Grilled Summer Squash Salad

      We are nearing the end of a rather wonderful summer here in the northeast of the United States. My husband and I have enjoyed our new eating habits, and I especially am enjoying dropping TWO skirt sizes as many months! Unfortunately, the wonderful fresh summer veg wont be available for much longer, so we are making good use of it while we can. This week we picked up a beautiful assortment of winter squashes, two of which I have never tried before. I made a delightful (and delicious!) Roasted veg and kale soup, I will be making it again and will post about it when I do! Today's recipe though, is a good way to enjoy the last of the summer squash,

     Grilled summer squash salad, YUM! I had a couple of squashes that needed using up, and I was bored with the usual sauteing of them. So I had Hubby get the Foreman grill out (one of his most favorite Christmas gifts of all time!) and heat it up. I Brushed slices of squash and green pepper with a little EVOO, then sprinkled with garlic powder and s&p. Grilled until seared and served up on a bed of fresh greens and cherry tomatoes, healthy eating can be soooo good!       Today is a very "fall" day though,,, cloudy, cool, with a thunderstorm moving in. I think I will take a nice hot bath then roast a chicken for dinner, and work on some granny squares,,,, I am almost done enough granny squares for the bedspread I am making of Irish roses, I can't wait to see how it turns out and show you! Have a good night, and God bless~

Leftovers: Bean "Burgers"

     On Monday, I decided that to go with our salad (we have been having large salads on Sundays or Mondays, as we only shop at farm stands once a week, and the greens are best within the first 48hrs) I would use the leftover refried beans to make bean "burger". They came out WONDERFUL! Veggie burgers are a favorite around here, but I do not buy them pre made, we avoid soy as much as possible and its hard to find that type of "meat substitute" without it. Try making your own sometime, there are plenty of great recipies to be found online! Or be like me and just experiment:)
     Here's what I did:  I Peeled three small carrots and tossed them into my food processor, added 1/4 of an onion and 1/2 of a green pepper and zipped them through until they were minced pretty fine.

To them I added an egg, a few handfuls of rolled oats and what was left of the refried beans, and some salt, then zipped again. It was a little wet, so I added a little more oats and a homemade bread roll, that made the mixture less of a batter and more of a "dough", which is what I wanted.

I then let the mixture sit for a few minutes while I washed the greens, to give the oats a time to absorb any excess moisture from the veg.

I divided the mixture into four patties on a foil lined baking sheet that was generously oiled with EVOO. I then gently basted the top with some more oil, to encourage browning. I popped them in the oven at 375' for about 20 min, until they had firmed up, I flipped them over and baked for about 10 min more.

       You can serve these on a bun with the sauce of your choice and some nice sharp cheddar, or, "meatloaf" style like I did. My Husband loved these, and made me promise to make them again! The oats gave them a nice texture while the green pepper added a nice aromatice flavor.
      Sorry I didn't give exact amounts, but this is how I cook most of the time, I just make things up as I go along. I have come up with some of our best meals that way! So don't be afraid to put your own spin on things and be creative!

Healthy food and Politics,

     Why is it we keep hearing stories (if you pay attention to such things) about stores and co-ops that sell healthy food being raided, sometimes even by armed police? I'm sorry, I may have been asleep at the wheel here, but when did natural, fresh, organic, and raw become illegal? Who has a problem with us eating food the way God himself wanted us to eat it, un-fiddled with? When did Amish dairy men become criminals and fresh from the cow milk become an illegal substance???
     These are all questions I have been pondering on my path towards eating more real foods. For the longest time I pondered it on the sidelines. My husband and I have a dream of homesteading someday, of raising our own food. But at this point it is still a dream. It was only recently, after watching yet another documentary on food, that we came to realize we can't wait until we "someday" to start eating better. After all, just looking at the collective health of western "civilization" is enough to convince any logical person that there is something very wrong here. Even children are falling sick to illnesses that in a more natural lifestyle would rarely effect adults. I think its worth at least a little consideration. After all, God designed our bodies to eat a certain way, who are we to say that we can come up with something better?
     So, if you, like me, are interested in the politics of REAL food, here is a video for you to watch and ponder,

    This is in Cali, I wonder when they will start picking on the local farm stands here?

