if I should alter the recipe a bit in case my measurements were askew.

Happy souping!
-Gloria