Author Archives: makemendgrow

You really are beautiful.

Posted on by

12

Did you know that you’re beautiful?

You are. You really are. There’s days where you know you look good, and there’s days that you hope you don’t look like a two year old throttled you all night. Through the damn fine days, and the damn hard days, know that you’re always beautiful. Anyone that tells you otherwise isn’t worth your time and energy-forget em.  Those that support you and make you feel good? Well, keep those folks close by.

I also trust organizations who support that concept too. A few months ago I heard about a new company, Don’t Call Me Ma’am, who was producing beauty products with a message of empowering women and feeling beautiful. The concept is simple-The products don’t have all of the ingredients that aren’t good for you. The product packaging is minimal and made from recycled materials. The last and best part? The company supports finding your beauty and loving who you are- at all ages, and all places in your life, without abandon. You can read their manifesto on their webpage, here. See? It’s awesome!

DCMM-0129

When I got the invite to go, it encouraged people to come as they were, clean-faced, no make up. Umm. Dang. I wear make up most days, and usually always in public. I was down for a challenge though, and I am so glad I did. This is a great group of gals, and I was able to mingle with other bloggers. Tell me this doesn’t look like fun? Here I am signing the manifesto, and with other bloggers (hint, I’m the tall one). There was also wine, glorious wine!

DCMM-0138DCMM-0108 DCMM-0075 (1)I had a chance to chat with the owners and awesome ladies behind DCMM. They are wonderful and friendly-they come with a wealth of experience. Ileen Ruvinski comes with a background in marketing and product development and paired with Kathleen Spitzer’s background in skincare and working in managment for some big companies, you have a power house. If you put that aside, and just chat with them, you learn that that want happiness. They want women to find that happiness and know that they are beautiful. They are excited about their products and what they mean for women-no marketing ads exploiting women, and no using images that damage self-esteem. It’s skin care you can get behind. We talked about who were are, and why it is so important to have healthy images for beauty-as a mom to a little girl, I can’t get behind this idea enough.

DCMM-0144

So, what products are there? There’s a lot! There’s washes, lotions, creams, serums, and toners. There’s something for all skin types and the fact that it’s free of pthalates and parabens and other toxic chemicals makes me feel good about using it. I had a chance to try out three products: the Wash It Away Cleanser, the In Balance Toner, and the Face Love Moisturizer.

14_1120_DCMM-ProductPackage

As with every new product, I am skeptical until proven otherwise, and after spending the past three years either pregnant, breast feeding, or waiting for my hormones to finally figure it all out, my skin is a fierce judge. When I first used the wash, I didn’t get it. It wasn’t foaming, and then it occurred to me-it shouldn’t! It was quick-put it on, rub gently and rinse off! The toner was nice and refreshing, a nice change to my normal routine (oil washing, and a touch up with almond oil under my eyes).  Lastly was the Face Love moisturizer, I squeezed a bit out and put it on, only to realize I squeezed way too much. Guys, a little bit of a good product goes a long way! After two weeks, I am happy to report that I am enjoying it! My skin isn’t as well, hormon-ridden, and it’s just as quick as my oil washing routine. No time lost and I get to mix up what I use? Yes!

So…Are YOU ready to sign the manifesto and give Don’t Call Me Ma’am a try? Here’s  your chance! You can win your very own set of three products, the Wash It Away Cleanser, the In Balance Toner, and the Face Love Moisturizer. All of you have to do is comment on this post and tell me why you’re beautiful. Share this with your friends, and have them say that you sent them for an extra entry! If you REALLY want to get crazy, go to my Facebook page, located here and add another comment that you “liked” me, for an additional entry!  I’ll pick a winner end of day on Saturday the 28th!

Here, I’ll even go first! I’m Raina, I am beautiful because I am loved, I am strong and I am one hell of a momma. You can call me by my name, you can call me Momma. Call me what you will, but Don’t Call Me Ma’am. 😉

Here’s to all of us and finding your beauty!
Raina

Please note: While I wasn’t paid for this post, I did receive the goods in exchange for the write up. Also, the pictures in the post are from DCMM and Revel Creative Marketing Group, who were wonderful in providing all images from the event and of the products-thank you, ladies!!!!

 

Chickens are jerks

Posted on by

FullSizeRender

There’s a reason they call it pecking order. Chickens can be mean in their attempt to rule the roost.  We recently came out one morning to find that one of our chickens had died – she was young, healthy, but had clearly been on the losing end of the pecking order.

