Esme's Diet

Distracted

Done

The Butter Diet, I call it.  She has been riding the growth curve on the 5th percentile line, but at her 9 month appointment she was 14 pounds 1 1/2 ounces, only one pound more than she was at 6 months, and below the line.  It's normal for their weight gain to slow down at this point because they get so active, but the doctor showed some concern and told me to feed her as much as I could and come back for a follow-up appointment in 6 weeks. I was surprised, figuring she was eating enough since she slept 12 hours at night.  She prefers to feed herself, but the most fattening stuff, like her cream of wheat with equal parts cream of wheat to butter and heavy cream, I had to do.

Today was the weigh-in. They called us so fast I didn't have time to get her last snack in her. I've been doing my best to feed her more often, give her toys to distract her while I try and get bites in, and load every mushy bite with butter, heavy cream, and momma's milk.  It became the most stressful part of my day. Each bite felt like a struggle and triumph. And the result?  3 ounces! So she's now 14 pounds 4 ounces after 6 weeks of the Butter Diet.  The doctor now wants us to go see a dietitian....at Primary Children's Hospital.  The location freaked me out a bit. Can I just tell her, she's a small girl, she's developing fine, what is all this going to accomplish?  I talked to another mom this past week, a doctor actually, whose daughter was tiny too.  She said some kids just fill out later than others.  When is it appropriate to say "Actually, Doc, I think she's fine."? Or will she call DCFS saying I'm starving my child and refusing medical treatment?

I wonder if the Butter Diet would have a similar affect on me.

I don't know what's come over me. I feel like a pregnant woman nesting or a squirrel preparing for the upcoming change in seasons. I am neither one of those, but seeing all the fruit and vegetables in season right now is making me want to buy extra and store for winter. Probably because I just read this book.

I've heard several times that the most important way to reduce your impact on the environment is to eat what's local and in season. It's more crucial than the kind of car you drive or the light bulbs in your lamps. It's also the healthiest option. Freezing keeps more of the vitamins than canning. Add in the fact that I have never canned anything and you get this:

Our new freezer. Brian was very proud of himself for finding it 75% off. Eli was so excited about finding it this morning that he started filling it right away. Then we went to a Rojas Farm about a mile away. The fabulousness we get from the CSA is not quite enough for us now, so I needed to get extra to freeze. It's not necessarily organic, but they only spray the corn with pesticides, so I went a little crazy.

Most of the pears were a little dinged up (unlike these ones on top), so I asked for a discount and and the lady just gave them to me. She even held Esme while I shopped. She said we could go out and take cucumbers too, since they decided not to pick them. Maybe next time. We'll go back when they get more peaches, another Brian request.

The List

On the okay list, oh well.

My poor mother-in-law was making a salad with lettuce from our CSA on our trip to Bear Lake and noticed a bug that had made itself at home on one of the leaves. My first reaction was "that's GREAT!" Later I realized that was probably why she didn't end up having any and that I must've sounded like a crazy bug eater. Actually, I figure if something can live there, it must be a healthy sign. Lately I've grown scared of the suffix "icide."

At first, the transition to buying organic produce was hard, pulling that extra money out of my tight fist. But I eased myself into it, only getting what was on sale and when I was ready to make the full switch, I wondered if there are somethings that don't really matter if you buy organic. So I found a couple of lists, foods that should and also others that don't necessarily have to be organic. Apparently the USDA studied different crops and their residual pesticides, even after washing. First with the good news, what you don't have to spend the extra money for, generally things with a nice thick skin, which we don't eat and probably make it hard for bugs to get through anyway.

• Onions
• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Mangoes
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe (Domestic)
• Watermelon
• Grapefruit
• Sweet Potatoes
• Honeydew Melon

And now for the scary list. I'm regretting all those cheap Chilean grapes in grocery trips past and still cringe when Brian comes home with "conventional" cherries:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes, imported (Chili)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

Vegetables

• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Spinach

So there you go. Maybe I'll link to a couple of articles: msn, doctor, greenies, and cnn. I wonder if fox news has anything. Better look into it for my mom.

Eating Our Greens

Last Tuesday we got our first box of our share from the farm. Eli was more excited than us, playing with the onion scape (tall, hollow shoot holding the onion's flower) like a sword. Everything was green except for a few small parsnips. This week's was the same, with a couple extra types of lettuce and collard greens and kale. It's all so beautiful I feel bad wilting it away in the pan.

