What if...?

More Grow-Your-Own infographics, not very pretty, but it does get you thinking. Via: localblu.com

Growing a Good Life

Found a lovely little infographic about the rise in popularity of the grow your own movement. It's UK centric, but I'd say the stats are pretty similar in other Western cultures these days.

via

Fake sugar punkin pie

Well it's been a month since the diabetes diagnosis and as expected there are quite literally ups and downs. The Christmas season is tough for any conscientious eater, but throw in calculating carbs and sugar and timing meals and minding alcohol... understandably it can be frustrating.

I've been trying to make an effort to help my very sweet-toothed hubby ease himself into the new lifestyle with a few fake-sugar treats. We've tried swapping Canderel and Splenda, which is certainly a different, but not wholly bad, baking experience. You can't really use them if you use weight measurement of sugar... or at least you'll need to convert, and their almost weightlessness gives them a slightly different consistency if you're dusting you're treats or making a crumble (which we tried). My only concerns are really about using processed/chemically-enhanced food products. Yeah yeah, I drink diet coke like the next fella, but adding aspertame to cakes leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth so to speak. Splenda looks like a contender, but I need to do more research.

I should also point out, that while I'm focusing on carbs and sugars, these desserts generally have the same amount of fats as their normal counterpart, and also, replacing ingredients with "low-fat" alternatives can often add MORE sugars. Don't believe me? Just check the label of regular, light, and extra light Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Boom. Scary stuff right?

Back to the actual recipe... seeing as it's still sort-of lingering around the holidays and all that, I'll start with the fake-sugar pumpkin pie I whipped up. I of course need to point out that this is by no means carb-free, it's just a lower sugar-to-carb ratio than say you're average pumpkin pie. I did cheat a little with this one as I used a can of Libby's (as found in Fallon & Byrne in Dublin - or any supermarket in the USA) but in fairness, it is just plain ol pumpkin puree, I'll tell you how to make scratch pumpkin puree next time, swearsies! But it is seasonal and does require an actual pumpkin!

Before moving on completely, putting on our diabetic thinking cap, let's keep in mind the pumpkin itself has carbs but not a terrible amount of sugary carbs, the evaporated milk has a pretty ok amount of sugars for a dessert (about the same as flavored yogurt, 12g per 100g) . The pastry, of course has carbs and fat, but if you don't add sugar, it's not so bad.

I'm just going to repeat the Libby's pumpkin pie recipe as seen on the back of the can since the 1950s. This might slightly differ if you're in the US vs abroad as my can was in half metric measurments, half imperial (425g can as opposed to 15 oz)

Preheat your oven to about 220C (425F)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Splenda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz. or 425g) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 12 fl. oz. or 360 ml (not quite the whole can here in Ireland) CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

The recipe online here seems to call for an unbaked pie shell, but on the can I received, it said to blind bake it. It's up to you, I'd say blind baking leads to a better, more solid crust. If you're looking for a good shortcrust pastry recipe, here's one I like.

So... it's pretty darn easy, mix your wet ingredients, and in a separate bowl mix your sugar and spices (this will lead to less clumpy spices). Then add the lot together, mix til it's smooth, pour into your crust and pop it into the oven.

Bake at the higher 220C (425F) for 15 minutes and then reduce to 180C (350F) and bake for another 40 minutes or so, until the mixture is just a tiny bit wobbly in the middle, a bit like a baked cheesecake. Let it cool... and then... eat at your leisure.

Now... of course, I should really note, I am not a dietician, nor an expert on diabetes, just simply a wife trying to make things a bit easier on my recently type 1 diagnosed hubby. So by no means am I preaching about what's acceptable for diabetics to eat. It's all relative. But I will say, for a dessert without too much sugar added, just the lovely flavor of the fruit/veg it's made from, this is a lovely one to make.

Nom

And then... everything changed

It's been a while since I've updated. A lot has happened. I've found myself working successfully freelance in the video industry. The money isn't always amazing (or regular) but mentally it is quite satisfying. I got married! And just as the cliche goes, it was honestly the best day in my life. I've been having good weeks and bad weeks in my quest to living well. Still cooking, still DIY-ing, just not being so good about blogging it.

But then, as of the 25th of November, everything changed. The husband, after losing lots of weight and having an unquenchable thirst, went into the GP hoping to find out he had some easily treatable virus or some such. We knew he was feeling the symptoms of diabetes, but as a slim guy at age 35 and with no family history, we thought... there's just no way. Well, unfortunately our worst-case scenario was confirmed and instead of spending his Friday evening on a plane to Manchester with his mates for a weekend of football, he was stuck in the Mater A&E on an insulin IV with a diagnosis of type-1 diabetes. So now, the poor fella is faced with a lifetime of checking of glucose levels and secret belly jabs before meals. I'm also faced with the task of support, sympathy and understanding.

