Animal Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life Chh. 8-10

When Emma lent me her copy of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. It immediately crossed my mind to just skim the words, skip a few pages, and post a blog--it's Saturday night and I have a couch, an episode of Friends, and sleep calling my name. What a party. However, when I started reading page 111 of chapter 8, I couldn't stop reading.
On average, U.S. citizens spend a lower proportion of their income on food. This is less than any other country or even in history. So many times we sacrifice our need to have healthy food in order to purchase superfluous luxuries like high-speed internet, new cars, Gucci bags, etc. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we forsake these things and start living on the bare essentials of life, but Kingsolver develops her argument in chapter 8 when she compares the "elite privilege" of eating organic vs. the actual price of conventional foods. Although many complain about the price of organic crops, many don't realize the actual price for their "cheap" industrially grown food. Our tax dollars fund the petroleum used in growing, processing, and shipping these crops. Americans also fund (with our tax dollars) large-scale, chemical-dependent farms. In addition, we pay for the environmental and health costs of that method of production. Instead of this, we could just be paying for the actual organic product itself...a product that would be locally grown. Now, you tell me if organic is more expensive.
After finishing chapter 9 of Barbara Kingsolver's book, I view cooking in a completely different in light. I refuse take part in majority of people who don't even know how to cook! Cooking isn't just about the eating (even if that's my favorite part). It can actually lead to new discoveries (exotic fruits/vegetables) that we would never think of trying. However, when talking about making her own softcheese, Kingsolver described it as a fairly simple process. She even included a recipe that only takes 30 minutes....I'm determined to make my own mozzarella cheese by the end of the semester. My Italian grandmother will be so proud.
One of the most striking facts that Kingsolver shared in chapter 10, was the statistic that buying goods from local businesses rather than national chains actually stimulates our economy 3 times. So rather than stay in this recession, let's eat locally! A simple solution.
Now, I'm going to go enjoy the gorgeous 81 degree weather and have some dinner outside. An extremely simple recipe Kingsolver included was the Summertime Salad. You'll need

2 large tomatoes
1 ball of mozzarella
Basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt to taste

Slice tomatoes and spread them out on your plate. Place a thing slice of cheese and a basil leaf on each slice of tomato. Drizzle olive oil over top, sprinkle with salt, and serve.

I'm pretty sure that took me less than 5 minutes to do. Now, you try!

Whole Foods Meat Is Safe For All!

After watching the Food Inc. video, I can guarantee that we all are skeptical about our meat. However, Whole Foods and I have some reassuring news. A nonprofit organization called "Global Animal Partnership" that encourages improvement in animal agriculture.  This organization includes a 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating system that is held to extremely strict standards for all species. For example, in step 1, a chicken farm has to meet 91 standards in order to be even sold at a store that is part of the Global Animal Partnership. So, my fellow reader, go out and buy a fresh juicy steak and know that the Global Animal Partnership is proudly associated with Whole Foods Market.

Click here to read the entire article

Warm Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad!

Do you ever get tired of your typical leafy-green salad? You know, the kind that's only edible tasty if you drench the zero calorie vegetables with pounds and pounds of corn-made vinaigrette Ranch dressing?
Well, NeighborhoodNibble has a solution to spice up your salad needs.
Rather than using that Publix Baby Spring Mix salad kit, substitute it for quinoa. Quinoa is a grain that is packed with all nine of the essential amino acids. This protein enriched salad that will keep you energized and alert for the rest of the day.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 38 minutes

What you'll need:
1 cup quinoa, well washed and drained
1 3/4 cups of water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into half-moons
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 carrot, sliced into tiny pieces
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 ounces of crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Combine quinoa, water, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil; then immediately reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until all water is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. While quinoa cooks, toss onion, celery, carrot, and broccoli with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt to taste. Spread in a single layer in baking dishes or on baking sheets. Roast in oven 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, a single pinch of sea salt. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of oil oil
5. Place quinoa and vegetables in a large bowl. Stir dressing and pour over mixture; toss to coat. Season according to your liking. If needed/wanted, sprinkle the crumbled feta.

Bon Appetite!

http://newhope360.com/recipes/warm-quinoa-and-roasted-vegetable-salad