We’ve had chickens who didn’t adapt well to being in the larger flock and we have learned different ways to keep the girls happy. Happy girls mean more eggs for me, and I am all about that!  So, what do you do to with a jerk chicken (without actually making them into jerk chicken)?

1. Look at what they’re eating. Chickens will find food, even if it’s their buddies. I really like Scratch and Peck’s line of foods. I prefer their soy free one (here). It’s non-GMO, organic and they have really good business practices!

2. Are they getting enough of the extras?  I love feeding my girls vegetable scraps-pieces of kale, broccoli or whatever vegetables I have on hand.  It’s a nice treat for them, but it also adds extra vitamins.  You can also buy  pre-made treats like these Happy Hen treats, but know you can make treats for them as well with their food, and oat meal that is cooked and rolled up into a smooshy ball. If they need supplements, you can look into ones like these.

3. Are they getting out? Just like us, chickens need to get and have fun. Bored chickens are mean chickens. While their coop and run is huge, I let my girls out as often as possible. On the days that I work from home, they are out most of the day.

4. Do they have enough space? Just like us, if chicken’s are crammed into a space that is too small, they can be frustrated and overwhelmed. Make sure your girls have plenty of space to sleep, play and eat. Our coop is pretty big with inside and outside boxes so the girls have their own place to relax. Coops don’t need to be pretty, just functional. We all see those coops that look like they belong to Martha Stewart. If you can swing that-awesome, if not, that’s ok too! Ours is made from donated wood, building materials, leftover chicken wire, and love!.

5. Are you there? You’re one of the best ways to prevent chickens from attacking each other. If you’re there, you can spot issues early on and react. Ways to know if you need to jump in, is if you see aggression, or the signs of being attacked, missing feathers or bleeding, usually at the neck or tail.

6. Lastly, figure out who the jerk is and reset the pecking order. We have a small spare coop that we keep on hand for new birds, or in the case of a chicken that just needs to be separated. By pulling the aggressive one out, it gives the rest of the girls a break and keeps the rude one from being in charge. Having a spare coop is also handy if you have an injured bird, as it gives them time to heal.

The standard disclaimer still applies – if you think your chickens are sick and have any concerns about illness, you can get them checked out. Currently, there are reported cases of Avian Flu in Western Washington.

What ideas do you have to support a healthy, happy flock?

Here’s to happy birds, and more eggs!

Raina

**Disclaimer!! The links above are affiliate links, which means when you buy these products, I get a small percentage of that sale, which goes right back to my feathered girls :)**

Goodbye, 2014! Hello, 2015!

Posted on by

3

Another year has come and gone-it’s amazing how fast they fly by!

This was another good year, surrounded by fun, busy at work, and amazed by my kiddo. I look back with a combination of wishing I had done more, but not sure where I would have fit it in.

On the work front, 2014 brought my 11th year at my company, and the start to feeling like the new program is starting to settle in (that one only took a year!), as well as a lot of growth and change.

On the fun front, it brought Nick and I the chance to work with a local brewery to host fun events. I was able to curate art events with local business and breweries, and it brought the 10th annual South Park Art’s Art Under $100 event. That event was attended by 2400 people!  I did crafts, I grew food, I raised chickens.

2014 brought an exciting road trip to Yosemite to spread my Dad’s ashes, as well as a few short trips here and there. It also sent Nick to the ER and ultimately to surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon during a soccer match.

The biggest and best part of 2014? Watching my daughter eat on her own. I could have done nothing else, but that and been perfectly content with the year. After so much hard work, we feel good about where we’re at with her eating. Sure, there’s work to be done, but it’s just amazing to be able to eat with her.

What’s on tap for 2015?

Much of the same, hopefully minus injuries.

I’m planning out some camping trips, a trip to Kansas, and lots of trips out eating with kiddo.  I can’t wait to just do more this year.

What are your hopes and plans for 2015?

Yours in happiness,

Raina

You should get out more!

Posted on by

Sometimes you just want, no NEED to get out. You need to have conversations with adults that don’t involve Daniel Tiger and to relax, eat good food and have a fun time. That well needed break came in the form of Seattle Food Tours.

