My First Food Swap

Defined, a food swap is a recurring event where members of a community share homemade, homegrown, or foraged foods with each other. Swaps allow direct trades to take place between attendees, e.g., a loaf of bread for a jar of pickles or a half-dozen backyard eggs. Swap events also include a potluck as an immediate food-sharing (and sometimes item-sampling) component. These events are a delicious way to diversify the homemade foods in your own pantry while getting to know members of your local food community.

Sounds fun, doesn't it!!

So I’ve been super excited to attend a food swap, I was unable to attend any of the past few meetings.

With the “derby city food swap” setting a date, I started going through my pantry  to see what I had extra of in the canned good variety. Then went on to search my freezer and fridge. After looking  through everything, I decided on the following:

2 jars of spaghetti sauce

2 jars of peach BBQ sauce

1 jar sweet potato butter

2 frozen pizza dough

2 bags black walnut (1/2 cup each)

4 mini pumpkin chocolate chip breads

So I busied myself making cute labels and tags for all of my items. Then packed up my box and went to the meet up. Walking in I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was greeted by one of the organizers, asked to make a name tag, how to fill out my bidding sheets, donation jar and name for a door prize. It was a lot to take in, in two minutes :)

So I went into the next room where table had been set up and ladies were busy setting up their items. I found an empty spot and started to unload my items. Trying to layout my space to be appealing, room for my samples, bidding sheets and still leave room for others to come in and set up.

Then I stood back and started to gaze around at what all had been brought. Within twenty minutes the two organizers explained out the swap would work.

Here is how a standard food swap goes:

Swaps usually last about two hours.

The first 30 minutes of the swap are devoted to sign-in, set-up, and greetings. Swappers fill out name tags and swap sheets and set up their wares on the tables.

The next 30 minutes to 1 hour are for everyone to walk around, examine, and sample items from the other swappers. Swappers will write their names and items they brought on the sheets for any items they would like to take home.

The final 30 minutes are when all the swapping actually happens. Everyone goes back to his or her original sheets of paper, looks at the offers, finds interested offers via their name tags, and swaps.

So what was there to choose from? A lot of lovely homemade, home grown, home raised goodness, including chicken eggs, meats, dish towels, pizza sauce, protein bars, granola, jams, ketchup, chicken broth, basil infused vodka (yes, you heard me), pie fillings, vegan gravy, biscuits, and banana puree ice cream. Like I said, a lot.

So I went around putting down what I would swap for each item, we did everything 1 for 1, to keep things simple. 

Then it was time to go back and look at your offers and decide which ones you wanted to swap with. This was a time of people going back and forth, searching for names and making final “yes” to the swaps at hand. Collecting our goods and stashing them under the table so to keep them safe. Then as the noise settles down, with last minutes of “I have this left who wants to trade?”  You gather everything up and lay it out on the table to see what all you collected in the blur of the past ten minutes….

And what did I walk away with, well the following: 2 pkgs of pork chops, 1 ground sausage (1lb), jar of curried ketchup, bag of granola, 1 dish cloth, 1 jar of pizza sauce, a dozen eggs, jar of strawberry rhubarb jam, container of chocolate banana puree ice cream, and 2 bundles fresh rosemary

Get was a great swap and I can’t wait for the next one, which they say should start being monthly!! If you are in the area please checkout their blog or 'like' them on facebook, links are below:

Blog derbycityfoodswap.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/pages/Derby-City-Food-Swap/

Sonya loved the dish cloth and got busy cleaning her stove.

So what do you eat?

The way we eat has become a foundation of who we are. A person could be any of the following and I’m sure there are other new definitions being created as I speak.

Vegetarian – someone who lives on diet of plant based foods, eggs and dairy.

Vegan – someone who consumes only plant foods such as vegetables, grains, legumes (beans and peas), fruits, nuts and seeds. Avoiding all animal foods including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, and honey.

Flexitarian –  someone who eats vegetarian or vegan most of the time but eats meat and animal products every now and then. Also, could be called a semi-vegetarian.

Locavore – someone who eats food made near where they live, usually within 100 miles.

