October brings the end of Minnesota’s growing season and the farmer’s markets are done. This year I frequented our local farmer’s market pretty much every week. It worked better than a CSA this year for our family. I did plant a small straw bale garden so we were able to harvest from it also. We had snow this week so my garden is done for the year, too. Enjoy the in-season produce for the month of October.
Finding locally sourced food has been a mission for me. I love connecting myself and others this way. Not everyone can get out to visit these farms but at least through these posts, you can get a glimpse of the operation.
Blessing Way Pastures is my most recent farm visit. This farm is the first farm I have visited to have raw dairy and wool; they also have pasture-raised eggs. Let’s take a look at the farm.
Are you looking to improve your health through food, sharpen your culinary skills, or maybe bring a small group of people together?
Starting this fall, I am offering several hands-on culinary classes as part of my “Small Group Workshop” service. The Small Group Workshops will accommodate 3 to 8 participants in the comfort of your home. These workshops are a great way to bring friends, family, colleagues, or connect groups together while sharing health-promoting, from-scratch cooking. Think book club, girl’s night out, mom’s night out, bride’s maid event, or date night of 2 to 4 couples; any of these would be great opportunities to gather together, enjoy a fun event, and some great food.
Smoothies can be a great way to super charge your health and Sondi Bruner’s most recent book, Simple Superfood Smoothies won’t disappoint. Sondi is a holistic nutritionist, writer, food blogger, and recipe developer from Vancouver, BC. This is her fourth recipe book. Other books include Anti-inflammatory Diet in 21 Days, The Anti-inflammatory Diet and Cookbook, and The Candida Cookbook and Action Plan.
We are blessed to have access to so many foods in our grocery stores. Even though our family tries to eat foods grown locally, we occasionally will venture out and have a food adventure. Sometimes these adventures involve trying out-of-the ordinary fruits and vegetables.
As the days get shorter, here in Minnesota the leaves are beginning to turn color! Even though I love fall, it signals that we are nearing the end of our growing season. Here is a short list of some of the foods that are in season during the month of September.
Check out the next food additive in the the series What is in Your Food?
A relatively common preservative that is added to our food is Butylated hydroxyanisole, commonly known as BHA. It is a synthetically produced preservative used to keep fats and oils in food and personal care products from going rancid.
Almonds! They are a great snack, make a wonderful nut butter, and almond flour offers a gluten-free alternative for baking.
Summer is now half over! Soon back-to-school preparations will begin; I know the stores are stocking the shelves with the supplies already. August is also when the farmer’s markets are booming with the produce of their labors. Last week, one vendor had sweet corn; there was a line to snatch up what he had available. Fresh sweet corn is such a treat in the summer.
Let’s look at lecithin, specifically soy lecithin.
Lecithin is a fatty substance that occurs in animal and plant tissues. Lecithin is used as an emulsifier to keep water and fat from separating in processed foods, and it can extend the shelf life of these foods. It is also used as a wetting and dispersing agent for powders, a release agent to prevent sticking of contact surfaces, and improves dough in bakery products.