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Archive for the ‘Locavore Resources’ Category

My Other Blog!

Posted in Environmental Consciousness, Good Eats, Locavore Resources, My portfolio, New Hampshire, Our personal history, Social Consciousness, tagged , , , on March 9, 2013 | 2 Comments »

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Have you been wondering where I’ve been?

Truth is – and I hate to admit this – that I’ve been cheating on you, blog. That’s right…I’ve been blogging elsewhere. Actually, this fall (right when I stopped posting here) I started building a new blog from scratch. The timing was serendipitous for me as I was starting to feel a little stagnant in this venue, and a rebirth was necessary, but I didn’t know where to go. Then fortune smiled upon me and gave me a job that I love. Four years after graduating college with a degree I didn’t really care for, and spending a lot of money to get it, I have finally found something that feels like it’s right for me. I was hired as the Media Specialist for a very small, independent health food store here in my home region.

Not only is it wonderful to be doing something that I love for a living (blogging, social media, design), but I am also doing it for a company that I truly believe in. As you probably know, Ryan and I have been vegetarians for many years, tested out a locavore diet on two different occasions, and we really work hard to spend our dollar votes wisely. This job encourages and engages all of my many interests, from upcycling to reading to eating – no easy task. So my disappearance from this corner of the internet didn’t mean I was disappearing entirely; instead, I’ve been dreaming up, designing, and building this website during my working hours (and also a little in my off time – shhh, don’t tell the boss!). They say that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. It’s my sincere hope that you all have or find this happiness, too.

I would love for you to follow me there, even if you live out of state. We will be sharing all sorts of eco-friendly tidbits and healthy recipes. I’m going to be doing most of the blogging, but there are several other ladies involved right now and we are working on expanding our blogging team even further. Oh, yes, and I’m still writing for Goodwill International, too!

Anyway, I don’t want to call this goodbye, but it might be goodbye. There’s a chance I’ll come back, completely redo this blog and take off in a different direction, but for now I want it to just stay the way it is while I work on other things. Thanks for all of your support and encouragement over the many years that I’ve been writing here. I do hope we can stay in touch!

xx.

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West End Deli | Favourite Portland Haunts

Posted in Favourite Portland Haunts, Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Portland, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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I can’t tell you how many times we’ve run over to the Deli for a late night snack.

The fact that this little corner store is located pretty much right outside our front door is both a blessing and a curse. When we accidentally run out of milk or eggs, I am so thankful for it. But then milk and eggs turns into milk, eggs, a bottle of wine, and two of their amazing Cat sandwiches {colby cheese, craisins, apple slices, sprouts, baby spinach, carrots & cranberry vinaigrette on a baguette!}, and then we don’t go grocery shopping for another week because we can just run next door instead. It’s a little too convenient, if you know what I mean.

Still, most of the employees know us by name, and that’s a very comforting feeling. We don’t mind sharing our money with a cute little shop that has so nicely stocked a little bit of everything we might possibly need. Seriously, they have everything. A huge selection of beers, wines, and mead, made close to home as well as imported. They have cheeses, of course, to accompany your drink of choice and plenty of other little snacks {like ice cream}. There’s a deli counter in the back where you can order delicious soups, salads, and sandwiches, and up front they have everything from cat food to bandaids with a little station for hot coffee as well.

It’s amazing that they can cram so very much into such a tiny space and still host beer and wine tastings and have a live musician playing on certain nights. Plus, the table space inside and outside comes in super handy when you need to get out of the house for a bit. It seems like we give them about half of our paychecks, so I hope they don’t take too much of a hit when we move away! Perhaps now that you know about it you can take our place in supporting this fantastic little shop?

Sunday is for soups + sandwiches!

xx.

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Coffee By Design | Favourite Portland Haunts

Posted in Environmental Consciousness, Favourite Portland Haunts, Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Portland, Social Consciousness, tagged , , , , on April 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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How many of you saw this one coming?