I recently had the chance to try this fun organization out. The concept is great-you get together with a small group of people, and go on a food tour of a particular neighborhood. There’s no decisions to make, no dishes to do-you just get out, relax and let someone take good care of you.

We ventured through one of my favorite neighborhoods, Capitol Hill, and stopped at 5 restaurants: Bar Cotto, Le Zinc, Momiji, The Tin Table, and D’Ambrosio Gelato. Coral Sisk, our guide and local foodie set everything up in advance, checking for allergies and sensitivities to ensure a safe and happy experience. Each stop allowed us time to mingle, eat, drink and learn about what we were eating and the people who made the food. Between each stop, we learned a little about the neighborhood, too. It’s really a great way to meet people and learn, in addition to eating! What made this even more perfect for me was that each stop was a different type of food-I didn’t have to commit to any one thing. By the time the evening was over, I was full, relaxed, and had connected with other bloggers in my area. What more do you need?

Let’s get to the good stuff-what we ate!

The first stop was Bar Cotto. This was a quiet, intimate, candle-lit spot-perfect for a date. This was a great “starter” place, but not for those adverse to eating meat-we had torta  fritta, which were little fried pillows of dough, alongside carefully sliced prosciutto, mortadella and salami. We sipped a fabulous sparkling lambrusco and chatted. Despite the space being filled with the tour group, it was still quiet and enjoyable.

IMG_7927

We ambled to Le Zinc,little brother to Maximilien in the market. We met the owner and chatted food and wine before having some of the best scallops I have had. Imagine large tender, delicate scallops, coated lovingly in comte cheese and bread crumbs, then seared quickly, and then placed on a hash made of potatoes, apples, bacon and topped with fried taro root. This was my favorite spot of all because of the attention to detail and taste. The presentation was wonderful as well. This lovely little French stop was perfect, but sadly, I learned that they have closed their doors. I would HIGHLY recommend a stop into Maximilien to get your French Fix!

scallops

Next up was Momiji, a very popular and busy sushi spot. Board after board of their butterfly rolls were brought out quickly enough to go around and then some!  The butterfly rolls were filled with crab meat, and then topped with tuna, avocado and roe. They were creamy and lovely, and again, the amount of food was just right.

IMG_7931

IMG_7935

We paused to talk about where Capitol Hill got its’ name and whether it was the hope of becoming the state capitol or if it was named after the hometown of a founder of the neighborhood. We looked at the architecture, talked about how the neighborhood has changed over the years, comparing stories.

We arrived at the Tin Table, housed in the Odd Fellows building. Location-wise, this was the best stop! The building is amazing, and quirky, there was a good amount of people, and the space is really well laid out. This spot in itself is a date night! Not only can you get a great meal here, but you can catch a show, as well as get in your dance fix in the most lovely ballroom. The owner was very sweet and took us on a tour of everything-again, the space itself is worth a visit!  At the Tin Table we had an interesting combination of food-cider smoked salmon laid over cabbage with bits of apple and bacon. There was pomegranate seeds in the dish as well as buckwheat spaetzle. The pros? The salmon was outstanding, the cons-the spaetzel wasn’t my favorite, and the pomegranate seemed out-of-place. Overall the dish worked, and I would definitely go back for the fish any day. The chef and owner were welcoming, and the wait staff were very attentive.

IMG_7944

IMG_7948IMG_7939

Lastly, we made our way to D’Ambrosio Gelato, for a sweet treat and to wrap up a great evening. This was a fun, bright spot, with rows of soft, tasty gelato. I picked out a scoop each of the chocolate hazelnut as well as the Mexican chocolate-it was a great combination, sweet and spicy and smooth. It was the perfect way to wrap up the evening!

IMG_7959

If you’re looking for a great date night, or a fun tour for out-of-town guests, Seattle Food Tours is definitely the way to go; it’s an affordable way to eat your way through the city without having to choose or rush, you just enjoy!  For more information, please check out their website.

Are you ready to go?!

Raina

Please note, while I did receive a ticket to this event, all opinions are strictly my own .

 

 

2c34b2ec45a41d3a6d23fee8641f170fecaf766afd7856a64d

In A Jam

Posted on by

I love jam.

I love it even more when it’s cold and rainy out, and I am missing summer and spring and all of the fresh fruits. Luckily, fall and winter means that cranberries are everywhere, and I can make a quick jam that brings a little sunshine my way. It’s a little jar of tart, sweet, and a great combination of winter from the warming flavors of cinnamon and vanilla, but bright like summer from the oranges and Cointreau. It comes together quickly and makes a great last minute gift, too!

