It’s been raining for several days and showers are expected off and on for the next few days. That means…growing things are really green around here! While it’s too early to do anything in the garden, the redbud flowers are giving way to green leaves and the grass is going strong!
I’ve planted lettuce, spinach and radishes in the raised planters. The tiny plants have survived a few frosts and are still growing. A few sunny days will really help!
In the shop under grow lights, the first few tomatoes popped up several weeks ago. Finally, most of the seeds decided to sprout too.
I also had one sweet potato that I forgot about on the counter…I’m going to try putting it into a big pot to see if it will grow there.
And of course, I thought I’d try some sprouts while I’m waiting to eat fresh lettuce. More about sprouts another time.
April weather is tricky. We’ve had temperatures up in the 70’s and blossoms are bursting out all over. That’s great…except Mother Nature is unpredictable and all those beautiful blossoms could be hit with cold temperatures, frost and even snow in April. Here are a few things we’re working on to get ready for garden season 2023.
The lavender has struggled for two years. I really wanted a row of beautiful lavender (like the pictures of lavender fields in France) that I could dry for my skin care projects. We’ve decided I didn’t get the right variety. Bert has researched our choices and begun getting the row in the garden prepped for new plants. Step one was to dig out the old lavender:
Now when he rototills the garden that row will get turned over well and amended to meet the requirements of the new plants.
The echinacea doesn’t look very exciting yet…but up close we can see the potential!
Bert has the small raised planter ready for my radishes. He added the other two raised planters (up on blocks) for my lettuce and spinach. It’s high enough the roving bunnies won’t find it for lunch.
I’m trying two kinds of radishes. Each section has been planted with exactly 10 seeds so I shouldn’t have to thin them out.
I now have enough planter space to try 5 kinds of lettuce and spinach. The markers aren’t fancy but they should last until the seeds come up.
Our Super Sauce tomato seeds (from Burpee) are now in pots in the shop under grow lights.
While it’s still too early to do much in the garden, the forsythia we planted last summer is surprising us with color. They make me smile! Enjoy!
Spring seems to be sliding quietly into our awareness here in central Pennsylvania. I thought I’d show you a few tiny signs that let me know it’s almost time to celebrate SPRING!
One of the most obvious signs is the green grass and dwindling wood piles. The wood for the shop and the house is visibly reduced. There would have been even less, except Bert had knee surgery a month ago and we’ve depended on electric heat.
Shop wood pile.Wood for the house…half gone.
The raised planter needed some repair work after the wind blew it over and cracked the top section. Bert reinforced the corners and sealed it again. Now it’s ready for the containers of dirt that sit inside.
Up in the garden, the echinacea look pretty dormant…
But up close you can see the new plants venturing out!
Tiny echinacea plants!This row of forsythia doesn’t look very exciting but……it won’t be long until they’ll look really pretty!I cut a few branches and brought them inside a few days ago.They were ready to pop!
These tiny signs give me hope that Spring can’t be far behind!
As a follow-up to my first attempt to cook tofu (https://marykisner.com/cooking-tofu-first-attempt/) I’ll try to adjust a few things to try to produce better cubes of tofu. My advice to myself the last time said: cut bigger cubes, add more seasoning and reduce cooking time. I started by doing a search online about recipes to season tofu. While I found and printed out about 10 recipes, I chose a simple recipe of olive oil and Italian herbs so I could use the seasoned cubes in a salad or even put them in soup.
I started with a block of extra firm tofu:
Next, I got out my tofu press and placed the block of tofu in it. This block was not as firm as the first time and felt “fresher.”
The instructions said to place the tofu block between the two flat inserts in my palm, drop the container over my palm…and then turn it right side up. This keeps the tofu from breaking apart.Pressure being applied.
After 20 minutes the whole block was half as thick and submerged in liquid. I poured off the water and opened the press.
This time I cut the block into larger cubes than the first time.I mixed Italian herbs with olive oil and poured it into the bag of cubes. After gently mixing them up to coat each cube, I put the bag in the refrigerator for 2 hours.Cubes were now soaked with oil and herbs.Into the frying pan with a little more oil.After 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat, the cubes were browned but still soft enough to stab them with a fork.Drained on a paper towel and sprinkled with salt they tasted pretty good right out of the pan!
These cubes are still soft enough to put a fork through them. I think this way of cooking allows me to keep from overcooking them. Now they’re ready to put on a salad or add to soup! Give it a try!
