Big and little devils

I've noticed a universal trend: All parents force their kids to eat vegetables.

I should say "try" to force. Kids are notoriously resistant to force, and will sneak, fight, or throw a fit to avoid it, like the cake story from hyperbole and a half.

I have seen this disturbing trend (even among awesome parents that Kathy and I admire and try to emulate) often enough to realize something was wonky. Then Elder Bednar spoke at stake conference a couple weeks ago, and his wife told a story about, you guessed it, forcing her kids to eat vegetables (It goes all the way to the top!). The prophet had come to eat at their house, and, it turned out, he didn't eat his vegetables either.

if you can name the game this picture came from, we can be friends

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This reminded me of an article I read in college by Melinda Sothern, Ph.D. Here's her ten steps to getting your children to eat healthy. My favorite are:

1. Don't restrict food.

3. Don't label foods "good" and "bad."

5. Don't nag.

6. Don't use food as a reward or punishment.

7. Eat family dinner.

9. Give your kids some control.

We may think our kids are little devils for disobeying us. But when we use force to compel people, even children, to do as we want, then we use Satan's tactics. And really, his tactics suck. So when your kids disobey your sucky tactics, they're really acting like little angels, or, more appropriately, warrior-angels who wield the sword of whining and throwing-fits to fight their demon-possessed parents.

Next time at dinner, when you feel like you're fighting a battle with your children, you are, and it began in heaven.

If you want to win the battle, use God's tactics. Allow your children to choose, have healthy foods available, and your children will develop a healthy relationship towards food.

we love our farmer. you should too.

When I went to our veggie pickup today, I passed on basil and peppers, since we've already had so many all summer. So Jill asked me if I wanted broccoli instead. I said yes, she left for a second, walked back to the garden, and cut some for me. It's not even my favorite vegetable, but I'm excited to cook up the freshest broccoli I've ever eaten.

Our CSA is another casualty of summer's end. We only have one more pickup. I'm excited enough for it to start again that we've already ordered our farm share for next year.

If you do the same before October 15th, you can get next year's veggies for 20% off. I highly recommend it: getting all those veggies cut our food budget in half this summer (which is weird, right? I didn't think we ate that many vegetables), we tried things we never would have bought on our own, and when we weren't sure how to prepare something, we just checked the Bells' blog for a recipe using that week's pickings.

Click here for an explanation of the discount. Click here to place an order. And click here to see a picture of one of the Bells' adorable kids who entertained my baby while I waited for my broccoli.

some kids don't like to eat their veggies

But this girl does.

A chance for Provoites to eat locally

Our farmers have expanded into the Provo area. They grow their crops in Draper and Sandy.

You can sign up by visiting the Bell Organics web site.

Here's Jill's announcement:

"Hello,
David and I were able to meet with the owner of Pizzeria Seven Twelve in Orem today for lunch and he has agreed to host a CSA pick up for the Utah County area.

We will be adding this location to our program on Wednesdays from 4-6 pm. Their address is 320 South State Street #185, Orem Utah.

If you are not familiar with this locally driven business you can visit their website at www.pizzeria712.com where their blog does a nice job of explaining their vision.
—Jill"

To join the CSA, you pay Jill and David up front, and then you get a new box of vegetables each week once the season begins — from June 14th to October 13th.

David in the garden

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You'll eat more vegetables than you ever have, making yourself and your community healthier.

You can also order local eggs, cheese, fruit, and beef through their website.

They have additional pick-up locations in Draper, Salt Lake, Millcreek, and Park City.

Sacralicious

Our house doesn't have art on the walls typical of Mormon homes. There's a picture of me picking my nose next to K. There's a photo of two cupie dolls crossing the street, holding hands. I've printed some melancholy poetry and excerpts from anti-war essays to tack up next to engagement pictures and a map of Hawaii. And today this joined the collection:
Feel free to print one out for your kitchen.

I've thought that since "the sabbath was made for man," it is a great time for dusting off my atrophied creativity muscles.

Though the things I create will not likely end up in the Louvre, I sure do enjoy it. I hope K soon posts some of the things she's created lately. She's incroyable.

you know what sounds good right now?

These days, my tummy feels a bit willing to re-open its culinary horizons. So, I baked some salmon, made some rice and took them to campus with me today.

