eat dandelions!

OWS Holiday Bazaar Kimchi Demo

2011-12-27T21:25:00.001-08:00

super food

2011-12-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

so, like, i've been traveling a lot. for forever, but most recently, I went on an impromptu trip down the coast. when i'm traveling, i DO NOT let myself get caught up with truck stop food. usually i keep some dried fruits and nuts in the car, and a secret glove compartment stash of some nice dark chocolate. i still do all that, but i learned to make this DELICIOUS ELIXIR OF LIFE. i'm not kidding.

delicious elixir of life:

a sweet, spicy tea (i suggest Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice or Organic India Red Chai Masala Tulsi Tea, both are decaf, both are delicious. bengal spice is more delicious to me, but the tulsi tea has the added benefits of Holy Basil. on a side note, holy basil is an adaptogen and i kinda think we'd all benefit from taking adaptogen herbs regularly. holy basil is one of my most treasured plant loves.)

1 tsp coconut butter or coconut manna (this is not just the oil- it has opaque fleshy butter in it, both links take you to the same actual STUFF, made by different brands. this ingredient is high in calories to keep your energy up, give you enough fuel to keep going. it is high in GOOD saturated fat! don't be scared of the fat content! its those carbs in all the nutritionally-empty foods that make fat bodies, not this good stuff! so don't be afraid. plus its delish)

1 tsp Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen and Propolis in Raw Honey. (important: DO NOT PUT THIS IN SUPER HOT WATER! wait til the tea is warm, or don't boil the water up high rolling-like in the first place. the enzymes in the raw bee products should not be heated too high, or they lose the greatness of their functioning. the living enzyme action. ALSO if you can find someone local to get this stuff from, awesome, do it. also, you can purchase the different things separately and mix and match what you love. or you can buy it all together, which seems like the most decadent and incredible superfood known to me. its truly a high vibrational food. it ZINGS.)

optional:
a heaping tablespoon of Chia seeds, for extra protein and texture.
coconut or almond milk to taste (for more treaty creaminess. you might like that. i often do.)

there you have it.
if you travel, pack these things and get the hot water wherever, and you've got the most incredibly delicious and nutritious elixir to keep you going forever.

here's a song that has nothing to do with this food, but i love the video and the voice.

technically, a person could eat only bee foods and thrive forever. and in all seriousness, if you want to have a simple diet and stop thinking about food forever, and just totally feel amazing, eat bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis, in raw honey. you could supplement with spirulina, chlorella, and/or kelp, for variation, but not necessary.

Bee Pollen contains at least 22 amino acids, 18 vitamins, 25 minerals, 59 trace elements, 11 enzymes or co-enzymes, 14 fatty acids, 11 carbohydrates and approximately 25 % protein. Bee pollen is extremely rich in carotenes, which are metabolic precursors of vitamin A. It is also high In B complex and vitamins C, D, E and Lecithin. Bee pollen contains over 50 % more protein than beef, yet its fat content is very low. It is also an excellent vegetarian source of protein typically possessing more of the essential amino acids, pound for pound, than animal proteins like meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Daily use of pollen also ensures an intake of the more obscure, yet essential trace minerals that may be lacking from commercially grown produce and are often not included in vitamin mineral supplements. Most of us are unaware that the nutrients supplied by cooked fruits, vegetables and meats are not considered fresh because their enzymes have been exposed to high heat. Even taking a multivitamin can't offer the superior nutrient array of raw and fresh food.

(i took this from here, but if you do a little searching, you'll find info all over the place.)

Food For Thought. Who taught you how to eat?

2011-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Finally Revealed: Processed Food Rebates Dominate School Cafeterias

John Carroll, an assistant New York State attorney general investigating rebating practices there, has said rebates pose “an inherent conflict of interest” in school feeding programs because they favor highly processed industrial foods. In cases where schools pay a food service company a flat rate to provide meals, the companies are not required to disclose the rebates they collect. In those cases, Carroll recently told a U.S. Senate Panel, rebates tend to drive up the cost of food, cheating children out of nutrition they might otherwise have on their lunch trays.

How American Conventional Nutritionists or Dieticians are Regularly Manipulated by the Food Industry

It is unclear how a conference that features exhibits by Coca-Cola, General Mills, and other processed food and junk-food giants could ever make a positive impact on Americans' health.
....
So at every step of the way, the ADA is involved in counseling and credentialing the people who are giving out dietary advice to the American public, in schools, nursing homes, doctors' offices, colleges, and many other places in between. But their dietary advice is heavily influenced by corporate sponsors like those listed above …

sweep the dusty rooms

2011-10-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

help yourself

<3

making kimchee

2011-04-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

kimchi is one of my favorite things to eat! now that i've begun making it, i have been eating a whole lot. its all probiotic, salty, spicey goodness. i read a few different recipes before i started, and i've made 4 or 5 batches now, and have refined what i like. namely, adding cilantro. hey! here ya go:

you need a giant glass jar or many small ones or a bowl you can cover for the duration of fermentation. also a colander is essential, sesame.

My recipe contains cilantro, which is a non-traditional ingredient and will affect the flavor. the other ingredients are all traditional. I do not use fish or shrimp paste/oil which are often found in traditional recipes. other variations i've seen add sugar, or sweet fruits like apple or pear. often if you buy kimchee at asian markets, there will be MSG in it.

do what you see fit, do what you like! i will tell you how i do what i do. its easy, its beautiful, its fermented. it won't go bad, its delicious, and its full of probiotic goodness. when you eat it, i suggest adding a fat, like sesame oil or avocados, as it will then feel and taste and be a more balanced food. kimchee can be eaten alone, or added to other foods like soups, noodles, salads.... enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Jacqueline Dandelion's Cilantro Kimchee

ingredients:

(you can use any crispy/hard vegetables you like. my first batch, i used a ton. now i use just what i like)

red cabbage (1/2 a head makes enough to last a week if i eat some every day. a whole head makes too much for my jar. if you have space, do it up) (chopped)

daikon radish (chopped in big pieces)

green onions (chop)

fresh cilantro (chop)

fresh ginger (mince)

fresh garlic (mince)

korean chili powder (do yourself a favor and get the korean kind. i did it with regular american dry chili, and it was not as good. just watch out if you go to a korean grocery and avoid the spices with msg. read labels, yo! always!)