Attachment-1

 

2 packages (24 ounces total) rinsed organic fresh cranberries, soggy/bad ones thrown out, any remaining stems removed
2.5 cups sugar
1-2 large very ripe orange, juiced (approximately 1 cup juice)
1/2 c Cointreau or other orange liqueur
1 Tb vanilla bean paste, I use this one (affiliate link)
1 tspn cinnamon

In a dutch oven, or heavy pot with a thick bottom (I prefer my dutch oven), add your cranberries, orange juice and liqueur, and turn the heat onto medium. Once your mixture is warmed through, add your sugar, vanilla bean paste and cinnamon, stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook slow and low, keeping the heat at medium low, until your cranberries start to break down and quickly pop when you poke them with a spoon. Continue to cook, approximately 20 minutes until you have a nice chunky, delicious smelling pot of tastiness.

If you’re canning this prefer a thick well-set jam, add 1/2 packet of liquid pectin and cook for 5 more minutes at a low simmer. Process jars according to the jar manufacturers directions and enjoy! If you’re canning this, it makes 6-1/2 pint jars.

I love this with cream cheese on crackers or spooned over french toast!

What is your favorite holiday jam?

Best,
Raina

A long time coming

Posted on by

image1image2image6image7image8image3

Almost two years ago, this tiny wild child came into my life. We’ve had good days, we have had rough days, and we have had amazing days. All the days have pushed me to be better than I was the day before, and I know this will continue with each passing day, month, and year.

When Izzy was born, we were in a whirlwind of doctors, specialists, hospitals, and equipment (for those of you new to the blog, you can read more about that experience here).We longed for the day when kiddo could eat with us, and when we didn’t have to spend our time around a feeding pump, or a bolus syringe. We wondered if that would ever end, and if we would ever experience “normal”. It turns out, normal is overrated, and when you spend the first week of your child’s life in Children’s Hospital, you get your very own baby care manual.

After a week in the NICU and specialty care, two surgeries, hours of hospital visits and home care visits and who knows how many medical supply shipments over almost the past two years, Izzy is officially weaned from her g-tube and is eating on her own.

It feels so good to say that!

It wasn’t an easy journey. We started a couple weans in the past, and they just didn’t stick. We all ended up tired, sad, and frustrated. This time though, we had a lot of support!  We worked with our tube weaning clinic team at Seattle Children’s and our feeding specialist at NW Center Kids. Folks came to the house weekly and we worked with Izzy to help her relearn to eat and swallow. Once she was able to master those techniques, we began the actual wean which was reducing her overall calories down to 30% to trigger hunger. She would do well for the first few days, live on Goldfish crackers the next few days, but eventually she learned and we used the g-tube less and less. Here we are now, feeding her what we eat and having her choose her own meals. We’re working on meal timing, versus just grazing all day (a work in progress for me as well!), but the main thing is that she is eating consistently.

Now that the hard stuff  is behind us, we can focus on the fun. Our days are spent playing, painting and exploring. She loves climbing and hates butterflies. She dresses herself and insists on wearing hats as much as possible. She’s obsessed with boots and anything tiny (again, except for butterflies. I don’t get it) and is just the happiest little thing.  She plays hard and then sleeps hard.

Dear reader, I am so, so lucky. Thank you for being on this journey with me too!

On a completely different note-stay tuned for some posts this week about drinks and new holiday recipes (buckwheat whiskey cocktails or chocolate bourbon pecan pie, anyone!?) Some DIY goodies-I’m whipping up some arnica and calendula salves, and even some beauty and date night recommendations.

It’s been an amazing couple weeks, and I can’t wait to share more, but I wanted to share the good news about kiddo 🙂

Yours in happiness,

Raina

 

 

Scrub a dub-get in the tub!

Posted on by

5

I don’t know about you, but I’m beat lately. Maybe it’s the change in weather, being a mom-who knows.  I love the idea of a long luxurious bath, where I can take the time to exfoliate, and buff and do all the good for my skin things that I know I should do, but sometimes there just isn’t enough time.

Enter, my sugar soap scrubs.