I thought I'd have plenty of time in my office to eat lunch, but I didn't. So I pulled the food out of the microwave and ate it while I walked in the crowd of students that moves en masse across campus between classes.

I would tell you about the two guys walking right behind me, and how they must have been really hungry, because I heard one say to the other, "You know what sounds good right now? Chicken curry with couscous." And I would tell you that the other one said, "No," and offered some other protein/pasta variation as the ideal meal. And I would tell you that I almost felt guilty that my lunch smelled REALLY GOOD.

But I realized before I wrote it what a pointless story that would be. So I'll just say this: I was thinking today of how much cooler my lunch would be if I had a Remains of the Day lunchbox. Does anyone know where I might find one?

Lucky Chick and our Farmer

Remember that chick we found on Easter morning? We went to visit the farm he's staying on.
I'm not sure which one he is.

This is where we buy our eggs, honey, and sometimes our leafy greens.
She recycles leaves into compost.
The Llama scares away raccoons.
This is the biggest turkey I've ever seen.
Here's Julie, our farmer.
Anyone is welcome to walk around the farm—just let her know you'd like to come. It's just 3 well-managed acres. I recommend you buy some eggs. She has chicken or duck eggs.
You have to eat three apples today to get the same nutrients that one apple would have given you 50 years ago. This is because agribusinesses have increased yield at the expense of nutrition. Chemical fertilizers make the plants grow, but they don't give them nutrition that healthy soil used to.

Eating is a political act.

Money in the Bank

We just had an Ensign story happen. Kathy won 1st place, and I 3rd, in the David O. McKay essay contest a couple of months ago. We just got our reward, and decided to buy a nice camera and a blendtec blender.

We found out that we wouldn't have enough money to buy both if we wanted to pay our tithing. We decided to pay tithing anyway. A few days later we found a better deal on the blender, so now we can do both.

Warm fuzzies.

Also, our bank, Mountain America Credit Union, is awesome.

I didn't check how much money was in the bank when I paid our insurance. The check bounced, I needed over $100 more than I had. My bank automatically took that extra 100 bucks from my credit card and paid the bill, and didn't charge me any fees.

Also our landlord lost our deposit, so I went in to cancel the check. Guess how much they charged me? Nothing.

And I can pay off our credit card online, on the same page that my checking and savings are on. It's really easy. I sound like an infomercial.

We'll post more videos soon of our new blender. You can blend stuff without water. So you can make snowcones out of ice, and you can knead dough, and you can make soup without using the stove, and you can destroy the evidence. Yep, awesome.

summer food is hard to burn

If I've ever talked to you about cooking, I've probably mentioned that I only know how to make 6 things. This is not entirely true.

I cook in spurts. I get excited about the kitchen, collect new recipes, experiment, and end up with a series of 6 or so items that I love. I then make them all the time until my husband gets sick of them. And then, because those 6 have worn out their welcome, I retire them long enough to forget they're still in my cooking repertoire.

Fortunately, I've stumbled upon a series that may last a while. And once we tire of these recipes, I probably won't forget them easily. Here are some of the happiest summer foods I've found. They're packed with vegetables (read: good for you), but rather than tasting like obligatory veggie servings you must choke down, they're tasty and light.

Click on the links and eat up:

• Adrienne's frittata. You can't mess it up—provided you remember that broilers work quickly. I didn't. The first time.
  
• Deja's burger relish. I haven't actually tried making black bean hamburgers (sorry, Dej—perhaps in the next 6 recipes). But I did pair the relish up with some apple-gouda-cheese-chicken brats we found at costco. The combination was amazing.
• Strawberry salad. I lied. This one isn't new, but I love it in the summer. The link is as close to my recipe as I can find. I usually just use Brianna's poppy seed dressing instead of making my own (I'm lazy). I've also left out the red onion before and nothing in my kitchen has exploded.
• And, the most repeatedly made recipes of the bunch: Lara's yummy pita dips. The woman who gave me these is so gourmet that she knows where to buy pomegranate molasses (and which brand is best!). Obviously, I worried I would mess something up. Not a chance. The explanations are so clear that even I could make these foods. (I made them again tonight. I'm eating them right now.) Be sure to let the bulgur sit long enough to soften. And don't be surprised when your mother-in-law calls to say she ate the extra you left at her house for all three meals the next day.
  