We've been eating lots of green and learning how to use all parts of the plant. Watercress stems in soup, Crysanthemum leaf tea, oven roasted chicken over a bed of onion scapes. Tonight they'll be in the potato gratin, along with plenty of fresh tarragon. The salads have been my favorite, so many types, each with their own flavor and texture. Even our ice cream was green, made with fresh mint.

Zoe's Garden

Saturday was member day at the CSA we joined. I was excited to see for myself and show Eli where our fruits and veggies would be coming from soon. We met the main man for a tour, tomato planting, and a lunch we had to miss, but I'm sure it was fabulous.

Eli insists on taking his bike everywhere, although we all regretted this one. The mud distressed my little neat freak.

We learned a lot about the farm. Right away he told us about difficulties with a group called Utah Open Land, whose main (noble) priority is protecting land from development, is forcing them to make changes to the farm that would make it more attractive from a distance, but hard to work, like moving their work station to the edge instead of the center, tilling up the paths needed to move machinery and supplies after each use, filling in watering holes for irrigation, and getting rid of the animals. How outrageous! As if this small organic, sustainable farm is trying to do something detrimental to the land. I was sad Eli didn't get to see farm animals. They are hoping to make it an educational place where everyone can come learn about farms as well as tips for growing their own gardens, which will be so helpful once we get a yard. They even go out into the community to teach, like at Wheeler Farms this Saturday. Several groups from nearby universities studying agriculture and nutrition have already come.

The man, David, started organic farming after getting very sick spraying pesticides for his landscaping business, which is still his main source of income. Imagine that, farming on the side! And he doesn't do it the easy way. They specialize in variety, 600 to be exact, which makes it very costly to certify as organic, so starting that has been slow-going. Ten kinds of eggplant, 20 kinds of apples (including one that is pink inside, behind him in the picture), over a hundred types of heirloom tomatoes, and so many more types I can't remember. I didn't know this kind of thing was possible in Utah. I thought we lived in a barren desert only capable of supporting a few basic crops. But he's growing exotic varieties from Asia, Italy and Greece.

And he wasn't kidding about it being a "member planting" day. I thought it was going to be more ceremonious, plant a couple of tomato plants and be done. But he put people to work, and we had to be quick with those tomato plants, which started wilting almost as soon as they were in the sun. Bri did a row of Caspian Pinks before stopping to hold Esme so I could take Eli to get a snack (purple asparagus right out of the ground) to stop his whining.

It ended up being quite an adventure. Bri came with Esme to see what was taking so long when we decided to go get some garlic to take home. Coming back the bees (for pollinating and honey) decided to leave their nice hives and swarm on a tractor near the dirt road we needed to take to leave. It was scary. Even though I stood back a ways with the kids I looked above my head and it was like a highway of bees coming in to land.

Bri made it through the scratchy, lumpy asparagus field to the car so he could drive us through the swarming bees. Farm life is treacherous... and tiring. The few other families that also came were still planting tomatoes, a couple hours later. Definitely earned their lunch.

It turns out we can go visit whenever we want and even pick the extra fruit. Luckily for Brian this includes the many varieties of delicate raspberries that fall if it gets too windy. We were both excited to see a couple kinds of artichokes and many varieties of dark greens starting to grow, favorites in this house. And Eli had fun searching for stalks of asparagus poking up from the ground. Can't wait for our first box in a few weeks. We'll keep an eye out for a tomato Bri planted, as if we could keep 100 different kinds straight.

Ferocious, For A Vegetarian

She has quite the grip

A while back, I would venture to say months, Esme started eying my cup whenever I drank as she sat on my lap during dinner. I thought it was the colorful fishes on the glass, but weeks later realized she wanted to drink. Poor baby.

Lately she's more demanding, its food she needs and she doesn't gaze longingly, she fusses until its in her hand. She does that cute head shake as she prepares to chomp down. I was planning on waiting to feed her for another month since it's so much work and causes messes that are the stuff of nightmares. With Eli we were so excited to feed him and I had all the time in the world to steam and bake organic veggies and run them through a food mill and pump to add milk for the right consistency, patiently feed while all the food comes right back out and then clean up the big mess on baby, table, chair, and floor (and then wash all the dishes I just dirtied). I only have two kids, but somehow it seems too daunting. Poor Esme, again.

Up to now I've only fed her a few times, finding that a slice of ripe peeled pear is perfect, big enough to hold on and dissolves when she sucks on it. A good way to teach her to actually swallow and not spit out food.