This seems to be a pretty good day and age to be diagnosed with type-1 diabetes, with better understanding of treatment and treatments themselves becoming easier to use. But it is still a life-long disease from which there is no cure. It's still early days for us and we both have a lot to learn, but there are certain things I am thankful of. As much as I have moaned about Irish health care in the past, I now understand how truly important a national health care system (even one that is flawed) is for people with long-term illness. All of his daily prescriptions and tools and testers are automatically covered. As a couple who have been considering an eventual move to the States, we will have to seriously research how we'll survive there with a preexisting and long-term illness.

I also feel lucky that we already have a pretty healthy lifestyle and somewhat healthy eating habits. There's a lot less to change in that sense... but of course, everyone has off days and naughty days. In fact tonight we are realizing the effects of a giant Dominoes feed on glucose levels (hint: not good). Anyways, as much as the fella would be annoyed at my public discussion on the subject, I thought this might be a good opportunity to share and learn and journal our journey. Diabetes is quite common, and the more people we talk to, the more people we realize who live with it who are happy to share their experiences. So there you go.

Flexitarianism - Wobbly or Win?

Ok, so I'll be bold and just blame not living in the States for being slightly behind the times when it comes to the latest healthy-eating trends. In fact it was a very American-based book which inspired me to start this blog in the first place, and this new (to me) concept, flexitarianism, is the conclusion I got from The Omnivore's Dilemma, without actually realizing it was already a thing.

According to wiki: Flexitarians avoid, but occasionally eat, meat. In 2003, the American Dialect Society voted flexitarian as the year's most useful word and defined it as "a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat".

Anyways, here's my take and why I don't think it's just being a wobbly veggie cheat. Being omnivores, the human body was designed to have some meat. Some. Like once or maybe twice a week, if that. I see flexitarianism as less a "new" diet and more like going back to the diet humans were designed to have. I'll call it a "vintage diet". Plus, it's nothing new, but I'll re-iterate, cutting down on meat not only is healthier and cheaper but also has an environmental impact. Lucky for me I like vegetarian food, but I also like meat. Double win.

While I wouldn't be someone mad into giving my eating habits a "name" I do like this flexible term as I am trying my darndest to cut a lot of the meat consumption that goes on in my house. It's not so much a moral thing on my part, I do believe in the food chain, but I also believe that we, as people, are not meant to eat as much meat as we do in this post-industrial age. Huge factory farms, feed lots and chicken with 40% added water gives me the heebie-jeebies. Buying meat from a local butcher who buys direct from local farms however? That is something I can feel pretty good about.

I generally haven't bought meat from the mega supermarket in nearly a year, which is a start. And I've been making a conscious effort to order the vegetarian option when eating out. Sometimes. So now it seems a good few American restaurants are getting in on the action as demonstrated by Tasting Table.

So... My fellow flexitarians... Unite!

Further reading:
Newsweek
Books: Almost Vegetarian & The Flexitarian Table

In a pickle...

As an American ex-pat living in Ireland for nearly ten years I've had my fair share of noticing differences in products available for in markets. I remember years ago, asking in the grocery store where the sour cream was kept and got a look as if I had two heads. (Sour cream? Why on Earth would you want it sour?) These days, it's not that bad, a lot of items (sour cream for example) have become pretty normal on the shelves here. Plus I think I've just gotten used to it... and I also certainly eat a lot less processed food than I did in my early twenties, which is mostly the stuff Americans seem to miss. There are, however, those certain items which are just.... different, and whose absence does go noticed by me and my Yank comrades living on these shores. Example?

PICKLES. Not just any old gherkin, we're talking kosher dill pickles. Oh how I miss their salty goodness. The sweet and floppy pickles on offer in Ireland are just no comparison to a good old snappy Claussen.

So I'm thinking, in an attempt to reclaim this favorite burger accompaniment, I might try my hand at making my own. With a little help from Martha of course. Here's the link to the recipe.

There's also overall info about pickling and canning - as well as recipes for tomatoes and jams. Handy if I had an abundance of fruit, and definitely worth reading about for curiosity's sake. Plus, yep, of course it's an exercise in sustainable living and eating. Go on the vintage food revival. Read more here.

Wish me luck!