I’m telling you, these double duty bad boys are just what the tired momma ordered. This is soap, scrub, oil and scent all in one. I can start my day with my Wake Up scrub, or rest in a hot bath with my Simmer Down scrub. 10 minutes either way, and my skin is soft and I am feeling ready to either take on the world, or take a nap, depending on what scent I use. I also love quick crafts and it’s super easy to put together if I need a gift for a friend.

Interested? Read on! Too tired to craft? Leave me a comment below and you could win a jar of Wake Up or Simmer Down shipped to your house! Just tell me which is your favorite and why!

Tired Momma’s Wake Up Scrub

Gather the goods-includes affiliate links where you can get them and have them shipped straight to you-could it be any easier?

Pint jars with plastic lid-plastic is best if you’re going to keep them in the shower
Dr Bronner’s Organic Castile Liquid Citrus Soap
Plain white sugar-go store brand on this guys
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Essential Oil-10 drops each of: Lemongrass, Wild Orange, or any other citrus type oils-I really love the oils from doTERRA and Dandelion Botanical Company (yay for supporting local business!)
Glass mixing bowl (pro tip: if you use essential oils in a plastic bowl, your bowl will smell like that forever….stick with glass!)
Spoon
IMG_9282

IMG_9286

The hardest part of this whole craft is accurately measuring out the sugar. As you add the soap and the oils, the sugar gets a little melty, so keep this in mind when  measuring it out. Fill your pint jar with the sugar and pour into your glass mixing bowl, fill the pint jar 1/4 of the way up again with sugar, and add to your bowl.

Squeeze out 1/3 cup of your Dr Bronner’s soap, add your oil and the drops of essential oil and mix, mix, mix until incorporated. I like using a spoon, since this mixture sticks to you, but it sure is fun to get my hands in there and squish it all together (plus I get a little beauty treatment)! The end result is that you want something fluffy and goopy, and throughly mixed, so it’s not dry. Like this:

IMG_9308

Spoon back into your jar and slap the lid on. That’s it, you’re done!

To use: Scoop some out while you’re in the shower, and scrub away gently. Rinse as you would regular soap.

Some of my other favorites are the Dr. Bronner’s Lavender soap with lavender essential oil. This stuff is a nap in a jar-so lovely.

IMG_9313

The disclaimers, just in case: Your eyes don’t like soap, so avoid that area. It’s smells delicious, but don’t eat it. Also…there’s a touch of oil in this, which means your tub could get slippery, so be careful. 🙂

 

Scrub on guys!
Raina

Farm(str) Lovin’

Posted on by

There’s few things I love more in life than delicious food. What could make it better? Having that food be locally sourced and delivered straight to my house.

Intrigued? Hungry? Let me introduce you to my new friend Farmstr. Oh yes.

So what is Farmstr? If you check out their site (here), you’ll read that Farmstr is an online marketplace that helps people like you and I find and buy direct from local, sustainable farmers. So you get delicious food, and because you’re connected directly to the folks with the tasty goodies, it’s something you can afford. Goodbye middleman!  Better yet is their goal, which is “to help local farmers succeed – specifically those with organic quality and better practices/food. Our goal is to help consumers have unlimited access to clean sustainable local food at fair prices”.

So there you have it:  It’s you getting amazing food, from real people. It doesn’t get much better than that.

So, what did I pick up?  Oh, dear reader, you’re in for a treat!  I picked up this beauty, the Coho Salmon. Line caught, frozen at sea, and sashimi grade. This salmon is melt in your mouth tender, sweet, and it comes in at an even better price than at your local fishmonger. Now, for what I did with those beautiful fillets…

The Menu

Starter:
Salmon Sashimi

Main:
Soba Noodle Salad
Roasted Kabocha squash
Korokke
Sauteed pak choi and bok choy with garlic chili paste
Roasted salmon with a sweet hot glaze

Dessert:
Roasted Asian pears with cinnamon, ginger, and honey
Prosecco with ginger simple syrup

I was in foodie happy-land guys and I want to share the love! Read on! This may look like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. Its a good amount of prep time, but if you do it right, you’ll be sipping tasty drinks and snacking your way through cooking this meal. You’ll also note that I didn’t use much salt in addition to the recipe-the soy and other seasonings add enough. When I could, I used low sodium products and added salt here and there-you can always add more, it’s a pain to figure out how to make things less salty! I also kept the flavors similar. Each ingredient brought it’s own flavor and the theme of seasonings helped to add continuity to the meal, but I found that things didn’t all taste the same-they just tasted like they belonged to each other.