Well, there's summer for you. I hope it's yummy.

Why'd the Chicken . . .

We had an Easter miracle on Saturday morning. I came home from the store to find a baby chick in our yard.
I ran inside to tell Kathy, and the chick ran after me. When Kathy came out it ran up to us and started chirping. We fed it soggy oatmeal and put it in a box to protect it from the cat that lives in our garage.
We asked our neighbor if she had chickens. She said she wished she did, and came over to see it. She named it Lucky, because it was lucky to find Kathy and I.

We called our farmer, Julie, at the Clifford family farm. She said her chickens had just had chicks and that lucky would fit right in with them.
She just sent this email:
christopher,
just wanted to let you know lucky is doing fine. if you want to see lucky or look around, feel free. my phone is ___-____ if you call then I can show you lucky. he's in the outside brooder with the other "big boys" He's probably a leghorn and a little older than we thought -I'd say about 3 weeks. thanks- julie
Happy Easter. Make sure to watch this soon.

My produce lady is better than yours

We went to hear Wendell Berry read last week at the Masonic Temple in Salt Lake. He read a piece about the economy which I want to post as soon as he's done writing it (Berry was still working on it).

But the best part, my farmer emailed me earlier that week to let me know about the reading.

Kathy and I already knew, but it made me happy to know my produce lady was looking out for me.

You can't get that at Wal-Mart.

I learned this year that 'neighborhood' also bears the same connotations as 'brotherhood.' It's not just about location, it's about friendship, and helping each other out.

Clifford Family Farms is at 1461 N. 2100 W. Provo.

The farm sells eggs, honey, seasonal vegetables, and homemade soap and lotion.

Survey Results

The survey results are in, thanks to all of you who responded.

Have you ever considered that your opinions and tastes are not your own? That your food preferences have been carefully crafted by those who care nothing for your health but only the contents of your wallet?

"In consequence of ^aevils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of ^bconspiring men in the last days, I have ^cwarned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation— " -D&C 89

Click on it to see a bigger view.
There was no easy way to share the data. I'll post the favorite books and tv shows section when I have time.

Canned Valentines

Click to enlarge.

All proceeds will go to supporting the BYU Food Science club.

Buying Local: Eggs and Honey

Kathy and I went to the Sunshine market on 500 West/State St., but it didn't live up to my hippie expectations.

And it had a thirsty fail.
I want to buy local. I don't want my money going to some CEO. I want it to go to a family right here in Provo. In down times we have to help each other out.

So I googled "Provo farms" or something, and found a place that sells fresh eggs and honey made right here in Provo.

Clifford Family Farms at 1461 N. 2100 W. Provo.

It's five minutes from Macey's Food on 500 W.
To get there:
You'll see this on your right:
The road will start to go uphill and curve. Just stay on it.
Drive for a few more blocks and you'll bump right into this:
The front door had a sign that said come in and help yourself. But I rang the doorbell and waited a minute before letting myself in. A large fridge held several cartons of eggs, and a lone jar of honey sat on a wooden bench.

A plastic bottle partially filled with money indicated that I should just take what I wanted and leave the asked price. These people are honest.

But then a teenage boy showed up, in answer to me having rung the doorbell. His name was Zack and he lived there. I asked him about the farm, it's about three acres. They have sheep too, but they don't use them for meat, because his mom came to care for them too much. Anyone is free to tour around the farm to see what it's like. It's that kind of transparency that could really keep our food supply safe and honest.

I grabbed a jar of honey and a box of eggs, wrote a check out to Clifford Family Farms, and stuffed it into the jar.
I bought 18 fresh local eggs for $5.30, which is a ton of money for what I usually get for eggs. But I'm okay with that because:

1. It's going to my neighbors.
2. A chicken lays only 1 egg a day, that's a lot of work for 18 eggs.

I bought a 32 ounce jar of honey for $13.00, which is a good deal for good honey. Because.

1. A 32 ounce soda costs about $1.30, 1/10th of the price, but 1/16th the amount of syrup, or sugar content.
2. Fresh, local honey tastes a lot better than the watered-down over-pasteurized store-bought stuff.