Photos from http://www.wholeliving.com/

The summer thus far

I've been busy. REeeeeEEeeeally busy. Proving thus that when I was actually employed I had a lot more free time on my hands than I do now that I'm "freelance". Yep you read that right, I have been gainfully employed (somewhat) for the past 8 weeks or so, but it does mean I have much less time to spent with experimental cooking, observing the "past imperfect" world around me, growing my own and just blogging/podcasting in general.

But here, I think it's time to do a bit of a catch-up post as I still obsessively photograph my culinary works and still potter about in my tiny garden (made even smaller now by my half-completed hypertufa experiment) and still hold onto articles and record tv programs about sustainability and farming etc.

So. Here we go, I give you a run down of my foodie experiences from the past six months or so.

I often wax lyrical about my butcher - Brady Butchers near Belvedere Rd/Dorset St. and they have given me the opportunity to perfect fillet steak. Below is my first go at it, and it was perfection if I do say so myself... complete with homemade from scratch chips! Gordon Ramsay's simple recipe and method for checking the done-ness.

I then tried it again for Paul's birthday...

I also got pretty good at butter pastry from scratch as well as you can see from my mini-patries


I made some savoury pastries too, with mediocre results - I think I tried to do too much: this had potatoes, cream cheese sauce, asparagus, ham & cheddar.

I was busy with seasonal veg, variation of a skillet chicken recipe, honey butter & cous cous...


Wow, what a boring post... clearly I'm better off with the shorter recipe-based food posts. Hopefully more time will be found to update properly.

Eeek.

Farming in your Window

I've mentioned some massive vertical farms before... but here's one everyone can implement in their own home! No longer be constrained by weather or lack of space.

Hydroponic Window Farms!



Get more info about the Windowfarms on their very confusing website:
http://www.windowfarms.org/

UPDATE: The Uniform Project

The Uniform Project - which I reported on before, has come full circle, put 263 kids back in school and raised awareness about changing our throwaway culture (especially in the realm of fashion).

Watch the results in video:

Making the One Pot Pledge

Hey it's been a while. I'm slowly updating all my millions of blogs while I attempt to work on things which actually pay... and also work on researching a new possible entrepreneurial adventure. Phew!

But in the vein of what this blog is all about, I came across a new campaign that has my green-fingered-food-loving-self all exsi-ed.

The One Pot Pledge is a campaign designed to get people back to the roots of their food chain - literally. Encouraging a simple way to get into growing your own, according to them "you don’t even need a garden – one pot on a window ledge is all you need to get started". Them being the UK's leading organic growing charity, Garden Organic.

Check out their website http://www.onepotpledge.org/ for lots more info on getting involved and taking baby steps towards growing your own - which in turn leads to more sustainability and food health. Color me involved.

In fact, yesterday I put paid to my pledge and got my fingers dirty potting up my zucchini (that's courgette to you), red bell peppers and beefsteak tomatoes. My strawberries that are now three years old have also happily survived the frosts and look like they'll be flowering soon. I've also FINALLY begun my ginormous hypertufa raised beds. Full report to follow.

Happy Earth Day

Today is the 40th birthday of Earth Day. That happy-go-hippy day where people are supposed to take a moment to think about this blue planet we're on, and ways to help it, whether that means, spreading the word about climate change, leaving the car at home, enjoying a walk in the park or a stroll on a beach, going greener in various aspects of your life... and so on.

The crowd behind Earth Day are encouraging "acts of green" which is a great idea, but what if you're a bit unsure what to do? Foodie newsletter Tasting Table has come to the rescue by puttin together a Go-Green guide, which I am happy to share with you all.

http://tastingtable.com/er/2612/537476/295775/to/

http://earthday.org/

The USA's answer to DublinBikes

If you read this blog on occasion you may be familiar with my reporting on DublinBikes - the city wide scheme that gives you access to bicycles on several city centre stands for either an annual membership of €10 or 3-day passes for something like €2. Pretty good right?

Looks like the scheme (which is already successful in Paris - and I think Amsterdam) is now headed to the US with Denver being the inaugural city (you can vote on the next city they come to). I think anything to get people out of their cars and onto their feet (or two wheels) is a step in the sustainably right direction. These 'B-cycles' as they're called, look a bit more high-tech than the ones we've got here with GPS and data logging to tell you how many calories you're burning etc. Even the electronic bike stands have a low environmental impact as they run off solar panels. Brilliant stuff.

I've become a HUGE fan of Dublin Bikes as of late. It took me a while, at first they felt awkward, heavy and slow when compared to the mountain bike I usually cruise around in. But the handiness of having them around for those quick jaunts around town is invaluable. I'm lucky enough to have a stand super close to my house and near all my usual haunts, the band's practice studio, the bank, exchequer st. etc. LOVE EM.

