I had my 2nd Yoga class tonight. I felt a little more coordinated than I did last Thursday. I can't go back until Thursday week because of grandson duty Thursday and next Monday. I picked up a Yoga DVD at a yard sale a few months ago and never watched it until yesterday. A lot of the poses are the same as we do in class so I'm going to try to follow along with it every couple of days between classes.
In other news, we have the duck brooding box completely set up now, down to water and food, just waiting for the little ducklings to arrive. They could be here as early as tomorrow or as late as Friday. We're both pretty excited even though Tim is acting calm and cool about it.
He's less calm and cool waiting for the bread machine I ordered Saturday from Chef's Catalog to arrive. He was against getting the bread machine because he's doubtful that it will work as promised but I took the chance because the 19 reviews all gave it 5 stars. He wants it to work and he's pumped about trying it, he's just doubtful. I'm optimistic and looking forward to bread costing .60/loaf and being free of preservatives. One more processed food will be eliminated from our diet. :-)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Visiting the Downtown Reidsville Farmers' Market
This is my column for the paper next Sunday so the writing is a little more formal than my usual blog posts.
At the Downtown Reidsville Farmers’ Market, greetings and hugs seem to be exchanged nearly as often as money and vegetables. In the half hour or so I was there, I witnessed quite a few reunions of folks who hadn’t seen one another in a while and just happened to bump into each other while shopping for fresh, locally grown food. I visited on Saturday, August 29, the first Saturday the farmers were in their new location, Market Square. The structure is beautiful, with its heavy timbers supporting a roof that provides welcome shade on a hot August day.
I enjoyed talking to the vendors. Mattie Watkins of Caswell County had nearly sold out of vegetables by the time I arrived around 10 AM. Her family helps her raise a market garden on 7 acres. She offered green beans, patty pan squash, and green tomatoes. I’ve never seen green tomatoes for sale though I enjoy eating them fried. I thought it was a good novel idea.
At the next table down, Jeff Ward, 23, and Amanda Chriscoe, 22, stood out as the youngest vendors at the market. Both work for High Rock Farms, which mainly sells pecans and chestnuts, but also raises and sells blackberries, watermelons, and cantelopes. Amanda goes to school and works part-time at the farm, baking up goodies to sell, such as oatmeal pecan cookies.
Paul Sutton of Reidsville farms only 2-1/2 acres but grows an unbelievable number of crops that he brings to the market a couple of days a week. He has several varieties of apples and is happy to help customers choose the right ones for baking or fresh eating. He raises potatoes, pears, butter beans, peas, peppers, and raspberries, among other offerings. Paul is also a craftsman. I was so impressed with his solid wood step stools made with dowel construction that I bought one. Now our grandson can reach the sink to wash his hands and I can reach the bowls on the top shelf of the cabinet.
Paul said of the turnout on the first Saturday in the new location, “We’ve had some people who are not regulars and that’s good.” Gayle Niemczura of Reidsville, a regular at the market, was looking over his newly dug potatoes. According to Paul, “If you want choice, be early. If you come real late, you get real good deals.”
I met Marie King of Reidsville who was a first time visitor to the farmers’ market. She was making a trip to the post office when she caught sight of the “wonderful looking eggs” at the Massey Creek Farms table. She stopped to buy a dozen to go in zucchini bread she was baking that afternoon.
At the next table, Sue Barber was selling baked goods, pickles, and desserts while her husband sold fresh produce at the table beside her. Sue has 2 certified kitchens in her home where she bakes homemade treats like cheese basil bread. Stacie Dillard of Eden was shopping at Sue’s table. It was Stacie’s first trip to the market. “I wanted to come and see. I’m using my WIC vouchers.” Sue said, “You should have seen my table early this morning. I had stuff stacked up. I’m nearly out now.” Sue told me that customers show up as the vendors are unloading their wares, looking for the freshest food and best selections. “At the old location, they’d sometimes be there waiting for us when we showed up at 5:30 in the morning.”
The farmers’market in Market Square at 307 S. Scales Street is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from May until November, 6 AM until 1 PM. But get there early for the best selection!