She must've gotten hungry watching me throw dinner together tonight. And for some reason I thought she would be patient since she's just nursed and put an acorn squash in the oven for her dinner. Too slow. So I got a carrot steaming. Too slow. Banana it was.

Imagine her head shaking as she goes for the first bite

Pretty good for no teeth

I don't know what it is. I feel like every first must be documented. I get sentimental thinking this is her first carrot, pickle, or chocolate chip. Silly, huh? Well, speaking of documenting:

Craving Korean

You'd think I was a crazy pregnant lady. Yesterday I went to lunch with my sister and gazed longingly at the THREE Korean restaurants on the other block. I didn't say anything since I know most people don't need ceramic bowls of tofu and kimchi boiling away in a firey broth. Luckily there was nothing in the fridge today so we just had to meet Bri in town for lunch. He was excited to try the squid, which was great, and Eli looks forward to munching on the seaweed that is served as one of the many side dishes. Those Koreans sure know what they're doing. The food is so healthy and full of variety. Salty, sweet, sour, spicy, crunchy, chewy, smooth.

Bri has happily adapted too. I introduced him to imported stinky cheeses and he loves them. Appenzeller, Gruyere, Brie, Gorgonzola, and more I can't recall at the moment, all pretty standard, but he even liked the stuff my dad subjected him to in Switzerland. All different kinds, the funkier the better. When we were apart this weekend and called to catch up, the main conversations started "Guess what I ate today..." Lebanese... Duck and black mushroom ragu over buckwheat polenta... sea urchin sushi. We must be soul mates.

Utah CoOp: Affordable Gourmet

Remember how I said I was going to join a co-op for pantry (and dairy) items? I found one online with a pretty vague website and decided to stop in since I was in the area after meeting Bri for a Korean lunch in town today. What a revelation.

Now I looked into two different co-ops. They both involve private citizens joining together to purchase food at whole sale prices and volunteer their time to get it organized and distributed. The first one, The Community Food Co-op Of Utah, works similar to an LDS cannery where you volunteer your time and can purchase the discounted food, which involves produce, staple items and meat. People can eat fresh, healthy food even if they don't have much money. You fill out an order form and later pick it up, it having been filled by volunteers.

Now I decided to check out t the second one, Utah CoOp. Whereas the other co-op proudly proclaims their food isn't damaged or donated, this one buys scratch and dent palates and receives donations from large businesses since it's nonprofit. Before going I thought it might be something for the needy, but it was for everyone. It was set up like a grocery store with a variety of shoppers, from little old ladies to trendy young people. The lady who organized it really had a vision to make quality, healthy food accessible to everyone. As for the prices, I paid $21 for this loot, which, with my cheapskate calculations (I always guess half the price of those items on The Price Is Right golf game, food must be expensive in Southern California), would have cost at least 3 times as much in a regular store. One of the boxes of whole wheat pasta had a couple small paint splatters and some of the cheeses expire in a week, but a dollar for feta, romano, goat cheese, pesto, hummus, a pint of organic heavy cream and more, I'll take it. And those salamis! I feel like a thief. So, if you don't mind trekking to a storage unit in West Valley City to save some serious money on good food, I hope you go, and take me with you. I need an excuse.

Support A Local Farm

I can't contain my excitement. I'm even breaking my unwritten rule of posting a photo I didn't take myself.

I'd been meaning to look into buying a share in a local farm but couldn't postpone anymore after watching Foodinc. on instant watch Netflix last night. So for $50/week we'll get a huge variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs at the peak of freshness from June to October. The farm, which uses no pesticides and only organic compost to fertilize, is an hour away, but has several drop-off locations in Salt Lake Valley, including our town. Even Brian is excited, especially since they offer meat and you can get flats of extra berries.

There are many other CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in the area that are even cheaper, like this one and this one, but they have less variety, ideal for those not enthused by things like:

Broccoli Raab

Endive
Yellow Snow Peas
Green Snow Peas
Bok Choy Sum
Beet Greens

But we are. Plus, no more racing through the grocery store with two kids before one of them starts crying, I just pick up my box and leave. More importantly we're supporting sustainable, small farms. I'd rather give money to them than a giant corporation any day.

For the rest of our food I'm looking in to a grocery coop for discounted pantry items.

It's not so bad being without yard I've suddenly decided. We'll have all kind of produce, many items we haven't even heard of and 60% of which come from heirloom seeds for much cheaper than the farmer's market. There is even a blog with new recipes for each week's veggies. Can't wait for June. We'll have to have you all over for dinner, one family at a time.

