Saturday, March 26, 2011

Move Over Kingsolver

Started off the day with a trip to the farmers market to meet the wonderful farmers that I follow on FB.  Picked up my order of 4 organic chickens, 3 dozen fresh organic eggs and 4 lbs. of organic grass-fed ground beef.  Mind you I was mainly vegetarian before my allergy diagnosis.  I have NEVER made a whole chicken, what in the world am I supposed to do with this thing?? The kind farmer gave me some suggestions and assured me it is cleaned out and ready to cook.  Just give it a nice rinse.  Ok, we will see. 

Whenever I did buy organic meat before I always made sure to buy skinless, boneless ready to cook.  Always white meat and never any real work involved besides grilling.  I do know how to roast a turkey breast though, perhaps this will be the same???  None the less, I got my book of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle off the book shelf as it looks we will be eating close to the seasons and from the farm.

We all had eggs for lunch, hubby and Monkey had scrambled, I had them sunny side up and Sweet Pea had organic ravioli.  Wow!  I forgot how wonderful farm fresh eggs were!  I wish I could have mine scrambled but I can't have milk  Perhaps I can leave it out, but didn't want to risk it today and run these lovely eggs.  All US milk is fortified with Vitamin A Palmitate thanks to the USDA who is worried about us poor Americans being deficient.  All Vitamin A Palmitate is an alcohol derived from corn.  The government has to put all the corn somewhere I suppose, but I just wish they would not put it EVERYWHERE...

With Easter on the way, I have been thinking of baked goods.  Granted I need to find safe flour that the government hasn't had enriched for me and some other substitutes but that should not be that hard.  The long lead item for baking is vanilla.  Most vanilla is made from soaking the beans in corn alcohol of course.  There are brands out there, especially with Passover upon us.  But I would rather try to make my own.

So, after dragging the kids to the stinky liquor store I scored some potato vodka.  Might as well buy a big one and a cute teeny bottle to make my vanilla in.  I read how to do it online, involves soaking the beans in potato vodka but I do not remember, nor did I look up the specifics.  It can't be that hard.

Process:
1. Open up cute baby bottle of Chopin potato vodka.
2.  Pour off a bit of excess, plus more from big bottle if you desire, into glass of fresh squeezed      organic orange juice.  Place orange juice/vodka mix in freezer to sip later. 

3. Take vanilla beans and gently slice down the middle to expose beans inside.
4. Put beans in baby bottle of vodka, close and put in cool place for 4-6 weeks.


Now, for defrosting the chicken.... Ugh, Hubby is out doing estimates so I suppose I can do this on my own.  I had a Pyrex glass dish ready and placed in the laundry room next to the utility tub. No need to rinse off chicken in the kitchen sink and be paranoid all weekend about contamination.  Plastic gloves were put on and the bag was sliced open and disposed of in waiting trash by my feet.   Chicken was rinsed and placed in Pyrex and wrapped in plastic.  I was told it was clean and the neck was removed but it kinda looked like it was on.  I will have hubby inspect when it is defrosted.


So far it has been a good day, no reactions and got the kids Easter outfits ordered and didn't even have to give Gymboree any money.  With all the coupons and credit card gift certificates (paid in full every month so there is no hidden cost to me with the reward program, btw) they were free!

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