At the Downtown Reidsville Farmers’ Market, greetings and hugs seem to be exchanged nearly as often as money and vegetables. In the half hour or so I was there, I witnessed quite a few reunions of folks who hadn’t seen one another in a while and just happened to bump into each other while shopping for fresh, locally grown food. I visited on Saturday, August 29, the first Saturday the farmers were in their new location, Market Square. The structure is beautiful, with its heavy timbers supporting a roof that provides welcome shade on a hot August day.
I enjoyed talking to the vendors. Mattie Watkins of Caswell County had nearly sold out of vegetables by the time I arrived around 10 AM. Her family helps her raise a market garden on 7 acres. She offered green beans, patty pan squash, and green tomatoes. I’ve never seen green tomatoes for sale though I enjoy eating them fried. I thought it was a good novel idea.
At the next table down, Jeff Ward, 23, and Amanda Chriscoe, 22, stood out as the youngest vendors at the market. Both work for High Rock Farms, which mainly sells pecans and chestnuts, but also raises and sells blackberries, watermelons, and cantelopes. Amanda goes to school and works part-time at the farm, baking up goodies to sell, such as oatmeal pecan cookies.
Paul Sutton of Reidsville farms only 2-1/2 acres but grows an unbelievable number of crops that he brings to the market a couple of days a week. He has several varieties of apples and is happy to help customers choose the right ones for baking or fresh eating. He raises potatoes, pears, butter beans, peas, peppers, and raspberries, among other offerings. Paul is also a craftsman. I was so impressed with his solid wood step stools made with dowel construction that I bought one. Now our grandson can reach the sink to wash his hands and I can reach the bowls on the top shelf of the cabinet.
Paul said of the turnout on the first Saturday in the new location, “We’ve had some people who are not regulars and that’s good.” Gayle Niemczura of Reidsville, a regular at the market, was looking over his newly dug potatoes. According to Paul, “If you want choice, be early. If you come real late, you get real good deals.”
I met Marie King of Reidsville who was a first time visitor to the farmers’ market. She was making a trip to the post office when she caught sight of the “wonderful looking eggs” at the Massey Creek Farms table. She stopped to buy a dozen to go in zucchini bread she was baking that afternoon.
At the next table, Sue Barber was selling baked goods, pickles, and desserts while her husband sold fresh produce at the table beside her. Sue has 2 certified kitchens in her home where she bakes homemade treats like cheese basil bread. Stacie Dillard of Eden was shopping at Sue’s table. It was Stacie’s first trip to the market. “I wanted to come and see. I’m using my WIC vouchers.” Sue said, “You should have seen my table early this morning. I had stuff stacked up. I’m nearly out now.” Sue told me that customers show up as the vendors are unloading their wares, looking for the freshest food and best selections. “At the old location, they’d sometimes be there waiting for us when we showed up at 5:30 in the morning.”
The farmers’market in Market Square at 307 S. Scales Street is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from May until November, 6 AM until 1 PM. But get there early for the best selection!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Belly Breathing
I went to my first Yoga class last night. I don’t bend the way I used to! And the extra inches on my thighs and roll of fat on my abdomen got in the way on some of the poses. So I just did the best I could and kept on going, knowing it will get better as I get thinner and more in shape. A lot of life is like that: do the best you can and keep on going. I liked the class. The instructor (Tabitha at Murphy Street Yoga in Madison), flows from pose to pose effortlessly and talks her students along. I was out of whack with my breathing but she says it will come and the important thing is just to breathe. Yoga requires belly breathing, opposite of what I (and I think most of us) do normally. By the time I spent an hour stretching and focusing on breathing and did the relaxation part at the end, I felt so de-stressed. I went to bed at 10 PM and slept so well last night. Who needs Ambien? Doctors should prescribe Yoga before bed instead.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