salt

water

---------
so, toss the cabbage and daikon in a bowl, cover with warm water and salt. how much salt? well, i eyeball it. you're making brine here, so you need enough salt to pull moisture and start pickling the vegetables right away. i fill the bottom of a mug til it seems to me that "hey, thats a lot of salt!" and then i mix it with warm water and soak the veggies. its probably about 1/4 cup or a little more of salt. and enough water to cover. this is when you brine any hard veggies you want to use. i prefer red cabbage over traditional napa cabbage because its firmer and crunchier and prettier. let it sit for at least an hour.

during the brining time, you can mince the ginger and garlic, and chop up the cilantro and green onions. set aside the green babies, and mix the garlic and ginger with about as much red chili pepper as you used salt in the brine, and warm water to make a paste.

i use a whole head of garlic, and about an equal amount of ginger

if you have a food processor, you can make the paste by combining these ingredients in it. then you don't have to mince as finely, cus the machine will do it for you!!! i've done it either way and it doesn't make much difference. i guess it depends on whether you'd rather sit and chop for a long while, or if you'd rather do more dishes.

ok, so its been an hour, right? those veggies look brined, right? they're all crisp and super salty. so, drain them over a bowl to catch the brine. keep it, you may need it. ok. rinse the veggies THOROUGHLY!!! if you don't, they'll be so salty you will cringe. i did that one time. i couldn't eat the kimchi straight, i had to make it into other things. so trust me, rinse it! keep that brine! ok. next.

this is the fun part.

in as large a container as you can, mix everything! the brined veggies, the cilantro, scallions, and the pasty goodness you just made.

mix it up! i use my hands, cus its fun and efficient!
look how pretty:

yum.

so now, put it into jars, or one huge jar, or a bowl, but that's not preferable. a cylinder is best.
pack it in tight and if its not watery, cover with the brine you saved til the veggies can be pressed down and be covered with brine. but don't over-do it. remember, its salt water you're dowsing them with.

weigh down the veggies so they're not hitting the air. its not like super crazy important to make sure no milimeter of veg surface is exposed, but do your best to keep the veggies submerged. i've found the easiest way for me to do this is to fill a tupperware/leftover tub container thing with water or brine, and push it down into the veggies, or weigh it down with a plate. its only important the first day, it seems, anyway.

so, leave the whole thing out somewhere room temperature and not too bright, for 24 hours or more. the longer you leave it out, the faster it will ferment. its still going to ferment in the fridge. i leave mine out for probably a day and a half, then fridge, and find it delicious on the 3rd or 4th day, and all days thereafter. it lasts me about a week, if i'm the only one eating it.

yum. enjoy!!!

cilantro is my own addition. i love cilantro and i figured it would be good, and i was right! you can do whatever you want! maybe you hate cilantro! whatever, dude. Use what veggies look good, use herbs you like. or just use the green onions, or none at all.

kimchi is awesome for so many reasons. once you've got the chili powder and a bunch of salt, the other ingredients are super cheap. you don't need green onions or cilantro, really. you could make it with just cabbage, garlic and ginger. garlic+ginger+chili powder are essential, i think. otherwise it would be some other fermenty vegatable thing and not kimchee anymore.

i have found that adding avocado when you eat it is fantastic. i also make a noodle dish with it that i'm pretty into. maybe i'll tell you about it later. <3

tip for ya

2011-03-30T12:47:00.001-07:00

frozen veg ends, originally uploaded by jacquelinedandelion.

throw your veggie ends into the freezer- anything chopped off the good parts, anything going bad but not all the way there yet, skins, tops, scraps.
when you have a bunch, make broth! all you do is boil this stuff in water for awhile, like 10 minutes or so, more if its not flavory enough, and then strain.

i suggest throwing in extra garlic, and i suggest not using too much ginger in your broth (bitterness).

you can then use the broth as a drink, or to make a soup, or to boil pasta or grains, or to add to anything savory you're making where you would add water. increasing the life of your veggies. sweet.

mushrooms and greens

2011-03-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

i went to the H-mart again the other day. H-mart is a korean grocery chain. there is probably one near you, if you live in the US. there may not be. but i bet there is some kind of asian market where you can peruse and find things you've never eaten before...

anyway. this time i bought a bunch of greens and a bunch of mushrooms. tat soi is one of my most favorite greens in the world. i ate it first when i worked on my friend margaret's farm near pittsburgh, pa, and she was growing it. it was SO good. so rich and dark and delicious. shiny and dark. spinachy. anyway, yes, i had to buy it when i saw it.

also "chinese celery" which is basically just leafy celery rather than stalky celery.

i also had some cilantro and some pak choi.

one red onion began the pot, i browned it with some coconut oil and salt. then i added ginger, water, red chili powder, palm sugar, tamari sauce, garlic, and the greens, all chopped up. i also put in shiritake noodles, which are made from yams and are delicious and weird.

i bought a bunch of mushrooms, so i put them in, too.

also, i had gotten these "soy puffs" to try. they're like, puffed tofu. i threw them in the pot, too.

in my bowl, i put a dash of each umeboshi vinegar and toasted sesame oil, and sprinkled on some nutritional yeast, because i love nutritional yeast.

deeeelicious.

pistachio truffles

2011-03-13T16:12:00.001-07:00

DSCN1766, originally uploaded by jacquelinedandelion.

My newest batch of chocolates, pistachio-rose with dark chocolate shell, and white-chocolate pistachio with dark chocolate lace.

ingredients in random order: pistachios (roasted, unsalted), coconut palm sugar, coconut oil, sea salt, cocoa butter, bourbon vanilla extract, coconut milk, dark chocolate, rose water, rose petals

they are so very creamy and flavorful, i'm proud of them! vegan white chocolate is coming along! no soy, either. chocolate-making is delightful. today, i'll be working on finishing the other flavors i began last night, coconut-oolong, and korean-red-chili, and i make make some separate red chili candy that is not chocolatey, just delicious and spicy sweet. candy candy candy.