The sashimi was by far the easiest-we sliced the most delicate strips of tender salmon-half we ate plain and half we splashed with mirin, ginger, and a little soy-we let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Both were amazing-the salmon just melted in our mouths. Look at how pretty it is!

IMG_9065 IMG_9062

Soba Noodle Salad

I love this salad. It’s easy, tasty, and goes well with so many different foods. It’s best served cold.

3 bundles (10 total ounces) soba (or buckwheat) noodles
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1.5-2 Tbspn honey
2-3 Tbspn soy
2-3 Tbpsn mirin
2 Tbspn + 1 Tbpsn sesame oil
1 Tbspn garlic chili paste
3 Tbspn rice wine vinegar
1 Tbspn roasted sesame seeds
1/4 tspn fresh ground black pepper
A dash of ground ginger

Boil the noodles according to the package directions, adding 1 Tbspn sesame oil to the water (it helps flavor them AND will prevent them from sticking together later).

Once the noodles are done-they should be al dente, run under cold water, until they are cool to the touch. Strain thoroughly.

Add 1/2 of the remaining sesame oil and stir to prevent sticking and place in the fridge until the noodles are cooled through. *Pro tip here guys. If you add your tasty ingredients to hot noodles-they suck up all the goodness, and you don’t have any yummy liquid later.  Sauce is good, guys*

While you’re waiting for things to cool off, mix up your remaining ingredients (minus the onions and sesame seeds).

Once your noodles are cool, pour the ingredients and mix – I use my hands – until thoroughly mixed.

Add your green onions and sesame seeds and let marinate for at least an hour.

As with all of my recipes, this is what I find tasty. If you like more of a particular flavor, please add more!

Roasted Kabocha Squash

1 medium sized Kabocha Squash, cut in half, seeded, half cut in moons with skin on and half, chopped into cubes, skin removed.
Olive oil
sprinkled with salt, pepper and cumin (yep, you read that right, cumin).

Coat your slices and chunks with olive oil and lay on a cookie sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and cumin, and roast at 425 until tender, about 15 minutes.

IMG_9095

Korokke

Oh, Korokke. You delicious pillows of fluffy goodness. I won’t lie. This is where the bulk of the time was spent and it is 100% worth every delicious minute that Nick spent cooking them for me 😉 Even more exciting? You can get them from Farmstr, here.

The half of the kabocha that was cut into cubes and roasted
3 or 4 medium golden potatoes, peeled and quartered
Half of a large yellow onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 bunch of green onions sliced thin
1 Tblspn of butter
salt and pepper, to taste
Egg, flour, panko and black sesame seeds
Olive oil-enough to coat the pan and drizzle on the korokke

Start by boiling your potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling saute the onions and garlic until they are translucent. When the potatoes are soft, drain the water and mash the potatoes and stir in the butter. When the potatoes are mostly smooth, add the kabocha and mash them together until there are still small chunks of squash. Now add the sauteed onions and garlic as well as the green onions and and stir them all together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool the mixture in the fridge until cool enough to handle.

When the mixture is cooled, form into whatever size and shape you like. We made patties. As you form them, place them into a container of flour. Coat the patties in the flour, then the beaten eggs, then the panko with some sesame seeds thrown in. When they are breaded put them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes then flip the patties and bake for another 10. They should be golden on both sides.

Let cool slightly and enjoy. We ate them with sriracha aioli.

 


IMG_9102
IMG_9118
IMG_9136IMG_9148

Sauteed pak choi and bok choy with garlic chili paste

1lb each-various greens. I used pak choi and bok choy
2 Tbspn garlic chili paste
Juice of 1 large lemon
Splash of white wine (more if you want a glass 🙂 )
Hearty pinch of salt
1/4 tspn of fresh ground pepper.

Again, super easy-take your greens, and wash them-no one wants gritty nibbles and shake them out slightly. Add them to a deep pan, add your paste, lemon and splash of wine and cover. Seriously. That’s about it. Toss every few minutes until suitably wilty. I like my greens to have a little bit of a bite on the stems however. Another tip-these greens can be bitter, so avoid a bitter wine or just use chicken stock.

greens
Roasted salmon with a sweet hot glaze

1 fillet of salmon, approximately 1-2 lbs
Marinade:
2 Tbspn honey
2Tbspn mirin
1/4 black pepper
drizzle of sesame oil
1 Tbspn garlic chili powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pour the marinade all over that pretty salmon and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Roast for 15 minutes at 350 or until flaky.