12.5 Pounds Down! Much More to Go...
My new lifestyle isn’t about losing weight. I choose honey over Splenda because eating naturally is more important to me than cutting calories. But I do expect exercise and my consumption of vegetables instead of processed foods to ultimately get my weight back to a healthy level. I hadn’t gotten on the scales since my doctor visit on August 6, when I had bronchitis for the 2nd time in 2 months. This morning, I bit the bullet and stepped up there again. It’s been 20 days since that horrible day of peak weight and 2 weeks since my birthday when I resolved to live healthy for myself and the planet. The scale told me that I have lost 12.5 pounds. I stepped off it, wiped my eyes, stepped back on. Yep, 12.5 pounds. I went downstairs and asked Tim if our scales were right. His weight varies little so he knows if the scales are accurate. He said they were within a couple of pounds. Which way? He doesn’t remember. Oh well, does it really matter? The point is, I either weighed at the doctor’s office holding my dog Bill (silly thought but he does weigh about 12.5 pounds) or I’ve lost a chunk of flab bigger than a 10 pound bag of potatoes. I know this kind of weight loss will slow drastically and that most of it was probably fluid but I’m OK with that. The important thing is to feel better and live better. Tonight, I’ll check my blood pressure and see if it’s looking a little better.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Duck Hardware Issues Resolved
My ten Welsh Harlequin duckings will be here next week. I chose that breed because the American Minor Breeds Conservancy lists them as "critical" and they are good all around ducks for eggs and meat from what I've read. The males look like mallards in a snow storm, mallard markings with white flecks. The females are less showy (naturally) and are a buff color with some darker markings.
I've spent a considerable amount of time researching ducks so I'll know what to do when they get here, besides ooohing and aaahing over how cute they are. I scored two free large cardboard boxes from Lowe's in Reidsville that I'm going to duck tape together (ha, get it? yes, I know it's duct tape but I couldn't resist). The little quackers will live on the screen porch for 6 weeks until they get their full feathers. They must have a light to keep them warm and I just found instructions for a homemade version tonight online, solving my last big "hardware" issue. Tim already has some kind of light bulb with a cord. What we have to do is use an aluminum turkey roasting pan with a hole in it to thread the cord through. It will be the shield that directs the heat downward on the ducklings. Now I need to come up with a feeder, feed, straw bedding, and waterer. I've seen all those items at Tractor Supply but I want to check prices at Big Apple and Southern States before I buy. The food will be most important. The food at Tractor Supply is non-medicated but it's a dual purpose food for chicks and ducklings. I'd prefer food strictly for water fowl, organic if at all possible. My ducks will be free range and forage for a lot of their own food. I'll only pen them at night to protect them from foxes and other critters.
Did you know baby ducks without mamas should not be allowed in water for several weeks? The mama ducks oil the babies and make them waterproof. Babies don't have the oil gland to do that and can drown or get chilled.
Kenny Shelton is going to build our duck house. He built our house addition two years ago. We are not builders and Kenny definitely is. What would take us several weekends and probably come out crooked will probably take him one weekend and be a duck palace they will be proud to live and lay eggs in. Duck houses don't have to be tall since they sleep on the ground rather than roost as chickens do so duck houses are pretty small and economical to build in comparison to chicken coops. I've picked out a fairly flat spot (not many of those on our land) between the pond and the house so it will be convenient for both us and the ducks. It will be awesome to gather eggs from our own ducks next spring!
I've spent a considerable amount of time researching ducks so I'll know what to do when they get here, besides ooohing and aaahing over how cute they are. I scored two free large cardboard boxes from Lowe's in Reidsville that I'm going to duck tape together (ha, get it? yes, I know it's duct tape but I couldn't resist). The little quackers will live on the screen porch for 6 weeks until they get their full feathers. They must have a light to keep them warm and I just found instructions for a homemade version tonight online, solving my last big "hardware" issue. Tim already has some kind of light bulb with a cord. What we have to do is use an aluminum turkey roasting pan with a hole in it to thread the cord through. It will be the shield that directs the heat downward on the ducklings. Now I need to come up with a feeder, feed, straw bedding, and waterer. I've seen all those items at Tractor Supply but I want to check prices at Big Apple and Southern States before I buy. The food will be most important. The food at Tractor Supply is non-medicated but it's a dual purpose food for chicks and ducklings. I'd prefer food strictly for water fowl, organic if at all possible. My ducks will be free range and forage for a lot of their own food. I'll only pen them at night to protect them from foxes and other critters.