Sesame Leaf

2011-03-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

At the asian market the other day, I bought sesame leaves. Having never seen a leaf from the plant on which sesame seeds grow, I assumed this was it. It even had a faint sesame-spinachy smell. The smell must have been psycho-somatically induced, however, as korean sesame leaves are actually perilla, and have nothing to do with the sesame seed plant.

I was curious what sesame seed plants look like, and i found this sweet picture of the plants being bundled so the seeds may dry for harvesting:

Perilla is an herb, apparently the Korean variety is called Sesame Leaf, while the Japanese variety is known as Shiso. I had Shiso in my garden a few years ago as the farm I had worked on grew a whole bunch to sell as a gourmet spice at farmers' markets. I took a couple of seedlings.

Red shiso is used in pickling, and its what gives pickled ginger its lovely pink hue. I have eaten it in many recipes.

For this bunch of Sesame Leaf, I'm planning to add into the epic veggie broth I'll be stirring up this weekend. I might save a bunch of leaves to do this with:

(recipe found here)

Kkaetip saengjeoli:

Rinse 100 grams of sesame leaves.

Prepare seasoning (yangnyeom), consisting of
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. gochugaru
2 pods green chili, chopped
3 pods red chili, chopped
1/4 medium western onion, minced
1/2 spring onion, sliced crosswise in small pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 finger ginger, minced

Layer leaves and allow to marinate briefly.

Serve as side dish (banchan).

although I'll substitute tamari for soy sauce, and possibly add a dash of ume vinegar and probably lemon juice as i love that sort of tang.

(image found here, which has more recipes that look awesome.)

yum.

Master Cleansing; purification ritual

2011-03-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

cleansing experience and purification tips.

I'm currently in day 8 of the master cleanse. I have been doing this internal cleaning since i was about 17. Back then, when i ate a pretty standard american diet, I needed it bad. It was a lot more intense, with a strong detox effect at least one of the days, usually the 3rd and 4th day. I would get light headed and confused, unable to connect my thoughts very well. That would pass and towards the end of the cleanse, I would become so clear and energetic, rejuvenated.

since for the last 3 and a half years, i've followed this dairy- and gluten-free diet, maybe i'm not as dirty on the inside. At times over the course of this new lifestyle, i've been more or less clean, depending on whether i was choosing to or not to consume sugars, caffeine, non-glutenous grains, alcohol, and meats. I wanted to cleanse recently as I had been smoking cigarettes, eating sugar and fried foods often, and over-indulging in alcohol which led me to more poor food choices. (I ate PIZZA! ergh! i don't even like pizza!) I was feeling bad. physically sluggish and inflamed, exhausted. So, i decided to use the cleanse as my gateway to the radiant health I have known before. On day 8, it seems to be working. I'm enjoying the clarity of sobriety and mornings without caffeine. Stretching and yoga asanas have become a daily routine, as well as light meditation. AND i can't wait to eat clean, nourishing foods when I am finished. I prepared a batch of kimchi for when i'm done, and I have plenty of veggie scraps for broth.

I drank a lot of tea during this cleanse, as well as incorporating coconut water a couple of times. i had one foggy day- the 2nd day, and it was just in the evening. i was spacey. Since then i've felt pretty normal. Clear. My sleep has been better. The one thing that has been going on is a lot of muscle soreness, though. There are insane knots in my shoulders, my glutes are sore, and my mid-back has been bothering me so much! i feel like I can't do anything for more than 10-15 minutes before i'm uncomfortable.

on the cleanse, your tongue turns white

or yellow.

but then, it clears.

advice:

if you're using smooth move, make sure you take it 10-12 hours before you need to leave the house in the morning, as you do not want to be out in your car or walking or public transportation and have that urge. if you use salt water, I don't know what to tell you. that stuff makes me feel terrible. but everyone's different.

definitely drink water between cleanse drinks. and herbals tea so you get to have some flavor action and some other nutrients. this also helps you form poop.

you may be inclined to think a lot about food. go for it. you may find yourself obsessing about more healthful things. read about different dietary choices, read recipes! read about radiant health. enjoy planning out the way you will think and feel about the food you will enjoy when you are finished.

smelling other peoples' food can feel like a feast to someone on a cleanse. I find that it is not frustrating at all, and i love smelling what people are cooking. walk into an indian or thai restaurant and smell the air! don't be afraid to sit with friends who are eating. you'll be fine.

PURIFICATION, beyond the master cleanse

to enhance your rejuvenation, and come out feeling pure and fresh, i suggest you perform some rituals for yourself.

-take baths. assuming you enjoy them. cleansing is a time to pamper your physical self. adding epsom salts helps pull toxins, so its physically helpful, too. i have been adding patchouli-mint salts to my baths, which make me feel grounded and refreshed.

-clean your environment! get rid of anything that isn't serving you. anything you don't LOVE or put to use *frequently* is junk. clean your windows and kitchen and bathroom, get the air circulating! even if its cold out, open the window wide for a moment to replace stagnant air with fresh, clean air.

-sit comfortably in comfortable clothing that you love. put on any jewelry or other adornments which make you feel powerful or special. birds and feathers, snakes and skins, are good totems to have around you for the energy of rejuvenation. stones such as quartz, rose quartz, and amethyst will give you more healing, cleansing energy. light candles with intention.
visualize the changes you want to make. take time to list on paper or in your mind the things you are leaving behind and the things you are moving towards. picture yourself in the situations you want to create for yourself. imagine radiant health, what that looks, feels, and tastes like. spend a few moments focused on your breathing, breathing out the old, breathing in the new.

-exfoliate!!! use a dry brush and/or a salt scrub. dry brushing also increases lymph circulation, therefore stimulating MORE internal cleansing! sweet.