Visit the B-cycles site
Visit the DublinBikes site

Paris' 1st Sewing Cafe

I think I need to move to Paris. I've been slowly growing obsessed with the place (Just check out my other artsy-site for the proof) but now I see even more that they have people opening places that pull at my heartstrings of amazingness.

Welcome to Sweat Shop, Paris's only sewing cafe

Basically it operates like an internet cafe, where you can rent a machine on an hourly rate while sipping your cafe creme and tucking into a lovely buttery croissant. Plus, they have classes and workshops which I'm sure are a great place to find inspiration and friends of the same crafty persuasion. Classes even include a "couture class" for learning to perfect technique. Hello. I definitely need that. Or let's be honest, even just a beginners class.

I love their ethos too:
"Welcome to a world of creativity, a place of discovery, of DIY ethics, a piping hot cup of tea and funky furniture. Enjoy organic delicacies courtesy of our New York neighbors at Bob's Juice Bar. Enter into a serene atmosphere where work and relaxation go hand in hand."

Sustainability annnnd fun: "Bored of buying, wearing, throwing away? Fix that seam, make a dress out of those trousers or even design and create a brand new silhouette."



Thanks to Angela Scanlon & the Guardian for passing on this link!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/18/sewing-cafe-paris

Free Talulah Does The Hula Download

Hey!
my band, Talulah Does The Hula, are offering a remix of our previous single, Bad Boyfriend, for the grand sum of nought! We held a little remix competition at the end of last year and you can download the chosen track below, but you can also listen to and download the other remixes on our mySpace page: http://myspace.com/talulahdoesthehula

Download Bad Boyfriend (Cast Aside Brides Remix)

The track will feature on our next double-A side single for the songs 'Don't Panic' and 'Real Friends' and will be released on the 7th of May.


We will be hosting a single launch Upstairs in Whelans where we'll be playing alongside Hello Moon & The Evening Watch. Tickets are a mere €7. Feel free to post and re-post the track wherever you like.

2 Foodie Quickies

Everyday I receive a newsletter from the very lovely foodie crowd "Tasting Table". Today they sent me two mails I just had to share.

Always with a finger on the pulse of new food trends, they've uncovered the latest in old-fashioned comfort foods brought bang up to date.

First off... Grilled Cheese. Oh yeah, these were a luxury for me as a kid as rarely did anything unhealthy or dyed dare cross our Californian lips. However I know personally that my own adult grilled cheeses aren't half bad (whole grain delisho breads grilled up in some garlicky EVOO) Well now it appears there is an online "Grilled Cheese Academy" where you can research and submit delicious cheesy goodness as brought to you by the cheesy good folks from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board: http://www.grilledcheeseacademy.com/

At the moment my favorite is "The Lil Kahuna" it's like a Hawaiian Pizza...sandwich. However I'd definitely swap out the Hawaiian sweet bread for something more like, whole wheat ciabatta or something. YUM.

For seconds, Tasting Table have offered up a new desert trend I'd happily get behind, Cake Balls. Yeah, you read that right CAKE BALLS.

Simply put, it's squashed-up-crumbled-up cake, mixed with frosting, rolled into balls and then dipped in chocolate. Uh huh. No need to worry about perfectly crack-less, smooth, fantastically frosted cakes. Just squash it up. However TT has to give credit to "The Cake Ball Company" for coming up with the idea. http://www.cakeballs.com

OH YEAH.

I'm off to stuff my face in comfort.

Keeping It Up

I've been terrible about keeping this blog up. Being unemployed you would think I would have lots and lots of time to laze around looking up amazoballs things on the Internet... but instead I have put all of my energy into various projects and looking for more work. I guess when I was working in the office I had much more computer/desk time to kill.

I don't want to put a moratorium on this blog, but I do need to say I won't be putting as much energy into it as I simply don't have the time. Possibly part of the reason I haven't updated in a while is my worry that there isn't enough direction to this blog. Is it a travel blog? Foodie? About sustainability? More like a place where I discuss random lifestyle thingies. I have lots of posts planned, I still seem to photograph many of the dinners I cook, so there is definitely more to come.

In fact, I have a proper post planned right now... and one that is actually related to the idea behind this blog. Woo Hoo. Here we go.

Looks like high street staple H&M have started a new line of sustainable clothing. It's called the Garden Collection and it's made up of a lot of flowy florals perfect for Spring/Summer.