Did you know baby ducks without mamas should not be allowed in water for several weeks? The mama ducks oil the babies and make them waterproof. Babies don't have the oil gland to do that and can drown or get chilled.
Kenny Shelton is going to build our duck house. He built our house addition two years ago. We are not builders and Kenny definitely is. What would take us several weekends and probably come out crooked will probably take him one weekend and be a duck palace they will be proud to live and lay eggs in. Duck houses don't have to be tall since they sleep on the ground rather than roost as chickens do so duck houses are pretty small and economical to build in comparison to chicken coops. I've picked out a fairly flat spot (not many of those on our land) between the pond and the house so it will be convenient for both us and the ducks. It will be awesome to gather eggs from our own ducks next spring!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Rockingham County Food Makes Front Page of News and Record
There was a great front page article about Rockingham County's upcoming online ordering system for local food in today's (Greensboro) News and Record. http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/08/24/article/virtual_farmers_market_in_the_works Pretty exciting stuff for us to make the front with color photos of chicken eggs!
Sean is spending the night tonight so Tim made a kid-friendly dinner of local angus burgers, our first time eating the beef we bought from Sandstone Farms. It was very good, made all the better by just-picked heirloom tomatoes. Dinners at our house are very meat-centric so I have to go heavy on veggies, fruits, and grains for breakfast and lunch. Although Tim loves to raise his vegetable garden, he doesn't really like to eat veggies. Strange but true.
I'm now watching Scooby Doo with Sean and having a glass of Chateau Morrisette cabernet. It's made in NC but isn't the closest winery to us. I bought this wine during a shared birthday weekend with Shanda, a friend since the 4th grade, and Cecil, her husband. It's a nice, drinkable (read: not too tannic, fruit forward) wine but I'm sure it's too expensive to be drinking on a no-special-occassion Monday night. That's the good part of my buying wines on a vacation-- I have no memory of the cost of each bottle. I'd like to drink local wines since there are a couple of wineries within 20 miles of home but the prices are so high. I know start-up costs are steep. At this point, I don't think there is a good answer to finding reasonably priced local wines for everyday consumption but this calls for more research and more wine tasting :-).
Allergies kicked my butt after hanging around the pond all afternoon yesterday but I am beginning to notice a difference in the way I feel. I've also been taking my vitamins, (especially D, Alison), on a regular basis. I feel less tired and I'm sleeping better. I'm also making it up to the 4th floor without stopping now. Oh, I still pant and gasp for air, but I can keep moving all the way to the top. My lunch time walks pep me up for the afternoon. While I walk, I'm listening to The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand on my MP3 player.
Sean is spending the night tonight so Tim made a kid-friendly dinner of local angus burgers, our first time eating the beef we bought from Sandstone Farms. It was very good, made all the better by just-picked heirloom tomatoes. Dinners at our house are very meat-centric so I have to go heavy on veggies, fruits, and grains for breakfast and lunch. Although Tim loves to raise his vegetable garden, he doesn't really like to eat veggies. Strange but true.
I'm now watching Scooby Doo with Sean and having a glass of Chateau Morrisette cabernet. It's made in NC but isn't the closest winery to us. I bought this wine during a shared birthday weekend with Shanda, a friend since the 4th grade, and Cecil, her husband. It's a nice, drinkable (read: not too tannic, fruit forward) wine but I'm sure it's too expensive to be drinking on a no-special-occassion Monday night. That's the good part of my buying wines on a vacation-- I have no memory of the cost of each bottle. I'd like to drink local wines since there are a couple of wineries within 20 miles of home but the prices are so high. I know start-up costs are steep. At this point, I don't think there is a good answer to finding reasonably priced local wines for everyday consumption but this calls for more research and more wine tasting :-).