It all seemed so simple! For someone like me, with a not-so-refined palette, the first time I try a new food I depend on the instructions in a recipe to do it right. Adding tofu to my “plant-based” meals seemed like a good idea, even though I’m still including meat and a few eggs in my meals. However, I have no baseline experience about how tofu tastes, how it cooks and even where to buy it in the grocery store! This adventure was a learning experience!
I read a little online about the different kinds of tofu…from silken to extra firm. What I wanted was flavored cubes of tofu that I could put on a salad. It appeared I needed to start with a firm or extra firm block of tofu. Since I really wasn’t interested in figuring out how to press it with a stack of heavy books, I ordered a “tofu press” from Amazon.
Instructions to assemble the press. Looks like Lego instructions!The press, assembled with a block of tofu.
Next, I went to the local health food store to find tofu. They didn’t have any at that moment and said I should go to the grocery store and look in the produce section. Who knew!!
I found several choices high on the shelf above the lettuce and near the wonton wrappers. I took a guess and brought one home.
The package said it was already drained and it was very firm.
I unwrapped the block and put it in the press…even though it said on the package that it had already been drained. At least I could see how the press worked. After 20 minutes or so, there was about a tablespoon of water in the bottom of the press. I dumped out the water and removed the block.
The press came with a little cookbook with a few recipes. The first recipe was for crispy tofu…sounded exactly like what I wanted.
I substituted onion powder for the garlic powder (because I had it and I don’t care for much garlic flavor).
I thought I bought Rice Wine Vinegar…and it turns out I bought Red Wine Vinegar. Oh well. I did have maple syrup and soy sauce. I used olive oil instead of toasted sesame oil. Probably with all these substitutions the tofu won’t taste right.
These were the ingredients I had to work with. I didn’t realize I had no cornstarch in the kitchen, so I raided my soap-making stash to grab the jar of cornstarch.
With all the substitutions, who knows what I’ll end up with!
I cut up the tofu into cubes and tossed them in the bowl with the seasoning oil mixture.I spread them out onto parchment paper and put them in the 400-degree oven.When it was time to flip them over, I realized the parchment paper was useless. It slid right off the pan. I just took it off and finished the baking time.Out of the oven they had shrunk and were sort of crispy but got really hard as they cooled.They really had very little flavor and were so firm I couldn’t get a fork in them.They were sort of like very firm croutons on my salad.
NEXT TIME I will:
Cut bigger cubes
Add more seasoning
Reduce cooking time
I guess I need to read more recipes to figure out the seasoning. Stay tuned for the second attempt to cook tofu!
One of my fondest memories of my mother’s cooking was her baked egg custard. It hit the spot on a cold winter day! For the last several years I didn’t even want to think about custard since eggs and dairy were off limits to me. I now seem to be able to tolerate an occasional egg in my diet, while dairy products are still a problem. Bert was interested in having some custard around now and then so I thought I’d dig out the recipe.
I wasn’t sure if the recipe would work if I used Almond milk so I made two batches…one with 2% milk and the other with almond milk.
Of course, to make this recipe I needed some baking dishes or custard cups. I can’t seem to find the ones I had that has plastic lids…they really helped because I could stack them in the refrigerator. Luckily, Amazon sells them! I ordered two sets last week and now I can make custard!
The picture from Amazon.
Here is the recipe:
The recipe is pretty simple. The first decision was to color coordinate the cups so I would know which ones used my almond milk. I didn’t want to accidently eat the one made with real milk.
I ended up with the real milk custards in the red/orange/yellow cups and my almond milk custard would be in the aqua/navy/white cups.
Next, I had to make sure the 6 cups fit into a cake pan before I filled them with custard.
I whisked the ingredients for the real milk custard in a bowl, transferred it to a 4-cup measuring cup and filled the 6 cups. I sprinkled a little cinnamon/sugar on top of each cup. Then I added hot water to the pan and put it in the preheated oven.
Next I mixed up the dairy-free custard.:
Ingredients for the dairy-free custard.Both pans fit side by side in the oven.
When I took the pans out of the oven, I remembered my dilemma from long ago…how to easily lift the hot cups out of the pan filled with water. When I used regular hot pads, I could not get a good grip on the hot cups. I thought I’d try the silicone hot pads that came with out air fryer. They were perfect! Sort of sticky, they gripped the cups and did not get soggy from the hot water.
The almond milk egg custard came out just fine…yea! Now we both have a special dessert this winter. Give it a try!