I'm like like liking this little red number:
For more info... visit them here: The H&M Garden Collection

Spud Fail

I admit it, I like to pride myself in my 'invent-a-recipe' style of cooking... this is where I generally know how to cook something, and try my hand sans-recipe. Most of the time this works for a nice dinner... and sometimes the results are awesome (I'll have to post my sausage & pesto breadcrumb stuffed chicken breasts soon) but there is one area where I have nothing but FAIL, and have decided I need to edumacate myself - Potatoes!

As the future wife to an Irish fella, and an Irish fella whose dad is a chef and whose mom is a pastry chef (I know, big boots to fill!) I really really need to up the stakes in the land of spud. Not only that, but as this blog suggests, I make every attempt to eat food which is local and in season etc. etc. so I HAVE to get better at this staple of Irish-dom.

I'm fine at the basics: mash, baked, I even do a mean roastie... but as soon as I try to experiment, I have had nothing but embarrassment.

Below, my attempt at garlic/scallop potatoes. Yeah, they looked good, but everything bar the top layer was uncooked despite 70 minutes in the oven, and don't even get me started on the curdled milk.


Then there was my attempt at a potato cake/hash browns. Again, they looked good, but were completely flavorless and slightly undercooked as well... I blame not enough eggy mixture.


Anyways, I'm going to have a good study of some proper potato recipes. My food bible, The Joy of Cooking, has a whole section of them... and then of course, where better place to get more info but from an Irish food blog? So it's on to The Daily Spud for me.

Wish me luck! I'd hate to disappoint my adopted country with a new kind of potato famine! Eek!

Alex Riley, you're my hero

On the menu tonight, some engaging telly on BBC three.


Tonight I was watching another installment of Alex Riley's "Britain's Most Disgusting Food." A show that does an amazing job at taking the somewhat boring, yet important, topic of food sustainability, health & safety... and making it humorous and engaging.

Yeah... he often sets up obnoxious stunts like standing outside of Lidl and covering himself in Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (aka HVO) to make the point that many of their products contain this dangerous heart-clogging fat. Yes, some of the points he brings up are glaringly obvious, but I found this episode to be a bit more clear and to the point... and of those points? It's all stuff people should know, that people should question what they put in their mouth, that they should wonder about the origin of their food.

He also highlighted the fact that a lot of companies are beginning to build sustainability into their business plans, and that there are some European laws that are protecting our health when it comes to hormones given to dairy cows. Apparently some of these laws are starting to come over to the States... in fact, it's good to know my home State of California already has a ban on HVO.

Again, watching shows like this just confirm what I've always preached, buying fresh, organic and local where you can, including meat & dairy.

GO ALEX RILEY! KEEP SPREADING THE GOOD WORD!

Friday Freebie - Stylish DIY Garden Pots

I've always loved gardening, so as the owner of a small cement yard with no dirt or grass in sight, I have to make do with putting my all my plants in pots. LOADS of em. I think it looks a bit charming... but yes, it is a bit tatty and unmatching, and the fella completely hates it.

For years I've been looking for a stylish solution to consolidate all the little pots into big planters or raised beds to go all along the edges of my yard. However, big pots are expensive and heavy and generally just... the wrong size. So I was delighted when I happened upon a Martha Stewart video talking about homemade Hypertufa pots...

Hypertufa is basically a really easy and cheap-to-make concoction that can be easily formed in a mold. It's a bit like a grown up mud-pie. Once formed and hardened, it turns into a rock-like, yet strikingly lightweight substance. It can even be made into large planters that can withstand rough weather and frosts. Woo hoo! I'm really looking forward to constructing my own hypertufa back yard solution; you can use a variety of materials as molds and you can also add additional details into the mold for some visual intrigue.


I've included a link to a hypertufa recipe, although there's loads of other recipes all over the webs. I've also included the link to the Martha video & recipe that started my fascination.

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/make-hypertufa-trough.aspx

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/hypertufa-pots

Take A Weird Break

New Addictive Tumblr Alert!

When I first arrived in Ireland nearly *gasp* nine years ago, my good friend Joanne introduced me to the most MENTAL of literary genres... the British "true life stories" magazine. Yep. You've got your 'Take A Break' your 'Pick Me Up' and of course, my very favorite... 'Chat'

Anyone who has come across these in newsagents will know the hilarity the headlines provide. Usually the story isn't quite as horrific and grim as it appears on the cover, but they are entertaining none the less. And great for their "tips" section... a hem. One of my favorites was a mother who, instead of buying skim milk, bought whole milk, watered it down and then served it to her family as skim milk... What money saving genius! EWWW.

Anyways, I've left my Chat addiction behind, but I can still get my fix on a brand new Tumblr site which gives you just the headlines... sure that's the most entertaining part anyway isn't it?

So here you go: http://www.takeaweirdbreak.com/