3. And no hidden costs.
. . . Food at the supermarket isn't as cheap as it appears. It's cheaper because the government takes our money and gives it to the companies that make our food. And these huge businesses don't pay for the pollution they make, which inflicts an unseen cost on our planet.

I didn't take a tour of their farm yet. I plan on going back when Kathy can come.

You can call Julie Clifford or email her if you have any questions:

Edible Pampers

This combines my major (Food Science) with my ideology (environmentalist) and my wants (babies).

Genius.

Peaches. Smog. Cats. Cash.

We found this beautiful jar of strawberries at Target'.
But bought the peaches because canned strawberries are gross. We usually buy peaches in gallon drums from Costco, but I wanted to support a company that makes such a beautiful product.

Then we drove up to Salt Lake to a friend's birthday party, and crashed our car into the stinkiest bag of smog I've seen in my lifetime. It clogged the streets, making it impossible to see signs until I was passing them. Like breathing urine and swimming in a bog of car farts.

Taken at 6pm last Friday
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Fortunately Gov. Huntsman has taken a stand with Obama against air pollution.

Video of the air

I also saw some kitties on campus.
And spent many hours making this spreadsheet for our family finances.

I did not really make a million dollars last week.
We could afford a house, if it cost $8000.
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I stayed up at night to finish it. Kathy said I was a budget addict. I worked on it non-stop, when I woke, in class, and until I went to bed.
If anyone wants a copy of this spreadsheet for your own finances, I'll email it to you. It helped us realize we spend more than we make, and have lots and lots of debt.

cozy up

A few years ago, I lived with a very cool girl, who once made me the most divine hot chocolate I've ever tasted. I forgot I still had the recipe before Christopher and I bought some Stephen's hot chocolate mix. As soon as it runs out, I think I might just have to whip us up some of this. Try it:

2 cups hot water
1 Tb cocoa
½ tsp vanilla
1 can evaporated milk
¼ cup sugar
dash of salt

It's a lot of sugar, so snuggle up and share with a friend. That's the best way to spend a cold day anyway.

How to Fail: Halloween Edition

Update: My econ professor said I cannot retake the test.

I went into a job interview today dressed like R2D2.

I went to work at 6am, and spent three hours feeling nauseous with nervousness for my 9:30am interview. I got to the interview early, and saw that everyone else who was in line for the interview had dressed up like business executives.
Ron from Oregon Icecream was very nice. He politely told me I wouldn't get the job.

He said I'd be a good fit for research and development. My two ideas I was too nervous to say:

1. Chocolate chip cookie icecream. It wouldn't have chunks of cookie dough, rather the icecream would taste like cookies, and have chocolate chips in it.

2. Melted ice cream drink. I like to leave the ice cream out to melt and then drink it. They should sell it premelted. They could sell it to people who want to get fat.

I'm still feeling a little nauseous, but also a little sad. I think I'm going to get some icecream.

Support BYU's Fizzix Program

My professor Dr. Lynn Ogden invented Fizzix, a carbonated yogurt made by Yoplait.
If you buy Fizzix, some of that money will go to BYU. If you buy a whole bunch, like $200,000 worth, some money will go to Dr. Ogden.

Dr. Ogden invented it, but has not yet received a penny. I don't really understand why. I think it's because the first million goes to BYU, and then after that Ogden gets his cut.

He's a great guy. Buy Fizzix and make him rich.
Here's a mom's review of Fizzix.

Do not shake

holy comestibles!

We all know that I'm not the goddess of culinary domesticity. Not because I can't. But because it just takes an inordinate amount of time. Plus, once you've made good food, it must be eaten to really be appreciated. All that time and work just get chewed up, digested, and forgotten when another appetite sets in.

So, I took this picture to immortalize a dinner that has now been digested:
















I'm very proud that I learned to make wheat bread this summer. For some reason, homemade bread once seemed a mystery to me. (It's still sort of mysterious; if Christopher doesn't double-check the temperature of the water I use to activate the yeast, the dough won't rise. He's indispensable.) Bread also seemed like something that took all day—the most important reason for banning it from my to-do list. But it's actually not that bad, especially considering that eating pizza with a homemade whole-wheat crust makes me feel culinarily divine.