 

In the winter of 2010, after the birth of my daughter, I started getting interested in watching documentaries. My first one was Food Inc., after viewing the film, I had a desire to start making better choice about the food my family ate.

So for defining purposes, my family is a Flexitarian with a lot of Locavore and Homegrown thrown in. And to keep things interesting, my step-daughter is also a Chickenarian, one of those new words/terms I mentioned above. We have a 2 chicken flock in our backyard, they give us eggs and after they are done producing eggs. They will become well….dinner. So after time to think about this Avery at the ripe of age of 9 decided to stop eating chicken all together. Avery will be turning 11 in February and is still chickenless.

In the summer of 2011, I moved and expanded our failing first garden. In the garden, I grew tomatoes, melons, carrots and peppers. The garden did wonderful and in 2012 we made and installed all raised beds and expanded the garden just a little. We grew tomatoes (several varieties), peas, cucumbers, green beans, greens, lettuce, peppers, carrots, pumpkins, herbs, blueberries and raspberries. The garden did fantastic, leaving me with the planning of this year’s garden.

I shop every Saturday at the Farmers’ Market, where I try to get and plan the majority of my meals around. I also stock up on produce during the peak seasons to preserve for the winter. I preserve through hot bath canning method, blanching,  freezing and drying.

I buy Kentucky flour from a local store, so that I can make bread, pizza dough, pie crust, cookies, desserts and homemade pancake/waffle mixes.

Veggie Skillet (includes: onion, potato, kale and eggs)

Our meals consist of a heavy vegetarian diet, I personally feel that it balances out of all the good things to eat. I try to purchase mainly local meat, and from the grocery store organic meats. Another reason we eat a lot of vegetarian meals is because of the cost to purchase organic meat.

The majority of our meals are made from scratch after work. I try to plan leftovers for lunches over the next couples days and for a dinner, if there is enough. It is challenging to make this effort everyday with the world around me throwing convenient food at me. But this is something that is key to making healthy food for my family. And we may not eat until 6:30-7:00 o'clock some nights, but its worth the wait.

Homemade Pizza (includes: homemade dough, tomato sauce, red pepper, dried tomato, spinach, sausage and cheese)

 

Now I’ve watched many more documentaries that help keep me focused on the little things I can do that will make a big difference in my family’s diet. Both of my kids are not picky eaters. Both drink water and some milk with very little or no soda or juice. My step daughter’s diet varies from our, because she is at her mom’s house half of the time.

Vegetarian Quesadilla (includes: cheese, black beans, corn, red pepper, onion and tomato)

Now we do have things in our house that are not “healthy”, these are mainly for the kids and my husband. In our pantry you’ll find potato chips, Dortios (at times), little Debbie snacks and some sugary cereal. We are a work in progress.

I try to always keep in my mind a quote from one of Michael Pollen’s books, “You can eat all the junk food you want as long as you made is from scratch.”

Foraging....

The act of looking or searching from food or provisions (noun)

To wander in search of food or previsions (verb)

I did a little foraging this fall; we have black walnut trees on our property. Every fall as the leaves slowly drift to the ground, you hear a soft boom. And green sphere, about the size of a tennis ball, hits the ground.

Last year I attempted to collect and harvest the walnuts out of the hull, but I got part of the way then forgot all about them. This year my parents asked me to collect them several grocery plastic bags full for them. They have retired and have the time to carry out the process. So I collected and collected, surprised how many there were with squirrels all around. After I collected their bags, I kept collecting and asked with they would mind harvesting some for me. In their agreement, I started to collect more about three bags for me. As I passed off the last of the bags, my mom looked back and said it be about a month. I replied, “no problem. I’ve got time.”

A little over a month later, my mom delivered about a ½ a pound of walnuts. And then a few weeks later I got  another bag, this time about a pound. Now I just need to think of all the things to make and use them up. Until then they will sit chilling in the fridge until I’m ready.

Pears, a yummy fall fruit…..but what makes them better is when they are free.