When I thought of the idea of sharing my favourite local spots with you, CBD was one of the first places to pop into my head. To me, Coffee By Design embodies what it is to live in Portland. It’s a comfortable, friendly environment with patrons and baristas alike who believe in the power of the local economy.

Their blends are handcrafted and micro roasted here in Portland, which proves that this company is all about keeping things as local as possible because the heart of a community lies in its small businesses. They believe that “bigger is not better” and pay careful attention to the details that go into each batch of coffee so that coffee snobs and the regular joe will both appreciate and enjoy the end product.

Coffee By Design offers organic and fair trade options as well as seasonal flavours and old favourites. You can purchase their coffees by the pound {and get a free cup of coffee if you do} or just get one cup and spend time sitting in their window right on Congress Street watching the city pass by. With free-wifi, this place is an excellent spot to kill a couple of hours, but the well-trained baristas make it easy to swing in for a drink on the go, too, by attending to customers quickly and patiently.

In keeping with their appreciation of all things Maine, they feature art from local artists, carry GrandyOats {an organic grown in Maine oatmeal}, Mr. Bagel bagels, and Little Lads popcorn – so good. Plus, they’ve got the buy-a-certain-number-of-coffees-get-one-free deal that no good coffee shop is complete without!

Oh, yes, and how could I forget all of their little gifts. They have tons of coffee accessories – mugs, french presses, grinders, as well as cheeky “Much Ado About Nothings” Shakespearean sticky notes and gifts of that ilk. Plus, granola bars, pastries, and juices if you need a little something to keep your coffee company. Stop by soon to enjoy the local flavour.

Perhaps I’ll see you there!

xx.

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7 Tips For Menu Making!

Posted in Good Eats, Lists, Locavore Resources, tagged , , , , , , on February 12, 2012 | 2 Comments »

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We redo our weekly menu every Monday.

It has worked out incredibly well for us! We always have food, know what’s for dinner, and we stay { for the most part } within budget. Here are some things that I’ve learned about menu planning since we began doing it last year. I highly recommend it. Having your meals planned ahead of the time really cuts down on refrigerator coma and unsatisfying dinners.

| 7 tips for menu making |

 

Pick one day of the week for menu making + grocery shopping. We do ours on Mondays. We wake up, have breakfast, then pull down our menu boards and re-do them for the week. I write down the meals on the menu, and Ryan writes down the ingredients we’ll need on the shopping list. Immediately after, he runs out to the store to stock up!

 

Before you pick meals for the week, look through your pantry + fridge to see what you already have to work with. This will cut down on your grocery bill and also ensure that your food doesn’t spoil or pile up in your pantry unused. If you have leftovers from last week or a surplus of rice, you can plan meals around these and spend less at the store.

 

Consider which days you’ll be tired from a long day, or have lots of time and energy. Place quick meals or very involved meals accordingly so you are more likely to stick to the planned menu. If Wednesdays are a long day for you with work, classes, or other plans, you’re probably not going to have the time or energy to make a huge meal from scratch, so pick something simple that you can whip together without a lot of trouble.

 

Use up the fresh stuff in the first few days’ meals so it doesn’t have a chance to go bad. Save pasta, lentils, take-out { yes, you can put that on your menu! } or anything of this sort for later in the week. We’ve definitely purchased greens for a meal on Saturday, but they’re wilted by Thursday. That doesn’t make much sense, does it?

 

Make extra food at dinner to take for lunch the next day! We do this almost every night. Then we really only have to plan a couple of lunches for the week, and the rest are just leftovers from a dinner. We pack it up after we finish dinner and the food has had time to cool. In the morning we just grab it and go!

 

Make a cute menu board to inspire you to plan! Here’s how we made ours. I had so much fun coming up with the design last Christmas and always feel excited to plan each week. It helps to keep our lives in order and also looks pretty on our wall! Having a menu board is such a relief because I never have to wonder what’s for dinner!