-smudge your home and your body with a sage bundle. I suggest doing this at the very end of the cleanse, in the evening of your last full day of it, before the day you plan to break it. Smudging purifies the energy around you, dispelling stale stuff and cleansing everything. its a powerful feeling, walking into an environment that has been cleansed this way. get all the corners and closets and under the bed!

enjoy the time. pamper yourself. get enough rest. get some light exercise in every day, like stretching, dancing, yoga, walking, galavating, etc. make sure to spend time in nature. happy cleansing <3<3 jackie

holiday delights

2010-12-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

2 years ago i made vegan chocolate truffles, and they were DEElicious. i'm going to make some this year, and i'm thinking about flavors.

in the past, the flavors i made were:

peanut butter
pumpkin spice (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, mace)
curry-lime
chili-hibiscus

and they were delicious.

i used dagoba baking chocolate as well as some ghirardelli chips, and for the inside of all the truffles, i mixed the melted chocolate with cocoa butter, coconut milk, coconut butter, and the flavorings. i mixed them over the stove in a double-boiler, then put them in the fridge once they were uniformly mixed. when they cooled, the texture was like modeling clay. i used a melon baller to scoop out circles, then used a wooden skewer to dip each one into melted plain dark chocolate. i dusted each one with appropriate spices or decorated it with little dried bits of the ingredients.

anyway. this year i'm thinking of making more intricate little guys. like making a creme or something to put in the center with the chocolate instead of just blending the flavors in with the chocolate, like putting actual penanut butter on a bit of chocolate instead of blending the two. so you bite in and see peanut butter and chocolate. am i being redundant? i aim for clarity through this foggy mind of mine right now. i'm going through nicotine withdrawal. please forgive me.

so flavors i was thinking about maybe:

raspberry, using raspberry preserves

mint (maybe with a cream?)

peanut butter and honey

vanilla + sea salt

eh? eh? sounding good? i'm not sure yet.
also i think im making these for new years rather than christmas

oooh also maybe some liquors? a local place makes these champagne truffles that are SO damn good... i wonder how they do that. i want to do that!

maybe some with this lambrusco i bought a case of...

ok, well, we'll see how they turn out! let me know if you have any suggestions! <3

working like a dandelion

2010-09-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

i'm working on a real website! i can be so scattered and silly about these things.

this one blog is difficult to maintain because i set a parameter around making this a food/health/garden blog. but i also like to make pretty things and sing and dance and party and travel and space out and wonder and wander, and i want to tell you about all those things, too! the other hard part is my lack of design skills. my craftswomanship is very simple. i have grand visions, but a tough time with the execution of it all. anyway. it isn't quite ready yet, but it may not be for awhile, so if you'd like to have a gander, mosey on.

late august garden update

2010-08-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

so summer is falling down and its been raining for 4 days. i can't believe its almost over. this transition, summer into autumn, is my least favorite time of year. it makes my heart sink. all i can think about is making some big change in my life to keep me occupied enough not to fall prey to the sadness. the dreary-time-of-year deep blues. i better stock up on vitamin D supplements while i have an income. i'm already thinking of jumping off the deep end and moving to an unfamiliar place...

anyway. the garden is just becoming abundant. here and there i had little harvests, but now there are real meals going on. and soon it will be even more plentiful! there are so many big green tomatoes about to turn, and about a dozen cucumbers almost done plumping. the corn, oh, the corn! its not ready yet, but its got ears! and hair! like a real baby! i love my corn babies. i can't wait to partake in their delicious! here are some pictures:

the whole darn thing

nature's candy, sugar cherry tomatoes, everyones' favorite snack.

flamingo peppers... i'm not sure if they're done maturing so i let them get a little older for now...

the flowering bloody butcher corn, so pretty!

ground cherries. of the cossack pineapple variety. these things are so amazing. nutty and sweet and tangy and buttery almost... they're so odd and delicious!!! yum. and prolific plants, man.

sugar snap peas and muskmelon leaves... i can't wait for the melons!!!

there a lots more garden pics on flickr- cayenne pepper, 5-color peppers, more corn pics, broccoli, and such if it fancies you to look at growing things.

love

summer salad

2010-08-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

i do not like lettuce. only butter/boston/bibb lettuce that is green and watery and not bitter at all. i do NOT like bitter lettuce. keep your endives and frisee, you gourmand. give me the sweet stuff.

i like to use herbs as my salad greens, and pea shoots are another fave. anyway. here's an easy, delicious salad to make when peaches are ripe and beautiful heirloom tomatoes are juicy.

cilantro, tomato, avocado, peach, and squeezes of lime+orange juices. that's it.
so good.

i made a small, personal portion and put it in a tortilla wrap, to go.

saucy saucy sauce.

2010-08-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

my girl, disaster, has some garden-happy neighbors. they gave her enough roma tomatoes to fill a shopping basket to the brim. more the microwave-and-takeout type, she kept trying to pawn them off, and i'd have gladly taken them, but she was piqued when i said, SAUCE!

so. we did it!

roma tomatoes are made to be sauce. they are the sauciest saucy tomatoes.
they have nipples, like this:

to remove the skins, you can blanch them (boil in vigorously boiling water for about 30 seconds) and bathe them in cold water, then puncture the peel with a knife and it will slide right off.

"this must be what eyeballs feel like, right when you take them out of a skull and they're still warm." -jenny

after they're peeled, you have to squish them into submission.

it feels really smooshygoobleyucky like, in a fun way.

we sifted the seeds out, lots of them anyway, by using a collander and a sieve.

you end up with this brainy meaty paste and the juice

other ingredients:
garlic (a whole head, if you like it) diced
a large onion, diced
a handful of fresh herbs that you like- i used a whole bunch:
parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, and oregano, and basil, all fresh from my garden, except the oregano.

i used a dash of red wine vinegar and paprika also.

i added chpped parsley and basil to the onions and garlic while browning them in a little cooking oil, with salt, and added the dash of vinegar at this stage also.

add the brains

and the juice

and sizzle it for awhile on low.

jenny made separate sauce. she added canned tomato puree and didnt use the tomato brains from the romas we prepared, just the juice. her sauce was a lot saucier:

she put a little too much crushed red pepper, and it was a spicey spicey sauce. still delicious, just a point to watch for next time.

i ate my sauce with gluten-free corn+quinoa spaghetti, and jenny used some ziti noodles. SOOOOOOOOO YUMMMY!!!!!! i saved the seeds so next year i can plant a giant roma tomato crop and do it again at greater volume. YUM.

simple snack/light meal

2010-07-09T16:32:00.001-07:00

snack, originally uploaded by jacquelinedandelion.

times when i ate gluten and dairy, i would snack on buttered toast or grilled cheese when i was too hungry to cook. now, i make things more like this.

