My Fairy Tale Weekend

Adventures in Juicing

Juicing is the process of extracting juice from plant tissues such as fruit or vegetables.

Many people are starting to incorporate juicing into their daily diet to assure getting the nutrients that they need. I’ve been interested in trying and seeing how the whole process works. So I borrowed a juicier from a friend of mine.

Since I am borrowing the juicier, I planned to perform a bulk juicing session. I also decided to focus on one vegetable, just to try it out….Carrots.

Carrots are wonderful vegetables. They are an excellent source for carotene, which changes into vitamin A in the human body. Carrots are also packed with B1, B2, C, D and E, rich in potassium and magnesium. Benefits of carrots include improving appearance of skin, hair and nails. When taken daily they can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Can improve eyesight, regulate blood sugar and promote colon health because it is rich in fiber. So they are a perfect test subject to add more to my diet.

So I added carrots to my grocery list, buying two 5lb bags of organic carrots for $3.29 each. I then washed, dried and chopped off the tops and ends and cut them in half. The tops and ends went into my veggie broth freezer bag for use later. Waste not, want not. I then assembled the juicer and checked the directions. With everything laid out, I plugged in the juicer and turned to knob to the correct setting “crispy hard produce”. Then put two carrots in the tube and pushed them down.

Now this juicier separates the pulp and the juice, the pulps gets dropped in the container on the left and juice comes out the spout on the right. Just insert whatever container will fit under the spout to catch the juice.

It was amazing how quickly juicing ten pounds went. After getting everything collected, I got roughly 1 cup of juice for every pound of carrot. So I ended up with 10 cups of carrot juice and 2 large bowls of carrot pulp. 

Now the pulp is where are the fiber ends up, and I would hate to waste it? So after thinking for a minute I start bagging it for the freezer, 1 cup per bag. Then it hit me, carrot pulp balls. The pulp is moist and easily sticks together. 

So I got out a cookie sheet, put down a sheet of wax paper and started making balls. I filled up the whole tray, then put it in the freezer to freeze. So I’m sure your wondering what can you do with carrot pulp balls, well: add to smoothies, thaw and add to spaghetti sauce, bread, carrot bread, pancake batter, etc. Once frozen I put all the balls in a large zip lock bag and stashed in the freezer.

Freezer Veggie Bag, Carrot Pulp and Carrot Juice

The juice I put into ice trays and froze them also, putting them in their own zip lock bag. They can be thawed or added frozen to smoothies.

The next day, I decided to make my first smoothie with carrot juice. I added the carrot juice, 1 pulp ball, spinach, mango, frozen banana and yogurt. It was fantastic and my little one wanted to try and she kept on asking for bites.

Carrot Tips and Tops into the Veggie Freezer Bag

So at the end of this adventure every bit of the 10 pounds of carrots is or will be used. The juice, the pulp made the balls, the tops and tips will be used to make veggie broth that is at home right now in the crock pot. Then they will go into the compost bin, be broken down and added to the garden thus creating a full circle of comsumption.

My Fairy Tale Weekend

Starting of my seeds 

My winter spinach still growing

Garlic for in the spring

Spinach, that has survived outside unprotected.

My lil bit

Documentary Review: The Greenhorns

Last week I took advantage of "Do Something Reel Fest", I was able to pay $3.99 to rent the film for three days on Amazon.com.  

The Greenhorns: a documentary film about young farmers.
Directed by Severine von Tscharner Fleming

This was a great film capturing the spirit and enthusiasm of young farmers today. The director drove around visiting farms all across the united states over a three year time period. It is inspiring to see all the young people wanting to get back to our roots and grow our food. "It's not a want, it's a need." 

We need to recapture what our great or maybe great grand parents knew, which is how to grow food on your land to support your family. I think that it is crazy that the bell peppers are coming from Mexico or Holland. Are there no warm areas year round in the U.S. to supply bell peppers.

I learned about how each farmer is doing things not necessarily the easy way, but a way that is best for the land. Focusing on seed saving, so we don't have to rely on a few large seed manufacturers call the shots.

How we are losing 2,880 acres of land everyday. How the average age of a farmer is 57 and will be retiring with many of their children not wanting to continue in their foot steps.

To think that agriculture in the U.S. is such a large part of our economy and now the percentage of farmers is less than 2%. And the population is increasing...how are we going to feed everyone.

I'm inspired to do my part in this revolution, this movement that is starting as a spark and will soon burn into a fire. I recommend watching this film, and feel the movement that 
will hopefully effect you into wanting to do a part in our future.

So plant a garden, plant a container garden, shop at farmers market, save your seeds, and teach your children how to grow food:)

My Fairy Tale Weekend

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.

My Past Two Fairy Tale Weekends

Zoo Snack

Momma and little bit

In the Process of making orange scented vinegar for a homemade all purpose cleaner.

Oranges in Vinegar, because its beautiful

What I got at my first food swap

Hope everyone had a great weekend.