Allergies kicked my butt after hanging around the pond all afternoon yesterday but I am beginning to notice a difference in the way I feel. I've also been taking my vitamins, (especially D, Alison), on a regular basis. I feel less tired and I'm sleeping better. I'm also making it up to the 4th floor without stopping now. Oh, I still pant and gasp for air, but I can keep moving all the way to the top. My lunch time walks pep me up for the afternoon. While I walk, I'm listening to The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand on my MP3 player.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Happy Chickens Make Happy Breakfasts
This morning I had scrambled eggs for breakfast but they weren't just any scrambled eggs. They were fresh from AJ's chickens, bought at the farmers' market yesterday. AJ is an incredibly cute boy about 10-years old who had a table full of eggs, all sizes and hues, and a scrapbook with photos of his beloved chickens. I can't remember them all but Elvis and Phyllis Diller were memorable and had "hairstyles" like their namesakes. The eggs were fresh and buttery tasting, with rich yellow yolks that colored the cooked eggs. I felt inordinately happy eating breakfast this morning and thinking about AJ and his hens.
We also bought some grass fed lamb from Massey Creek Farms. I thought I was going to have to drag Tim away from his conversation with Bill McCollum of Massey Creek Farms as they discussed people they knew in common and who was related to who. Mrs. McCollum promised to email me recipes for a ground lamb dish her grandchildren love. The lamb and their fresh farm eggs are also available at Twin Oaks Shell Station across from the Hospice facility on Hwy 87/704. Good to know.
We bought nearly fat-free ground angus beef and cubed steak from Sandstone Farms at the market. No growth hormones were used in production. The beef is raised on pasture with a little sweet feed given as a treat to get the cattle to come to Frank Bray when he calls them up. We're still looking for a source for local chicken and pork.
We picked up a basil plant from Running Pine Herb Farm that we topped to use last night in a mozzarella tomato salad that we made for a dinner with our friends Katherine and Will. The tomatoes were Tim's heirloom Marglobes and Rutgers. I also used tiny pear-shaped yellow tomatoes from a farmer whose name I didn't get yesterday. They were mild flavored but added to the color and presentation of the salad. We bought a cheese-making kit and had intended to make our own mozzarella for the salad but ran out of time. This afternoon Tim made his first batch and it's delicious! Based on what the grocery store charged for fresh mozzarella, it's less expensive to make our own and we know what's in it. I'm looking forward to having another tomato mozzarella salad tonight.
It's such a pretty day today that I spent the afternoon floating around in our pond, one of my favorite Sunday afternoon activities in the summer. My exercise today was swimming and peddling the peddle boat around. No one ever said that exercise can't be fun.
We also bought some grass fed lamb from Massey Creek Farms. I thought I was going to have to drag Tim away from his conversation with Bill McCollum of Massey Creek Farms as they discussed people they knew in common and who was related to who. Mrs. McCollum promised to email me recipes for a ground lamb dish her grandchildren love. The lamb and their fresh farm eggs are also available at Twin Oaks Shell Station across from the Hospice facility on Hwy 87/704. Good to know.
We bought nearly fat-free ground angus beef and cubed steak from Sandstone Farms at the market. No growth hormones were used in production. The beef is raised on pasture with a little sweet feed given as a treat to get the cattle to come to Frank Bray when he calls them up. We're still looking for a source for local chicken and pork.
We picked up a basil plant from Running Pine Herb Farm that we topped to use last night in a mozzarella tomato salad that we made for a dinner with our friends Katherine and Will. The tomatoes were Tim's heirloom Marglobes and Rutgers. I also used tiny pear-shaped yellow tomatoes from a farmer whose name I didn't get yesterday. They were mild flavored but added to the color and presentation of the salad. We bought a cheese-making kit and had intended to make our own mozzarella for the salad but ran out of time. This afternoon Tim made his first batch and it's delicious! Based on what the grocery store charged for fresh mozzarella, it's less expensive to make our own and we know what's in it. I'm looking forward to having another tomato mozzarella salad tonight.
It's such a pretty day today that I spent the afternoon floating around in our pond, one of my favorite Sunday afternoon activities in the summer. My exercise today was swimming and peddling the peddle boat around. No one ever said that exercise can't be fun.
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