 

Balance each meal when you’re planning, not when you’re cooking. Taking the time to realize what you’re missing ahead of time will ensure that you are getting all of the nourishment you actually need. I made this image of the well-balanced plate to demonstrate how much of each food group adults should be getting. Compare your dinner plate to this one. Are you getting all of your nutrients? Make sure that each meal has enough proteins, whole grains, and fruits/veggies. It’s so important!

If you have more tips, add them in the comments below!

xx.

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Chalkboard Paint Menu Board | DIY How-To

Posted in Crafting, Good Eats, Home Decor, Locavore Resources, My portfolio, Painting, Upcycling, tagged , , on January 8, 2012 | 4 Comments »

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For Christmas I made Ryan these chalkboard menu squares!

We’ve been making weekly menus for ourselves for a little while now. It makes grocery shopping so much faster and easier, and we get “refrigerator coma” less often { have you seen those commercials? }. I love knowing that all of our meals are pre-planned and that the ingredients are available and ready to be pulled together at any moment!

Making the squares was easy. I’d love for you to give it a try! Here’s what I did:

I went to a home improvement store and found my way to the lumber aisle. I looked for a thin, light piece of wood { if it’s too heavy it won’t hang easily } with a very smooth surface. Splintering or rough wood will make it harder for you to paint on the chalkboard, and then when you’re finished the surface will most likely still be pretty rough. I had an employee cut the large square into eight small pieces for me.

When I got home, I sanded down the corners so they were rounded. I sanded all of the sides as well to make them smoother before applying the paint. I applied three layers of chalkboard paint and let each layer dry for 24 hours. I  played it very safe, just in case, but if you’re short on time check the paint jar for details on the drying process.

After my chalkboard paint had had plenty of time to dry, I used regular acrylic paint to add the letters. The first square isn’t really necessary, I suppose, but I liked the look of two rows of four so I included it.

For mounting, I hot glued some slightly bent wire to the back of each square, then set them each on their own hooks. This way I can remove the boards easily every week when we update our menu!

I came home from work one day to find that Ryan had made and installed a chalk holder! I was delighted! He used some of the wood from an empty clementine box, and some hot glue to hold it all together. I had considered making some sort of a chalk holder before, but hadn’t settled on any good ideas, so I was really happy to see this when I came home that day. What a smartie!

You can customize your menu boards by choosing different colours of chalkboard paint, regular paint for the text, and even the font you decide to paint on. If you wanted to get really creative you could try differently shaped boards, or keep the menu on one large sheet of wood. For an even quicker DIY, just get a ready made chalkboard and paint on letters for the days of the week!

Have fun making your chalkboard menu! I’d love to see what you all come up with!

xx.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Posted in Good Eats, Home Decor, Locavore Resources, New Hampshire, The Holidays, tagged , , , , , on November 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This is my all time favourite holiday, and I am so happy that I’ll be spending it at home with all of my family. I hope that your holiday is warm and wonderful, and that you enjoy some great food and company. Now, here I go getting all sentimental — I’m thankful for literally everything that I can think of: My kitties, my Dear, my family, my friends, the warm cozy place in which I spend my time, my readers, the opportunities I’ve had this year, and New England.

Speaking of New England, I’m bringing this Marlboro Pie {sometimes called Marlborough Boston Pie} to my sister’s house, along with a yummy green bean recipe. I was really excited to try the pie, because it’s a traditional New England harvest dessert that was really popular in the 1800s, and was a must for Thanksgivings during that time.  Here’s hoping it doesn’t taste gross, or that I didn’t mess it all up, ha!

Don’t forget, if you need any advice about hosting a fall themed dinner party {aka Thanksgiving}, I’m your gal! Travel safely if you’re going somewhere.

Gobble, gobble, + see you on Friday!

xx.

Now, go download Ryan’s THANKSGIVING ALBUM for free!

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Family Heirloom Foods

Posted in Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Our Local Summer 2011, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on November 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

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This glass carboy is filled with wine that Ryan’s Grandfather made.