while i toasted a rice tortilla in the toaster, i got all the toppings out. easy peasy.
pea shoots, cilantro pesto (my mom made it earlier, cilantro, pine nuts, salt, olive oil, i think that's it) hummus (store bought) and hot sauce. yum. snack on.

garden update,early july

2010-07-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

so, its easy to see that i planted late as my luscious little growing things are dwarfed by other local gardens. its ok, though, they're growing as well as they can.

cherry tomatoes have green future fruits, a couple of other tomatoes have flowers, as well as the zucchini, cucumbers, and musk melon.

also, my ground cherries have little husk pod things, like tomatillos do. last year, i had to give away my plants when i moved out of my apartment in august, and i gave away my ground cherries, which were assumed to be tomatillos and were consumed as such. so, i'm not sure what to expect from them. they're called pineapple ground cherries, so i assumed they would resemble one of those fruits in taste....

my brassicas were all chewed up. i pulled two caterpillars (cabbage worm) off two broccoli plants, and four more off the brussels sprouts. i am not sure if they are going to do well, they were pretty eaten up, plus they haven't grown much since i put them in the ground over a month ago... i hope they do. also, caterpillar poop is kind of cool looking, little green balls...

also, every eggplant plant i planted (plant a plant, plantyplants) has major bug bites. the leaves look like lace. i wonder why! i planted all the nightshades together, with aromatic herbs all about, and marigolds as well, with some carrots in between. i read that this was a way to repel the bad bugs. apparently, the eggplants are too delicious for the insects to resist... there is minimal damage to a few tomato leaves, and surprisingly to some basil, too, which i thought was unnatractive to leaf-eaters... apparently not. i hope some eggplants come up anyway, as i planted a variety of colors and shapes, and i just love eating things that look pretty and different. imagine the pretty kebabs! i rubbed all the leaves, hoping to kill any bugs i can't see. fingers crossed it works.

tomorrow, i'll sprinkle them with cayenne and hope that helps, too. i know its good for keeping animals away, not sure about insects... vinegar? does that work? soap? i've heard these things help... anyone? experience?

check out the little baby cornfield bed! there are like a hundred plants in here. 2 types, blue iriquois sweet corn and bloody butcher. i couldnt resist. i hope there will be speckly purple corn in the middle.

love <3

singing a song

2010-06-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

here's a song i wrote while working on my friend's farm (one woman farm) last autumn. (read about it here:bigskydandelion, september 09

let's go to bed like carrots in the ground
carrots in the ground sleep so sound
ooh let's be carrots in the ground

let's go to sleep like weeds under the sea
weeds under the sea swaying in our dreams
ooh let's be weeds under the sea

let's make love like flowers do with bees
flowers and bees make the honey sweet
oh, let's be flowers, let's be bees

let's float along like dandelion seeds
dandelion seeds carried on the breeze
oh, let's be dandelion seeds.

july pie

2010-06-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

july pie, originally uploaded by jacquelinedandelion.

here is a fun, festive, delicious project. it took precious time, but the end product was decadent and well-enjoyed. make this! its fun!

gluten free, vegan, made without sugar. mostly raw. made with so much love.

each layer was put in the food processor (except the garnish layer)

crust: dates, macs, almonds, vanilla bean, himalayan sea salt- pulse quickly, leaving the nuts chunky. use just enough dates to make it stick together.

thick chocolayer: avocado, cacao powder, agave nectar, cayenne (a pinch)- blend until smooth.

thin fruit layer: fresh raspberries, dehydrated watermelon, process well.

extra thin spontaneous layer: fresh mint, agave, lime juice, tiniest bit of fresh ginger, not really necessary, but added a little zing. process well.

creamy layer: coconut milk, lime juice, agave, ground fresh mint- this works well if you keep the coconut oil in the freezer for an hour or so, not to completely freeze it, but make sure its creamy. if your coconut milk separates into clearer watery stuff and cream, just use the cream. process to smooth. break the mint down on its own before adding everything else.

garnish: dehydrated watermelon slices cut into stars with cookie cutters + fresh chocolate mint.

i found it incredibly delicious. i never made anything like this before so i was nervous putting it out there for my friends and family, but the response was almost unanimously in love.

botany of desire

2010-06-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

watch this movie: the botany of desire

featuring michael pollan, narrated by frances mcdormand, this film talks about how certain plants (apples, marijuana, potatoes, tulips) and humans depend upon each other, and manipulate the other to serve its own needs. its really interesting and a fun way to look at the evolution of species. enjoy!

smooth like butter

2010-05-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

there's nothing like butter. since i don't eat bread, either, its not really a big deal. there was a time when i would occasionally treat myself to gluten-free waffles with earth balance or some such not-butter spreads. i always felt weird about it, not being a big fan of soy products. after soy, there's the canola business, which also makes me wonder. canola is a hybridized form of rapeseed, often genetically engineered. these things raise flags. i hate to eat things i feel weird about.

but occasionally you get that hankering. maybe your neighbor gave you a batch of homemade fig jam, or perhaps you've concocted a sensational vegan, gluten-free cornbread, which begs some melty goodness atop. who says we can't all have our toast and butter it, too?

at thanksgiving, i made pumpkin pie and had to find a substitute for the gobs of butter in the recipe. i wanted a delicious crust, and a delicious crust i had! my concoction has passed taste tests on all sorts of butter-begging goodies. it does NOT taste just like butter. but it IS delicious, spreadable, smooth, melty, and SO deliciously satisfying in its own right. and it is super super simple to make, having only two ingredients.

the secret?

coconut oil and nutritional yeast. that is all. i blend it in a food processor and put it back in the coconut oil container. once, i added a little apple cider vinegar, which i found delicious, but my mom disagreed. so, suit yourself.

i just can't keep it to myself, so yummy.

recent drawings + crafts

2010-05-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

things i've been up to

2010-05-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

sunny side, originally uploaded by jacquelinedandelion.

a card i made for the lovely caitie koch before she away'ed to panama. (more cards)

wild mint for smoking, drying on the bureau

all dry

right before i smush my toes in the mucky part. mmmmm.