My parents in passing mentioned that in their neighborhood was a couple who had pear trees, but never collected the fruit. They would pass by on their walk and see all the pears laying on the ground, left to rot. So I asked if they would mind asking it they would take some pears. A few days later I get a text saying that they would drop off the pears they collected. When I got home a robust bag of pears sat on the front porch.

That weekend, pears with peeled and cored. The first of the pears were sliced and laid on a rack where then spent the whole day dehydrating.

 

The others were peeled, chopped and cooked in water along with second hand apples from the farmers market.

 

Together they blended into my pearapplesauce….very yummy. Seasoned with honey, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then poured into hot jars to be canned, waiting on the shelf during the cold months ahead.

 

The dried pears are the best, sweet little natural candies. I split the bag with my parents. They are fantastic on granola cereal!!!

Homemade Veggie Stock

So having a liquid stock in the pantry is a must for home cooked meals. And my step daughter has stopped eating chickens, because we have some, so chicken stock doesn't get used a lot around this house. 


But I came across this magical idea one day on a blog. To save your leftover veggies, keep them in a bag in the freezer and use them to make veggie stock....of course why didn't I think of this??? Leftover veggies refers to the onion skin, tops and bottoms, broccoli stalk, carrot skins or ends, celery, etc. This gives my veggie scraps and extra purpose before heading to the compost.

So I collect the leftovers over a period of time until my gallon ziplock bag is full. 


Then you dump all the veggies into a crockpot, I then add a potato that I've cut up. To top off the mixture I throw in some fresh herbs from the garden, usually thyme, rosemary and parsley. Then fill the crockpot up with water. 

Put the lid on and set on low. Now I do this first thing in the morning before work and let it cook all day.

When I come home, I have veggie stock waiting for me. 

I then scoop out the big pieces and place in a bowl for the compost. 

Then I use a mesh strainer to catch the rest.

Scoop the broth into your containers, chinese takeout soup containers are great and large yogurt containers. Isn't it pretty, this time the color is very amber. However the color varies depending on the veggies being used.


I then let them cool to room temperature and pop them in the freezer. To thaw, set out in the morning or run hot water around the outside edges, then plop the veggie stock cylinder into saucepan and heat up.


Hope you enjoy this great tip on getting more out of your veggies before they hit the compost bin.

My Fairy Tale Weekend

First Strawberries from the backyard

Clothes out on the line

Little Bit playing peek-a-boo with her reflection in the fridge. 

Homemade Pancakes from Scratch

So I've been making small changes to take control of my I feed my family. However as a working mom, having extra time on my hands is myth. So one of the things I have started making is pancake mix, now I did not come up with this recipe and I can't remember where I found it. If the creator stumbles along this recipe please take credit and I thank you.

Whole Wheat Pankcake Mix


1 cup sugar
6 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour
1/4 cup baking powder
1-1/2 cup instant dry milk powder
1 Tablespoon salt


Mix all together and store in an air tight container. Done, Easy right?


Now for the recipe to make the pancakes:


2 cups of mix (above)
1 egg
1-1/2 cup water, (I use half water and half milk sometimes)
3 Tablespoon oil


Option 1/2 cup: chocolate chips, strawberries, pumpkin, etc.


Note: I always add cinnamon and a little vanilla extract to my pancakes.


So Sunday morning everyone awoke from a quick slumber, aka girl sleepover. I went to sleep listening to giggles and awoke to them.

Now of course my well planning skills left us with enough maple syrup for the girls to use, so time to raid the pantry and fridge. Honey for mama and homemade blackberry jam for daddy.

pancake toppings

After breakfast was complete and everything was cleaned, I of coarse made another batch of pancakes to freeze. Love having quick healthy breakfast options in the mornings.


I hope that you try the recipe and enjoy and morning or evening of made from scratch pancakes.


I would love to hear your comments!

My Fairy Tale Weekend

Daddy & Daughter Jenga

Enjoying her new perch

Score at a consignment sale. Melissa and Doug toy for $3

Making cookies of the dessert; Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Homemade pancakes for breakfast

vintage bowl washed and drying

Yellow Iris are finally blooming

Watching her sister's horse lesson

Our setting for lunch

What a great sky

Girls' after a day for fun