Roasted Asian pears with cinnamon, ginger, and honey
Do you sense a theme? Roasted and easy! I prepped this ahead of time, and let them roast up while I enjoyed dinner.

2 large Asian pears cored and sliced in quarters
1 tspn cinnamon
2 Tbspn cup ginger simple syrup
1 Tbspn raw honey

Toss all of your ingredients and place in a glass baking dish and bake at 400 for 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Add some ginger whipped cream and enjoy! May I suggest some Molly Moon’s Wild Honey or Ginger ice cream to pair? Mmmm….

Prosecco with ginger simple syrup

1 bottle prosecco
Ginger simple syrup

Add 1 tspn syrup to a fancy glass and top with prosecco. Sip happily, as you look over your bounty (and possibly your super full tummy).

And that’s it! It was a lot of eating, a lot of laughing, and a lot of fully bellies, even that belonging to my kiddo.
Are you ready to try Farmstr?!  Well, now you can with your very own $10 OFF promo code: MakeMendGrow10 – my way of saying THANK YOU for being a great reader! You can also sing up for the Farmstr newsletter to learn about new local farmers, in season food for sale!

IMG_9193

IMG_9205

What’s your favorite farm-fresh ingredient, and how do you use it?

Yours in food,
Raina

Salted Caramel Pear Butter

Posted on by

pear butter

First off, what is it?  Does it have butter?  Is it good??  Fruit butter is like thick apple sauce. It’s a spreadable fruit paste that is so good!  There’s no butter in it, and it is delicious!

I learned a few lessons from this one.

One: Crockpots didn’t give me the texture I wanted.

Two: Time isn’t something a crockpot cares about. I cooked the butter on high for about 36 hours before I gave up and blended it, then used the stove top to cook the pear butter down. I think that had I used the stove top, there would be more of a caramel flavor too. Good lesson learned!

Bottom line, would I make this again. Yes!  It is so good!!

Recipe:

  • 9 lbs of ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped (do this after you gather all of your ingredients, so you don’t end up with oxidized fruit.
  • Booze. (it is me, after all). I used 4 tablespoons of dark rum
  • 1/4 apple juice (I used non-filtered)
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 heaping and packed cups dark brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons nutmeg (fresh grated)
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger (dried)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt

The spices I used were to taste and fall-oriented. If you like more, put in more!

I combined the sugar, spices and liquids together in the crockpot and turned it on high while I prepped the pears. Once they were all chopped, I threw it all together and mixed it up, making sure I scraped the bottom of the pot and that the pears were coated. I out on the lid and waited. And waited.

And waited.

Oh, how I waited. After 36 hours, I was tired of waiting, and blended it all up, and put it in a dutch oven and cooked it down until it had the consistency I wanted.  I sterilized 9 pint , filled with a ¼ in head space, and did a water bath boil for 10 minutes.

It has a rich, caramel color, smells like fall and taste like happiness! It is so good on Greek yogurt, but would go well with chicken, as a glaze.

How do you celebrate the start of fall?

Raina

Remembrance

Posted on by

Today is the anniversary of 9/11.

I remember my then husband running into our bedroom-I had the day off of work, but was scheduled for classes in Seattle. I was groggy, wondering why he was yelling about planes. He said, “A plane. A plane just hit the World Trade Center”.

I remember wondering why a plane would hit the tiny banking building a few miles from us, also called the World Trade Center.

I remember that I had never heard him sound that panicked as he explained that a plane, full of people, had flowing into the World Trade Center, also full of people. I was fully awake, but still couldn’t comprehend. I didn’t get why someone would do that. It must have been a mistake, something wrong with the plane. That couldn’t happen on purpose.

We watched, eyes glued to the screen as smoke billowed up. Then, the second plane hit.

We wept.

We watched as people ran, people fell, people…We watched as the buildings came down. Just a matter of minutes, but it felt like hours.

The world was quiet for days, if not weeks, after that. People were gentle, kind, a little more patient.

I fear that as we get farther away from that horrible event, we’ll forget. We’ll forget what it meant to come together as a nation, as a people.I fear that it could happen again.

Here’s to never forgetting, and remembering that connection to each other.

Raina