growing babies! mostly tomatoes. the garden peach variety is doing well! some holy basil, 5 other types of tomatoes, 3 varieties of eggplant (i'm excited for the turkish orange variety)... genovese and lettuce leaf basils, marigolds, white cucumbers, hmmm.... and i guess we'll see what else comes up... its hard in the house, there's no good place for them to get a lot of light. this house has porches on the east and west sides which block sun from the windows, and only tiny windows to the south. also, i am gone 3 or more days a week, so its hard to make sure they're doing well. i give them lots of love while i'm here though. and i send them good vibes from far away. (if you haven't, you must read the secret life of plants)

bigger babies from the first round of planting. tomatoes looking good. summer squash, some flowers (hollyhock and foxglove) and peppers. yeah. they need more sun.

my dad and i have been digging and building, and soon they'll be at home in the ground. fence in progress.

meanwhile i have to move them around the house to catch the light.

i've got designs on this nettle. its surrounded by some kind of mint that looks like chocolate mint but tastes like peppermint. shrug. its delicious.

holes in my moccassins

2010-05-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

we're getting ready to build raised beds at my parents' house this weekend. of the hundred plus seeds i planted, about 10 of them popped up. i work far away for 3 days a week, and i often go down to baltimore or elsewhere on my 4-day weekends, so i only spend random time at my folks' where the plants are. i've got plenty of guilt over being a neglectful plant mom. dense potting soil, mold, lack of enough sunlight, overwatering when wrongly guessing on weather patterns, and simple lack of attention resulted in the poor showing i got this year. i planted a new tray of mostly tomatoes last week, but that one doesnt look that promising either. its hard being rootless and away, and trying to raise up a garden. i may have to buy seedlings at a farm or something. we'll see. anyway. i hope at least the garden peach seeds come up. they are my favorite.

this morning i watched a groundhog eating the tall dandelion stems in the yard. now i know why they're called hogs. that guy ate like a little oinky pig. it was super cute. he was smart to be in our yard. my parents had a fully disturbed dirt yard after building a new house about 5 years ago. they never planted grass, so our yard is all weeds and grass that came in on its own. a lot of wonderful weeds. the groundhog was wiser than i- i wish i collected a bunch of dandelion leaves to eat before my dad mowed this afternoon. i did, however, get to collect a bunch of wild mint leaves, which are drying in my room. i'm planning to smoke them. i haven't smoked cigarettes in about 3 weeks, but i've gone that distance and way more before. i like smoking, i just hate how it makes me feel. so, i'm drying the mint to roll into cigarette papers, for a harmless smoke. mullein and sage are also good herbs for smoking. smoking mullein can actually help reverse lung damage from smoking cigarettes, and can help with asthma and bronchitis. sweet. i haven't seen any mullein growing in this yard, though i do know where i've seen it in past years, so i'll probably bring that into my new smoking habit soon, too. you can smoke most dried leaves, so i may experiment with different blends in the future. for now i'm into the wild mint. i bruised a few leaves and enjoyed them in my sparkling red wine. yum.

i've started carrying a bag in my back pocket for foraging. this encourages me to actually do it more, instead of making mental maps of where i see edible things i recognize. i'd like to go on a weed walk soon, with the Wildman. i went once, when i was ten or so. i think i'd get much more out of it now. also, i'm ordering these books by Samuel Thayer.

i want to start using road kill, not to eat. for craft. preparing small leathers or furs and burying their remains into the soil appeals to me more than to see them decay on the asphalt. this has been a goal for awhile and i'm only baby steps closer. on one drive back from baltimore i kept thinking about stopping for the next big dead bird i found. i always think about doing that while i'm driving, but i'm usually going so fast on the highway that its hard to decide to stop and act with the right timing before it just seems like a silly thing to do. so, but this time, i was prepared. right before i found the big, dead, turkey vulture, i knew i was about to find it. i felt it about to happen, so i actually slowed the car a little before i found it, and pulled over not 20 yards past.

from the safety of my moving vehicle, it seemed like an easy task- go collect feathers! not so, my friend. those feathers don't just pop off their wings. this great bird had to be a recent kill. i had a feeling if i laid my hands on its body, it would have a trace of warmth. i didn't. i was afraid of bugs and bird disease. i pick up feathers all the time, mind you. off of any ground. city, forest, chicken coop. i have hundreds of feathers on my craft desk. but i was spooked a bit. i tugged on some of the outer feathers to no avail. i realized i would need tools in the future, to do this seriously. plastic gloves, for sure. ziplock bags. scissors, perhaps, maybe. this time, i collected a few of the loose feathers that were around it, moved the body from the asphalt to the grass, and gave thanks. the feathers i kept had tiny mites on them. i shook them off and wrapped them in a plastic shopping bag from the floor in my car. i washed them in soap and water when i got home. three very long, brown, striped feathers, and a tiny one.

the other baby step is that i've got an email address for an artist who i know through 2 degrees of separation, who uses furs from roadkill in her work. i'm not exactly sure what to ask her, yet. i'm sure i'll figure that out soon.

anyway. happy spring. eat it all! ramps, field onions, violets, and dandelions!

<3jacquelinep.s. here's a great post on digging up dandelion roots and making dandelion coffee. (what in the wild?!)

april showers of love

2010-04-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

the internet is a crazy place. humans are so interesting and complex. and boring, too. there is such a vast amount of information, colors, ideas, links and connections... somehow we navigate, and each follow some unique path. here are some sights along the way i'd love to share:

my house, by leriverrose

chocolate, oh chocolate. chocolovely love. by now, most people are aware of the beautiful, health-giving properties of this super, indeed, food. cacao, itself, is good for the heart/blood/vessels, is high in antioxidants, has magnesium, iron, and phosphorous, regulates insulin levels, can inhibit cancer growth, and on and on... blah... SO GOOD! EAT YOUR CHOCOLATE!
but wait---- what's in your chocolate? refined sugar? buttermilk solids? soy lecithin? how much chocolate is in your chocolate?
try to eat the darkest chocolate you can find, with the highest quality ingredients. here, i've found it: gnosis chocolate a RAW food chocolate of superior ingredients, chosen carefully by vanessa barg to be the most healthful ingredients, acquired in the most ethical way.
i just received my case of supercounselor bars which are jam-packed with super super foods. tulsi (holy basil) cat's claw, ashwaganda, reishi mushrooms... its a crazy amzing thing. and its delicious. silky and satisfying. i'm going to give them out to some moms i know, for a certain, arbitrary, spring holiday that's on its way.
ps-peep the chocoblog