He made a lot of wine in his day, but this particular batch is very special because it was made the same year that Ryan was born. As if making your own wine isn’t neat enough, he grew his own grapes right in the backyard of his city home. We were talking last night about how cool it is when someone picks one thing and does it until it’s perfected. Maybe that’s how Ryan’s Grandfather was with wine, I know that’s how my Grandfather was with green beans.

Green beans may seem banal to some people, but I grew up in a family that really treasured the little veggies. That’s because my Grandfather was very proud of the crisp green beans that he spent so much time growing. In the summer we had communal dinners at our family’s Camp. Cousins, aunts, uncles, and our Grandparents would gather together after our long days in the sun to share classic barbeque foods. And, we would all hope that my Grandfather had brought up with him some of those famous green beans he grew.

Well, he’s not around anymore, but I won’t soon forget how amazing his green beans were — especially when they were prepared with love in our Camp’s kitchen. So, I thought it only appropriate that I bring some green beans to Thanksgiving this year. They’re not grown with his careful attention, but I’ll pick out the very best beans that I can find, and, following this recipe, I think I might be able to do them justice.

Does your family have any special foods or recipes?

xx.

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Mushroom Hunting

Posted in Environmental Consciousness, Locavore Resources, New Hampshire, Our personal history, tagged , , , , , , on October 17, 2011 | 4 Comments »

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Ever heard of chaga?

Yeah, neither had I until my amateur mycologist man taught me about it.

Chaga is a type of fungus that sometimes grows as a parasite on birch trees. It has been used for centuries as a medicine because it boosts immunities in the body, and therefore helps people fight off illness. Apparently, though, it’s a very rare mushroom.

Ryan mentioned it to me for the first time last year, saying that it was sort of a medicinal miracle. And as soon as he described it, I knew exactly what he was talking about — I’d seen it every single day when I was growing up. In fact, it’s all over the New England woodland. Chaga needs very cold temperatures and an undisturbed habitat to survive. That’s my home sweet home!

So when we went home last weekend, he was very excited to get searching. And, within minutes, he found an 8 pound hunk of the stuff right on my family’s land.

So, Ryan borrowed my Grandfather’s hatchet, and returned to the woods to harvest.

What a happy mushroom man…

Happy mushroom hunting!

xx.

(Disclaimer: Ryan had been studying this particular mushroom for a year before actually harvesting it. Make sure you know what you’re doing before ingesting anything you’ve picked from the forest.)

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Deering Oaks Farmer’s Market

Posted in Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Our Local Summer 2011, Portland, tagged , , , , on September 18, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Walking down to the Deering Oaks Farmer’s Market here in Portland is a weekly tradition for Ryan + me.

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There are several markets a week in our area, but this is without a doubt the very best one. Reason being, it’s located under tall, tall oaks in the middle of our city’s largest park. During the height of our locavore diet, we would frequent any market we had time for, and fill up our totes with produce galore. But the other locations don’t lend the same exciting fair-feel as this one does.

Not only is there freshly grown food a plenty, but the Deering Oaks market is also a-buzz with music, and laughter, and the main path through is lined with the booths of handmade venders. A tight rope walker regularly sets up his wire between two trees and children learn to hula hoop by practicing, practicing, practicing while their parents do some shopping.

Since you may be too far away to experience this weekly ritual yourself, here are some photos I took last week to share with you:

So there you go!

If you’re ever in Portland on a Saturday during the growing season, make sure that a trip to our Deering Oaks Farmer’s Market is on your to-do list.

xx. Julia

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Tempeh Stirfry + Green beans

Posted in Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Our Local Summer 2011, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

This meal was made with three ingredients, all purchased from our local Farmer’s Market.

Here’s another yummy local meal that we’ve tried this year. We’re not as strict as we were last year, so this tempeh made with black beans fits the bill.

I stirfried the tempeh with chopped up green peppers, and steamed our green beans until they were nice + bright. We felt full, we felt healthy, we felt happy, and we helped to support the local economy.

Happy Friday night!

xx. Julia

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