February is a month for hope…that Spring will come eventually! It stays light until about 5:30 p.m. and right now, in Pennsylvania, it is a cold 16 degrees with flurries in the air. However, the sun is shining! We’ll take it
Around our yard and garden things are pretty brown, so it’s no wonder the red bird feeder is noticeable!
Yesterday, Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter (of course). It was 13 degrees outside his burrow and his handlers had to work to get him to even come out! Bert has a stuffed groundhog that appears each year to remind us about the rest of the winter. This guy provides a lot of chuckles when Bert takes him along to have a few beers.
Of course, the American Heart Association reminds us to get our hearts checked out this month!
The stores certainly cooperate by giving us many options to celebrate the month of February!
Cards!Candy!Toys!
And around my house, I can add a little red with my Valentine tree:
This year I wanted to give a small gift to my group of High School friends who have been so supportive over the last several months with my health issues. I’ve already shared heart-shaped soaps so I wanted something different.
I came across my collection of fabric-covered button magnets and found I had quite a few that were made with red recycled necktie material. I decided to make a few more so the group had more choices.
I pulled out a red necktie from my stash of neckties to recycle, cut out a few circles, assembled the buttons and glued on a magnet. Now I have enough to share “red” magnets at our next luncheon!
I hope you have some cheerful color around you while you enjoy the last 6 weeks of winter!
Before I get distracted by my next sewing project, I thought I’d share this recipe I tried yesterday. These sweet potato buns were delicious and the sweet potatoes made them nutritious. The recipe came from a website (https://twogreenpeas) that even had pictures of the process.
A few of the instructions weren’t clear to me, so I revised the recipe to suit the way I bake bread. Here is my revised recipe:
The preliminary step for this recipe is to peel, cube, cook, mash and cool a sweet potato. If you’re baking sweet potatoes, do an extra one and you’re good to go.
The original recipe started with making the sponge and then cooking the sweet potato. So, I did that. However, after peeling, cubing, cooking and mashing the sweet potato it was too hot to add to the yeast mixture. It needed 20 minutes in the refrigerator which meant the sponge was left sitting too long.
So, starting from scratch, I recommend you get the mashed sweet potato done first before starting the sponge.
Prepping the Sweet Potato
PeelCubeCookMeasure 1 cup (I had about 1 1/2 cups…just meant a little more flour needed)Mash and cool
Make the Sponge
Flour, yeast, warm waterWait 20 minutesAdd other ingredients to spongeMix 5-7 minutes and add flour as needed to make a ballPlace in an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth to rise.Divide into 16 pieces. Form into balls.Let rise on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.Bake 15 minutes.Delicious!!
The buns could be made larger for sandwiches. It is a delicate bun and might not hold together for a sandwich. Give it a try and let me know! Enjoy!
If reading the extensive research-based book, The China Study, is not interesting or possible for you, I’d like to suggest you watch this 90-minute documentary based on the research from Dr. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. This video weaves the research around the practical stories of a few people who were making important changes in their diets to improve their health.
This video is a comprehensive overview of The China Study research and followed the career paths of Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn. While they had not met before, their professional work supported each other’s research. Dr. Campbell was following the science of a plant-based diet, while Dr. Esselstyn’s work provided the clinical research into heart disease that supported Dr. Campbell’s findings. All of their findings were stronger when they finally discovered how their research supported one another.
This video is offered as part of Prime Video at Amazon or the DVD is available for purchase for $11.39. Your local library may even have a copy to lend.
Cataract Surgery Update
Hopefully, after tomorrow I’ll be able to enjoy reading again. It will take a few days for the eye to clear up after surgery. I’ll finally have 20/20 vision for distance. Then, I’ll have to find the right “cheeter” readers so I can see close up. I can’t wait to get back to all my ongoing projects…from sewing Greyhound coats to experimenting with soap and skin care products. While I couldn’t read books comfortably, I seemed to be able to click on Amazon to order some of the cookbooks to go along with the whole-foods, plant-based eating plan. They have now arrived, so soon I’ll share some of the recipes that worked for me. That’s all for now…I have to be at the medical center at 6:10 tomorrow morning! Yikes! More later!
I apologize for going silent for a week and leaving my ugly mug in view for so long! My new (cataract-free) left eye is now 20/20, but of course the right eye will be worked on next week. Soooo…my vision is a little crazy. I wanted to share some information that I’m rereading about the research into the whole foods plant-based eating plan (as opposed to the label “vegan”) but I can’t really see well enough to write up that description. Since I can type without looking at the keyboard, I’d just like to summarize my thinking about attitudes toward nutrition.