Delaware Phoenix Absinthe.... i read about this in the recent
edible hudson valley (click and fing the Edible for your community! full of info on farms, restaurants, and other slow-food style projects in your area)...
delaware phoenix absinthe sounds like a beautiful beverage. the second of two versions, "meadow of love" is distilled as such: "The core six herbs are grand wormwood, anise, fennel, roman wormwood, hyssop, and lemon balm in different proportions than the Walton Waters. The seventh herb is violet." (walton waters is the other, more traditional of the two absinthe varieties available. for now, these elixirs are only available locally in NY's hudson valley and some places in NYC (see the website for details) but online ordering seems to be coming soon. I'm going up to Rhinebeck, NY to purchase some. *edit:demand is high, supply is low. still waiting for my taste... artisan wine shop in beacon, ny, will be carrying it in a week or two. i'm excited. now, i'm looking into home-distilling...

erin gleeson keeps a wonderful blog, Let's Be Self-Sufficient, where she has been detailing her backyard chicken coop, home-brewing gluten-free beer (!), making soap, and other such forays. she's supercute and funny, to boot. check it!

much love.

p.s. its prime time for preparing dandelion wine

2010-03-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

sprouted quinoa with ume vinegar, nori, apple, avocado, white radish, leek, dulce, and spring garden greens:mint, arugula, basil, shiso, cilantro, chives....

plus a nasturtium for *zing*

and BAM

sprouted quinoa nori maki
a most delicious meal. raw, vegan, gluten-free, + yum.

the quinoa needs to be sprouted before hand, +everything else is good to go.

february slush and starch

2010-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

i've been eating a lot of gluten-free bagels lately. comfort food. i'm so ready for this winter to be finished!!!

note- this post puts my scattered brain on display.

today i bought smoked sea salt! i'm excited about it. have you tried it? i've never even heard of it, but my local health food store has a wonderful bulk section and so i happened upon it- between the pink himalayan salt, and black volcanic salt. the last time i bought pink salt, it was a long while ago, to put on vegan chocolate truffles. salt + chocolate... yum.

i'm trying to circumnavigate the winter blues- i'm always trying. for my birthday instead of gifts or flowers or anything like that, my mom got me supplements. whew. after researching (very important book and some important health-related websites from which you can search articles on specific ailments gary null, weston a. price, dr.Mercola --- you may find conflicting advice between these sites, as these are all boundary-pushing medical and nutrional experts. practice due diligence and trust your instincts.) i'm taking holy basil, a liquid D3 vitamin, iron, B complex, Essential Fatty Acids, and magnesium. apparently magnesium is really important in depression. I got my supplements from quantum nutrition labs" who make very high quality products.

a bunch of these supplements are liquids. if you take liquid supplements, first see if they can be mixed with other things. if so, a smoothie is certainly the way to go. the EFA's i'm taking are impossible for me to swallow on a spoon. today i made a smoothie with:

* all my liquid supplements
* frozen dark cherries
* banana
* flax
* chia seeds
* maca powder
* a splash of coconut milk
* cranberry juice to cover
* almonds
* dried hibiscus

it was delicious. now i have no excuse not to finish cleaning and rearranging my room, or to deal with my hair emergency.... (i was going for platinum and accidentally turned it blue...)

i'm scattered mentally, physically and psychically right now. 3 days a week i work in the city, 3 days i'm at my folks (1.5 hours away from nyc), 1 day i'm confused about where i'm sleeping.... so there's that. there's my winter blues to contend with. i want to share with you my favorite foods, but i'm not eating them right now! most days, i'm eating bananas+dried fruit+nuts or g-f bagels or toast with coconut oil in the morning, with coffee! i eat jalepeno potato chips and a v-8 on the train, and i snack on fruits and nuts all day. today i had french fries. the other night a weird lentil soup at an italian place while all my cousins ate pizza... sushi 2 or 3 times last week. i'm just not that creative at eating right now. but i think its coming soon! i've got an income now, and the supplements should help. so. see you soon! with lovely food!

<3

a midwinter night's dream

2010-02-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

this is a glimpse of a summertime spread. i worked at this farm for 2 spring months months, and would go back every couple of weeks and harvest summer groceries. mmm. plus eggs with bright, orangey yolks, and bouquets of flowers for the house. good times.

this winter has been full of starchy, sticky foods, for me. this picture is to help me remember what i love about food! soon it will be growing season and i will quit this hibernation diet.

food love; origins and the way i do.

2010-01-28T00:39:00.000-08:00

i absolutely love food and derive so much pleasure from it! people are skeptical of this sometimes, given the current state of the (aptly acronymed) Standard American Diet and my deviation from it. since this is my first post here, i'll let you know what you can expect here. also, i'm going to talk about how i got to this point and who i am as an experiencer of foods. get ready, it's a long story.

After a 5-month kidney problem (at age 24, my second kidney stones, which became impacted, blocking the flow of urine from my left kidney, causing back-up and kidney failure and damage) resulting in sepsis, rheumatic fever, and sugery, i never wanted to feel so sick again. i was raised to be skeptical of western medical practices, but i keep an open mind. through this ordeal my distrust was reaffirmed as i cycled through the horrors of the health care options available to an uninsured person. i realized that it was in my hands to find ways to keep myself healthy.

ok, you got me, i already had an alternative health bent, being a licensed massage therapist, and growing up with a mother who is a nurse as well as a practitioner of various holistic health modalities. i always knew about nutrition as medicine, and i ate healthfully, i thought.

after the surgery, i was ill and bed-bound for about a week with the after-effects of the anesthesia. my mom made an appointment for me to see this woman, nolini, who was visiting her yoga studio from new mexico. nolini did this intense bodywork/breathwork/meditation thing- i've never experienced anything else like it. for about an hour, i breathed the deepest, most forceful breaths that i could, while nolini chanted, stimulated lymph nodes and energetic points in my body, shook rattles, used lights and prayers all around me. it was spacey, cosmic, and healing. that session definitely exorcised the lingering cloudiness i'd been stuck in, and when it was over, there was more. she asked me about my diet. through muscle testing, nolini told me my body would prefer if i would cease to feed it gluten, dairy, and sugar. whoa! she said, try it for a week. ok.

