October 2012

Coop on a Budget: Start Smart

This is the first post in a new SGT series exploring the different ways that we can shop co-op effectively and affordably. Check out or other posts in this series here.

 

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Tremendous Treats: Finding the Fun in Halloween

Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops

Halloween, in the US at least, has come to be synonymous with treats, not tricks. And that can pose a problem for those of us who want our food simple, good, and tasty, as most candy is not actually food. Yet most of us also harbor happy childhood memories of coming home from a night of trick-or-treating with a pillowcase or plastic pumpkin full of goodies. The enjoyment was extended by sorting candy, trading it, and slowly (or not-so-slowly) consuming it over the next several days. It's good to remember that there is joy in this candy-centric holiday that can easily get stifled by well-meaning adults.

 

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DIY Craft Cocktails: Make Your Own Garnishes

This is the second post in a series about do-it-yourself craft cocktails. Also check out the first post in the series on making your own simple syrups.


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Hunting for Dinner: An Unsuccessful Pheasant Hunt (and Pheasant Meatloaf)

This is the third post in a series about hunting for food -- truly meeting your meat. Also check out the earlier posts from the series, Duck Hunting and Squirrel Hunting with Mom.

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Farm to Fork, A CSA Series: How to Cook a Pumpkin and More

This is part 9 of a series about our CSA boxes and what we do with them. Recipes for Fish en Papillote ("Packet Fish"), Butternut Squash Soup, and Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Follow.

 

When I last wrote, I was too busy to cook, as my post was aptly titled. I write this update reflecting on another set of weeks where I was still pretty busy, but not so busy that I couldn’t cook a little.

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Straw Bale Gardening, Part 3: The Final Report

This is the final installment in our Straw Bale Gardening series, which follows a novice gardener’s attempt at her first straw bale garden.

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Great Grains: Teff -- The Jury's Still Out

This is the sixth post in the series “Great Grains," highlighting unusual whole grains and easy ways to incorporate them into your diet. Check out posts on barley, bulgur, millet,

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The Latin Tongue: Somos Peru

Somos Peru, literally translated as, "We are Peru," is a name that leaves no questions about what you will get. The folks at Somos Peru take great pride in the fact that they are Peruvian, and for once, there is no mishmash of cultures here. We have been to at least three restaurants that claimed to have Peruvian food, but each time, they have also had Mexican, Salvadorian, Ecuadorian, or some other Latin American cuisine mixed in. Somos Peru lets Peruvian food speak for itself without the seemingly necessary nod to burritos, tacos, and other more recognizable Latin (Mexican) foods. Certainly, with this kind of focus, we can learn a little about this ethnic food. 

 

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Globally Aware: Shopping Outside the Big Box in the Philippines

The first time I went to the supermarket as a newly minted Metro Manila resident, I threw items into the shopping cart as if our old SUV was in the parking lot, waiting to haul two weeks' worth of groceries home. Only after I had paid and was staring at eight bags with the combined weight of a full-grown man did I remember having walked to the store.

 

Later, as I glared at modestly sized cupboards that refused to hold any more jars and cans, it was easy to blame our compact space for being too small. But the truth was that my old buying habits were simply too big for our new home.

 

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Massage and Stress Reduction as Preventatitve Care

When I feel like rewarding myself, I have a number of go-to indulgences: organic dark chocolate and an espresso, a pedicure with nail art, a superfluous movie night (no substance, please), a leisurely afternoon in the hammock with a book. But one thing you don’t see on my “Indulgences List” is massage. That’s because, in my opinion, massage is not a treat or an indulgence, but actually an essential component of any preventative health routine.

 

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