Reusable Produce Bags

I've been meaning to make some of these for ages. I ran into the material at the thrift store, it was the middle part of a $1 bedskirt which gave me at 12 bags. It's really light, not holey, easy to work with, and transparent. 8 done during nap time. I can see myself going crazy with these. Maybe a present from me to throw in with Brian's cookbook.

Cranky Creatures

Brian's favorite food is crab. You know when it's a special occasion or his birthday because its stinky odor permeates the whole house. We have only been to Oregon three times, but eating crab has always been Brian's main objective while there.
Last week at the Oregon Coast Aquarium he saw some small 3 ft Japanese Spider Crabs in a tank next to a mural of a full-grown 13 ft adult. It made him more hungry than scared.
Brian was deeply disappointed that the season for fishing this delectable crustacean doesn't start until December 1. He was further disappointed that his dreams of fishing on the ocean were dashed again because of the rough, unpredictable Oregon sea. Even though his parents' friend with a boat couldn't take him on the harsh ocean, we dropped some crab pots (legally) in the bay.
It was practically a scene off of Deadliest Catch. Brian was the greenhorn, trying to keep from getting his ankles caught in the line that would drag him into the 4 feet deep water. It was sunny,warm, calm water, and most of the crabs were too small to keep. But it was still exciting. Eli went out with us on his birthday to collect the catch. He was calm, but interested (maybe he recognized Sebastian).
Back at the dock, I made sure he backed (cleaned) at least one of them himself, for the full experience. Brian made off with 5 of the critters to eat at home.
He shared... a couple morsels.

Over The River And Through The Woods

To combat our loneliness (well, I don't know if Eli's lonely, but) yesterday we went to visit Brian's sweet little Mexican grandma a couple of hours away. It was our first road trip, just the two of us. We made it just fine (probably thanks to our worrying grandma's constant prayers) despite the deer-infested, curving two-lane highway under construction. Eli did well except for some crying over dropped toys and food that I couldn't hand him. It was well worth it. Once there, we were greeted by the sweetest little grandma with a table full of food, most important being the homemade tortillas and chili. We did not come empty-handed like we usually do. We brought grandma a bundt-shaped zucchini bread. The link for the recipe will follow, cuz it's a good one.
After lunch, Eli was up to the same monkey-business: chasing after cats with his stroller. It was nice to hear stories and look at pictures. I've never met someone more warm and sincere. I remember the first time I met her, I wasn't sure what to do after she said "I love you." If her kids/grandkids bring someone home, it's like they're a member of the family. By this morning Eli still wouldn't let her hold him, until he needed someone to put his shoes on so we could leave. Whenever it's time to go, she sends us home with home-made tortillas, whatever food she can spare, and some money "for hamburgers." I'm sure grandma won't mind me sharing the recipe for the tortillas she's been making for like 75 years, only using her hands to measure the ingredients:

2 1/2 C. Flour
1 T. Baking Powder
1 t. Salt
2 T. Grease (oil, shortening, bacon drippings, grandma would insist on lard)
1 C. Hot Water

To dry ingredients add grease, which doesn't have to incorporate fully, the hot water will do that. Add hot water. If it's dry or sticky, add a bit of water or flour. Get frying or cast iron pan hot on medium heat. Keep dough covered so it doesn't dry out and pull off pieces to make a ball 2 inches in diameter. Roll out (don't worry, it won't be a circle, not until you're a grandma) on floured surface or silpat, as thin as you can get it, about 1/8 inch and brown on either side in hot pan. Can be cooled and frozen in foil for later.
Now that I type directions out, it sounds pretty laborious, but it isn't. It's a nice treat and doable since tacos aren't much work anyway.

She was astonished when it came up that I make tortillas sometimes too. Uh oh. She might not make them for us anymore.


(About the Zucchini Bread, you can half the oil and put around 3/4 C. of pineapple juice, which I did because I had extra in the 20 oz. can of tidbits, which I broke up and used half of. I usually add chocolate chips to everything, but this time threw in craisins for color and a bit of tartness.)