at this point, i had felt such extreme pain in my body during the 5 months when i was so sick, that all i wanted was to feel good, better than i ever had, and i was willing. i had already given up meat, once as a teenager for about 6 years, and again a few months before this. so i figured, i was up for the challenge.

it was halloween the day after i began. Halloween! there was candy all over the place! but i had made a commitment to myself, and i stuck with it. before the week was over, i had an appointment with Dr.J, an ayurvedic doctor who had helped me with some extreme depression a few years prior. Dr.J recommended the exact same changes that nolini had. well, the gluten and dairy, and he had a list of vegetables that i shouldn't consume in excess, because of calcium oxolates which may contribute to more kidney stone formation. and he said i should never eat meat or fish or high protein meals late in the day.

that first week wasn't easy. i could no longer go to any old restaurant, or eat things that had been staples, like cereal and sandwhiches... i ate a ton of potatoes in the beginning. like, multiple times a day. and i was terribly constiptated at first.

but when that week was over, i knew. i knew i was beginning a new chapter of health and well-being in my life. before ten days had passed, i noticed new levels of energy, glowing skin, and this feeling in my lungs, like i had an extra 3 inches to breathe in... it was glorious. i grew up with asthma and allergies. i was always sick as a kid, and i got used to a certain level of illness, believing it was normal, or the way i was supposed to feel. i never knew how good it *could* be, until this change. within the first 6 months, i had easily dropped about 30 lbs. after three more, about 30 more. it wasn't even work! it was the cherry on top!

before:

after:

i must say now, my own words are motivating me. i remember how that felt. at my lowest weight i still had excess to lose, and i thought it would be easy. i've since become a bit more lenient than i was that first year. i don't pay as much attention to the sugar restriction. and i occasionally eat chocolate that i suspect has dairy products in it. i'm close to militant about wheat, but i've allowed a few glutenous things like barley to pass through my lips a few times. that first year, i did yoga regularly and i had very physically demanding jobs. after that year, i moved to baltimore, reduced my physical activity to dancing at parties, and i started drinking a lot more alcohol than i had been. i've gained back probably 15 or so of the pounds i originally lost (nearly 3 years later) and i'd like to go back down, and pass my old lowest weight on the way to my ideal weight.

anyway. changing my eating habits changed my life. i became enamoured with vegetables, which led me to apprentice on an organic farm. what an amazing experience, watching thousands of tiny seeds grow, magically, into vegetables... and learning about vegetable origins and cultivation techniques... my brain was completely cracked open and i felt more empowered with this knowledge than anything i'd ever learned before, besides, maybe reading. it was almost a spiritual awakening. this first experience led me to an obsessive gathering of seeds, planting over 200 seedlings in baltimore for myself and others, my first ever container garden, and traveling some of this enormous country through WWOOF.... i worked on 4 or 5 farms on that trip, and went as far south as miami, and as far west (from the east coast) as chicago. lucky me!!! i'm sure this new part of me will continue to lead my life in interesting directions.

i've dabbled in eating raw. there are a lot of things i love that, raw, don't suit my kidney issues. for instance, dark, leafy greens hold a ton of calicium oxolates unless they are cooked down. weird, right? when else are you told to cook the hell out of greens? but i'm inspired by raw cuisine and DO think most of us should be consuming a much higher percentage of raw foods.

i've cut out almost all processed foods, and process my own meals from whole ingredients. some exceptions are nut milks (i make my own when i'm motivated to) and occasional gluten-free baked items (though i don't prefer to eat this way, its more of a comfort food thing i've recently picked up. may be a problem)i think grains should be very limited, and ideally all consumed grains will be of the very dark variety (black, purple, or wild rice, red quinoa... )

while i don't eat meat or poultry, i do eat fish and eggs when i feel like it. poultry and meat are not at all appetizing for me (except for bacon, but i control the temptation) nor do i condone the industry. I don't condone large-scale fishing or mainstream egg production, either. my deciding to eat eggs again came from working with pastured laying hens and appreciating the rich, golden yolks they made. i was hooked. fish, well, i have a (possibly abnormal, definitely extreme) association with the ocean. maybe i was a coastal fisher in a past life. maybe i was a mermaid. i'm not sure. but i derive so much pleasure from seafood, that it feels unhealthy to restrict my consumption. that said, i avoid fish with high mercury content which also tend to be large and over-fished and whose catching threatens dolphins, so that works... i try to eat fresh, locally-caught fish wherever i am, and my consumption averages once a week or less.

ethically, i oppose consumption of animal products. health-wise, i believe every body is different and some people may need this type of protein. i'm undecided on it, though. for me, i know less is better.

oh! AND- i'm totally NOT down with the high consumption of soy products. i don't think there's anything wrong with a little tofu here and there, but i've known former dairy-consumers who replace the 6 to 8 glasses of milk they were brought up to believe they should drink with soy milk, their butter with "earth" or "smart" spreads, their meat with soy-meat, etc and on... i do not condone this style of change. i believe soy should be consumed in extreme moderation, if at all, and vegetables and fruit should take center stage in a healthy way of eating.

anyway. so, that's how i eat. no gluten or dairy, low on refined forms of sugar, up with whole food ingredients, down with packaged processed foods, down with any product ingredients i can't identify. up with veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds.

and way way up with delicious!!! it *was* a struggle at first, but it has become such a pleasure to eat this way. also, the more i learn, the more i can actually live by the hippocratic ideal "let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."

coming attractions:

raw chocolate-creme pie for 4th of july:

raw, sprouted-quinoa nori-maki:

most, if not all, of the recipes i share will be vegan, gluten free, and sugar free. many will be raw. i will probably create a future post about sweeteners, but i will say now that agave nectar and stevia are superstars for a sweet tooth with a sugar problem.

i've been learning more and more about herbs, foraging, correcting imbalances and dis-ease through nutrition, and on... these gleanings, as well as delicious recipes and musings of food experiences, are what i would like to share with you, my dear reader. and i hope you will share your experience and knowlege with me, in turn. so, begins this journey!