     Here is today's haul. We now shop at three different farm stands, all within a short distance from where we live. I am super excited to have found a place to buy RAW milk. If you have been brought up thinking that raw milk is akin to poison, I suggest you visit here, and then do some research on your own. There is absolutely nothing to fear when it comes to milk from healthy, naturally raised cow. In fact, the milk is more nutritious than anything they sell in a regular grocery store. This milk is from Guernsey cows that live very near here. I can't wait to try out the Angus beef and milk fed pork products soon! I love that the stand where we bought the milk and lettuce from had an "honor" pay system, which was a basket by the door:) I have a feeling that kind of thing wont last too much longer in this world, but it warms my heart when I still see it once in a while.
     Anyway, I had better get off here, have to go make a grilled summer squash salad with cherry tomato's and purple sweet pepper:) God bless you friend!

New England Boiled Dinner

     We have been visiting local farm stands lately, in our quest to eat fresher and local. We are also trying to eat as many fruit and veg as we can, as its a key to healthy living. So this weeks menu so far has been -Monday, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potato and minute steaks. Tuesday, a DELICIOUS Greek green bean salad, the recipe found here, Last night's dinner was fresh corn on the cob, and tonight, new england boiled dinner!

     All local vegetables! In Maine, we don't have a long growing season, so the local veg are limited to plain and ordinary "peasant" foods. Potato's, carrots, cabbage, turnip, beans, broccoli,,,,,, So when looking for recipes for these types of foods, its best to look for classic, traditional recipes. In days gone by, farm wives used what they had and could grow. In today's world, most of what they ate would be considered boring, but that is far from the truth, it is delicious, and often most importantly nutritious! Women didn't have the time to fluff about with extra culinary foolery. They had TOO much else to do since everything was done by hand. The tried and true one pot stews, soups, and casseroles have hung around for so long because they are not only EASY "from scratch" cooking, but also some of the most comforting of home cooked meals. Meals Grandma and Mom made.
     So tonight I'm scrubbing up a bunch of veg and tossing it into a pot with some lightly salted water. If you have never made a boiled dinner, you don't know what you are missing! If you can boil water, you can make this!
     Ingredients,
                  Veg,(some or all of these can be used)
                        Potatoes (leave peels on for extra nutrition) carrots, turnips, rutabaga, onion,
               parsnips, cabbage.
                   Meat : You can use the traditional corned beef or large bone in ham, or you can use smoked sausage, polish sausage, or, like I am using tonight, all beef hot dogs.
     If you are using ham or corned beef, you don't need to add salt to the water, as the meat will add plenty of flavor to the broth and veg.

     If using ham or corned beef, place in the bottom of the pot, add water and simmer according to directions for weight,,,, about an hour before the meat will be done add all the veg except the cabbage and cover with more hot water, bring to boil and simmer for about an hour more, until veg are tender. Add quartered (or eighths if large) cabbage and cook until tender, about 15 more min. If you decide to use sausage, add it with the cabbage so that it gets heated through but not over cooked.
     To serve, scoop out meat and veg onto a platter, serve with plenty of butter and pepper and some mustard for the meat. SAVE the broth, you can use it the next day to make a wicked good soup with the leftovers. Don't worry if you don't have leftover meat, just add some beans (canned or pre-cooked) of any variety and serve with crusty bread. Them theres some good eats!
                

Spaghetti (squash) and veggie sauce for dinner!

Photo: © Ann Stratton
Woman's Day. com

      After watching Food Matters, a documentary about how vitamin deficiency might be the cause of all sorts diseases and sicknesses, we have decided to up our veggie intake, especially raw fruit and veg. I believe that the lackluster American diet that is so filled with refined carbs, corn syrup, battery raised meats and cheeses and oh so few fresh fruit and veg is very much responsible for a whole host of ailments that plague this world. I mean, honestly, how many people these days eat plant based diets?. I can't tell you how many of my friends and family eat less than 2 servings of fruit or veg a day, and THOSE are canned, or processed. Even if people try and make the right choices and buy fresh fruit and veg from the produce section, these items are probably weeks old, very low in flavor and much lower in vitamins than they should/could be. It is a HIGHLY interesting documentary, and has inspired my husband and I into really putting more effort into our health.
     So this week we have been consuming vast amounts of fruit and veg from a farm stand and local grocery. Mmmm, sweet corn, fresh green beans, big bowls of cantaloupe and watermelon for breakfast, lovely! I also picked up a spaghetti squash, which I haven't had since I was a child. I steamed it in a little simmering water for about 30 min and had it with some simple Hunts (its too hot for complicated cooking this month) sauce and lots of parmesan! Oh so good!
     So, NOW is the time, if you don't have a garden like me then get out and find a local farm stand or market and get your five a day! Or better yet, get TEN a day! Here's to health!