Annual Gift of Organic Garlic

I can count on my brother to ship the most delicious garlic. He grows it in Okanogan, Washington and sends it to me in Pittsburgh. So fresh and aromatic when roasted, sautéed, baked, minced, smashed, rubbed- you name it! Thanks David. ❤️

I’ll have to ask him which varieties he grew this year

My Brother’s Organic Garlic From Okanogan

I was excited to receive the annual organic garlic package my brother sends. Inspirational. I think my sister helped get it out to me this year as she’s visiting now.  Thanks David and Mary.  Can’t  wait to cook with it.

IMG_3077(The glass flag plate from my friend J in Florida. She always remembers my Fourth of July Birthday with a red,white and blue gift!)

Food Revolution Day Pittsburgh

Fortunately, I ran into a former colleague and her daughter and they were able to explain what was happening at the field at Obama Academy this afternoon when I was driving home from school. Food Revolution Day!   In conjunction with Jamie Oliver, the third annual Food Revolution Day was taking place all over the globe today.

 

I took home an organic purple pepper plant for my neighbor to plant in his garden.

 

 

Here is Jen’s daughter Wylie, feeding a kid at the petting zoo.

Wylie feeding a baby goat

 

I sampled some grilled cheese and Non GMO Shagbark Seed and Mill Corn Chips at the Food Truck

Grilled Cheese

 

 

Shagbark Seed and MIll Chips

 

 

 

Added Sugar

Sugar display…

 

BeesHelp the Bees by planting the right plants

 

 

Food REvolution

 

Lots of food to sample. This was on top of polenta.

 

East End Food CoopEast End Food Coop Exhibit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ran into four people I know.

 

Wylie and her MomIMG_7557IMG_7551

 

 

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This is Kryptonite to My Son

I really wanted to grate some fresh nutmeg again.

As I left Ohio for home, I stopped off at Kroger and saw this in the dairy case. Thought I’d give it a try when I got home to Pittsburgh.  My mother used to make homemade eggnog before anyone talked about salmonella and the risks of consuming raw egg.  Mark feels the same way about mayonnaise.   It just disgusts him.

Goes down easy for me. Comfort. Silky smooth.

I grated the wonderful little nutmeg that has the most intricate design inside.  Maybe the eggnog needs some more fat in it.

Lowfat eggnog?  One good thing about this particular brand is it did not have that fake-o rum flavor.

And now I’m settling down for the winter’s nap to rest for the last week of school before the break.

 

eggnog pouring into glass

The little hand painted glass is from that fun gift shop I blogged about , the shop in Lawrenceville  named  Divertido

 

freshly grated nutmegYes, the nutmeg kept just fine on the shelf in a bag.  I love looking at the interior design  of it.  And the smell of it when you are graing it is so inviting.  The eggnog  intoxicating without a drop of spirits.

Chili Weather Inspires Dinner

Low thirties temperature makes me want to make soup or chili, some sort of stew.  And devour it, too.

A pot of something simmering on a low flame, creating a welcoming aroma when you enter the house.

Dinner was chili and beans with a side of brown rice on the adjacent burner.  It’s time to pull out that Cold-Weather Cooking  cookbook that my sister uses (author Sarah Leah Chase).

Tonight I used grass fed beef,  sauteéd with organic onion and garlic from my brother in Okanogan Washington. Last weekend , I’d replaced my chili powder with a new glass jar of organic chili powder.

Earlier today a friend had posted an article about the 8 Foods Experts Won’t Eat and I remembered the article and got worried about the canned tomatoes (I used the Fire Roasted Muir Glen Organic Crushed Tomatoes) and wondered if  the acidity of the tomatoes had leached the can lining into them but ate the chili anyway.  Not sure if they use liner with BPA in it or not.  I read they have a non GMO commitment  so surely they don’t line their cans with the bad stuff.

You could lose your appetite if you think about things deeply.

What is safe to eat these days?  Is there any way to totally avoid the pesticides, preservatives, additives and  harmful chemicals and the genetic modification nightmare?

I’m trying.

Chili and beans on stove

Green-Tipped Straightneck- Organic Baby Squash

Bought from the Farmer’s Market in East Liberty Monday afternoon.  In haste.  It started to pour.  Will get the name of the vendor next week!

Green-tipped straightneck squash and a few baby zucchini. I liked the green-tips which looked as if the squash ends were dipped in green paint.