Radical Home Economics

A great little video about two very down to earth homesteaders in LA

"You just start with one thing that really calls you. And usually in the course of learning how to do that one thing you will be attracted to something that's related to it. Because these things tend to pile on top of each other; they're all linked in some way"
http://www.upworthy.com/see-how-one-couple-in-los-angeles-squeezes-an-entire-farm-into-a-small-city-home?c=ufb1

Arsenic in Chicken Feed

A horrifying article about the control the FDA has on information in the States.
http://intellihub.com/2013/07/21/fda-finally-admits-chicken-meat-contains-cancer-causing-arsenic/
Not sure if it's the same in Canada but man, it's better to be safe than sorry. I try to eat organic meats as much as I can and boy, has this given me another reason to do so! Read up!

First Garden Filled Hearty Salad!

My first pickins!

From left to right top row: bok choy, kale, mustard, chard, radish, arugula.

From left to right bottom row: lovage, chive flowers, arugula flowers.

I made a delicious rice pasta salad after I baked some organic chicken with dijon mustard and fresh cracked black pepper, roasted a red pepper, a yellow pepper, and 2 asian eggplant, and diced them all up. The herbs and greens I cut up nice and fine and yum! Fresh, hearty garden salad!

First homegrown ingredient recipe of the year!

This recipe came out of my organic food box containing magoes, which I haven't eaten in YEARS (my ex was deathly allergic), not much in my fridge because I'm going away for the weekend, and an organic chicken breast sitting in my freezer. Also, my garden's first green onions!

Salad
1.5 cups organic quinoa ( cook 15 mins in 3 cups water–bring to boil then simmer until water is gone)

2 ripe organic mangoes, diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
5 large stalks organic green onion, diced

1 roasted chicken breast in bits (My second only chicken that I've ever cooked in my life! I now only buy hormone-free, nitrate-free, free range, organic chicken.  After being a vegetarian for 10 years, my body has begun to crave meat-based protein and I can't deny it that.  I don't eat meat often, and when I do, I make ethical choices.  One day I know I will have to kill an animal in order to justify eating it's flesh and I'm willing to do that to fully understand the meaning of my choices.  But I know that I can't deny my body what it needs. I cooked this defrosted chicken simply on 375 in my toaster oven for 40 mins with some dijon mustard, salt, and pepper put on before putting it in the oven)

Dressing
5 cloves garlic, minced
1inch piece minced fresh ginger
approx 1/2 cup organic sunflower oil
approx 1/8 cup organic apple cider vinegar
approx 1/8 cup organic white miso paste
approx 1/4 cup mango smoothie (apple, banana, mango)

YUM!!