Ratatouille

Comfort Food for me, I have realized, is what I have eaten in my favorite places, Santa Barbara and Switzerland. I never succeed in making perfect pork roast and pinto beans like my grandma, and last night I tried yet again to make ratatouille served over polenta like Heidi in Switzerland. It was my best attempt yet, the recipe coming from a great website that gives step by step direction (but has a limited number of recipes in its file). I will try and put some zucchini recipes up since the little green squash is in season and you either have a garden, a friend with a garden, or see them on super-sale at the grocery store. I don't know if normal people cook ratatouille, but I think we should all try it. It is inexpensive, healthy, and so hearty even Brian didn't miss the meat.
Luckily the polenta (or grits) turned out quite well; it can substitute noodles in any pasta dish. (I would use chicken bouillon instead of the salt used in the link and stir in a handful of Parmesan cheese and couple tablespoons of butter at the end.) The firm polenta and soft vegetables were supposed to be perfect for Eli, but he was done after 4 slightly coerced bites.
The tomato, eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper don't have to be layered elegantly like in the movie, we just serve it like stew.
I'll admit, when we were eating dinner last night I felt a bit like Ego when he was transported to being a 6-year old boy in his mother's Provence kitchen just by taking a bite of Remy's ratatouille.

Our Vegetable Loot

Our friends Anna and Joe are on a family vacation for 10 days in Michigan and so they told us to go harvest some vegetables from their garden. I couldn't believe my eyes when we got there, it was like the garden of Eden. Last I saw it there were small chili and tomato plants with some small sprouting squash plants. Now the squash vines were spreading far with spiny leaves bigger than the basketball-sized pumpkins. It was really amazing. I can see how people get into gardening, although, I must remember all of their hard work with planting, fertilizing, watering, and composting (did I mention weeding?).
Brian's raspberry dreams were dashed as they were already gone, but we collected lots of peppers, a few zucchini, and green beans.
Back home, our little window box of herbs is as big of a garden as we will be having for a couple of years. I try and use some whenever I can. We put the perennial types (sage, chives, and thyme) in one box and the annuals (basil and dill) in another. The basil has been our favorite for adding to spaghetti sauce, home-made pizza, caprese, and making cheap pesto.
Brian definitely has gardening in his blood. It all goes back to the garden his family had in Star Valley, Wyoming when he was a toddler. Apparently he wouldn't eat a meal if he had a couple of bites of a snack, so when the no-snacking rule was enforced, he would be okay with it and just run out to the garden and eat fresh peas. Our first summer married we were in a basement apartment and tried feebly to have a little container garden on our below-ground deck. I think we got 5 pea pods. This is part of why we were so amazed with Anna and Joe's garden.

Quick and Easy Desserts

I've come across a few recipes that make dessert easy and fast.
PIE: For the first one I just googled "fool-proof pie crust" and this is what I use now. I was never able to get the traditional recipe of flour, shortening, and a few tablespoons of water to come together into a perfect, crumble-free pie crust like my mom can, but this one works for me. Plus, the recipe makes enough for 4 crusts and the remaining dough can just be divided and wrapped in plastic wrap and/or foil before going in a ziploc bag in the freezer for months. It's so easy to thaw and roll out between sheets of plastic wrap sheets and there are no dishes.
CAKE: Personally, I love this Home and Garden's Cookbook recipe for visiting teachee treats. It literally takes two minutes and you don't have to remember to bring butter to room temperature. It is a small recipe so you won't have cake around the house for a week getting stale and the batter works well for cupcakes (others, I have found, fall in the middle- cupcakes with craters are not quite so beautiful). I couldn't find an equivalent online, so I will write it out:
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake (recipe for Eli's birthday cupcakes, video to the left)
1 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. milk
1/3 C. cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan or line cupcake pan (will make about 10).
2) To dry ingredients add milk, oil, and vanilla, mix for about 2 minutes until well combined, then add egg and beat.
3) Spread in prepared pan, bake 20-35 minutes, depending on pan.
-For an extra treat in cupcakes, pipe some instant pudding into their centers.
-No-Cook Fudge Frosting: add boiling water a tablespoon at a time to 2 C. powdered sugar, 1/4 C. cocoa powder, 1/4 C. butter (softened), and 1/2 tsp. vanilla until it reaches spreading consistency. If you add too much, just refrigerate and it will firm up.
CARAMEL: I learned about this from my friend Shannon. To make caramel, simply simmer an unopened (unbelievable to me too) can of Sweetened Condensed Milk in some water on the stove for two hours. That's it! She used it to sandwich two cookies together and so far I've dipped apples in it and added it to the bottom of a chocolate cream pie. You could drizzle it on ice cream or put between layers of cake.