Nutritional advice has shifted back and forth over time from low carb to high carb and balanced diet to restricted diets. It seemed diets were driven by folks who wanted sell books, or supplements or actual food.
Back in the 1960’s you might have recognized names like Adelle Davis who pointed out the harmful hormones and additives in common foods. She felt foods were lacking in nutrition and recommended adding vitamin supplements to the diet. (See her book, “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit”).
Robert Atkins encouraged a low carb diet with unlimited protein and saturated fat. This diet was criticized for putting folks at risk for heart disease.
Around the same time one of the most controversial diet books was published, “Diet for a Small Planet” by Frances Moore Lappe. This book laid out the principles of eating less or no animal products and using plants in a way to combine their nutrients so we had adequate nutrition (expressed as food combining, like beans and rice). Food companies spent a lot of advertising energy proclaiming that we just couldn’t get enough of the right kind of protein on this diet.
At the time, the Standard American Diet was definitely focused on beef, pork and poultry as the base for an adequate diet. This diet was supported by the industrial food growers and manufacturers with subsidies to farmers and advertising to the public (remember the “Where’s the beef?” and “Got Milk?” ads?). Most plant-based crops not designed to be fed to animals were more of a novelty or appropriate for home gardeners. Families choosing to eat less meat were shamed into thinking they were not feeding their children adequate nutrition.
At the time, nutritionists were taught the basic food groups of a good diet (meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruit and starch (bread and potatoes). any diets that deviated from this Standard American Diet were often described by what they did not include: Vegetarian meant no meat but cheese and milk were OK; Vegan meant no meat, no dairy, but dangerous lack of protein.
When I discovered that I was allergic (or very sensitive to) eggs and dairy products, I would say I was a vegan that could eat meat…so I could reassure folks that I could still be healthy.
The China Study
In 2006 I stumbled upon a book describing some major research in the field of nutrition, called The China Study. This research was spearheaded by T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist at Cornell University and his son Thomas M. Campbell, MD.
The research was focused first on animal studies trying to understand the relationship between diet, longevity and cancer. The research team then had the opportunity to use a vast database from China that explored many variables, including the relationship between the intake of animal protein and the incidence of cancer. The detailed results were published in this book, The China Study.
The research presented in this book was very compelling to me. However, at this stage it was difficult to see how it could be implemented…especially in the winter in Pennsylvania. Our garden was under snow. I did not have a greenhouse and I had very little experience cooking with beans or tofu. However, I was thrilled to attend a presentation given by Dr. Campbell at Foxdale village here in State College in 2008 and had him autograph my book!
The researchers in The China Study also partnered with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a noted cardiac surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, who was implementing a diet for his most difficult heart patients that focused on a whole-foods, plant-based eating plan. He was finding the diet worked, even when traditional doctors were still recommending the Standard American Diet. His patients loved him; many of his colleagues didn’t want to hear about his successes!
After reading The China Study 15 years ago (which I found inspiring), I was amazed at the reaction from the government, food industries and nutritional organizations (subsidized by the government and food industries). The revised edition of the book, out in 2016, describes some of the most controversial issues. I could not believe the vitriol being thrown about.
With any research-based book like this, it’s always hard as an individual to figure out how to implement the findings. What should my dinner plate look like if I wanted to follow the suggestions?
Curiously, over the last 15 years, T. Colin Campbell’s wife, daughter and son found ways to define the practical side of the diet. Dr. Esselstyn’s wife and daughter published cookbooks and his son (a firefighter) brought the diet principles into the fire house, creating the Engine 2 Cookbook based on the book and video Forks Over Knives.
Now I realize the language about diet has changed from Vegan (and the foods not allowed) to a Whole-Foods, Plant-based diet (with a more positive image). Both families (Campbell and Esselstyn) transitioned to this way of eating gradually and their younger generation has found a way to champion this way of eating. I find it inspiring!
This afternoon, I’m still uncomfortable trying to read in depth so I’m going to watch the video I have of Forks Over Knives to refresh my memory. As soon as I can actually focus and reread parts of The China Study, I’ll share some of the research. If you’d like to dive into the research yourself, the revised edition is available on Amazon. There are now several cookbooks available that are written by LeAnne Campbell. More about those recipes in the future! Enjoy!
