stop the mail chatter

A friend & I were talking about the whole excess catalog issue today (other topics were discussed. But what happens at the coffee shop, stays at the coffee shop!) Not only am I drawn to spend more money when these glossy marketing mavins grace my mailbox but the recycle bin becomes too heavy to get to the curb. Yes, I have not been to the gym lately but come on.

You may remember my inital efforts to stop the multiple catalog madness. And now all but a trickle of catalogs remain in the post. For full discolure though, I admit to have a stash of the old ones in case of emergency. And frankly, with the internet, they haven't really been missed.

Currently I am working on expelling the last of the tenacious little buggers. Feel free to join me in a little precycling by visiting the above sites. (if I did the whole techno-link thingy right)

cup o joe

Synergy. That's all I can say. I am the lucky recipient of a collaboration between weather, illness & a chance encounter. Does this sound intriguing or just downright depressing? Well, while you think about it let me explain.

My little one, Elise, has been running a fever for a full 24 hours. Never fun, right? But behold the power of Motrin (the cvs brand, folks. I do stay informed about recalls)) & on demand movies. So that is under control. At least for the moment.

The weather happens to generate an inner dialogue (global warming anyone?) with all it's blustery frigidness & now the rain. But again coupled with a "under the weather" kid, I get a pass to stay in pjs all day, do laundry & catch up on my dvr-ed shows.

Now for the key ingredient. The reason for finding myself delighted in the face of a not so ideal situation. Coffee. Not just the random bag stuffed at the back of my freezer in case of brain fog or general malaise. This elixir came from a fragrant brown bag of glossy whole beans on offer at the headhouse farmer's market.

I was lucky enough to visit the market this past sunday, mom's day. My stop at the coffee stand was really by gravitation pull. I was in line to acquire a couple of loaves of bread from Wild Flour Bakery. The asiago cheese & sundried tomato polenta loaf is amazing! It went perfect with our free range london broil & local asparagus. Oh & the salad greens from our garden (let's hope everything in my garden grows as beautifully!) Bonus my husband cooked it all!!

But back on subject. The recycled brown bags of Joe's coffee stood shoulder to shoulder waiting to be deployed into service. Not only did I walk away with a cup of freshly roasted deliciousness but also a bag of El Salvador & even Market Day canele. It just kept getting better. Joe's coffee is organic, fair trade and sustainable with minimal compost-able packaging. And the taste. mmmmmm, mmmm. The simple pack states "floral, chocolate frangrance & honey". I say heaven!

So even though I miss the cast of characters & lively conversation in my local coffee shop, I am just fine. Sitting here warming my hands on my favorite mug of joe.

bounty of green

There ain't nothing like a salad from your very own garden! Dressed with a good olive oil & balsamic, freshly grated cheese & homemade croutons. Yeah, it was that good. Plenty to share!

ps. mouthwatering pictures by a very cool friend! Thanks!!

knowledge is power

Just back from a jaunt to my local library. Very fruitful trip. Books & the words in them feed my soul almost as well as a meal cooked with love. I typically like to own the book I'm reading. Not sure why exactly, maybe it's the feeling of seeing all I have read on my bookshelves or to be able to lend my most recent favorite to a friend. Hmmm, let's put the inner workings of my brain aside, otherwise we could be here awhile.

So, I borrowed an armful of books (one of the R's by the by- reuse) & put a copy of FOOD, INC. on hold. The books are for my bedstand (check it out over yonder->) or if I'm really lucky (mother's day is coming) an afternoon spent in the hammock. Just the thought of luxuriating under the shade of my big oak tree relaxed my shoulders a bit. Ah.

FOOD, INC. by the way, is a life changing documentary. I had the opportunity to watch it last night with a like minded friend. We were both moved to tears at one point & had to cover our eyes several other times. If you were like me & procrastinating the sit down with this eye opener, I totally get it. I also realize I'm not motivating you any better, yet. But hold on...in the end this movie is all about the power. Not the power only 4 meatpacking companies have over virtually all of us in the U.S. but the power we, as consumers, have over our food chain. It was truly inspiring to know that I get to vote "three times a day" with "every bite". In the end, I came away with a more clear sense of mission. A connecting-of-the-dots happened in this visually rich hour & a half I hadn't grasped until last night. So,watch out big business, there is a food revolution coming to town & I am a card carrying member!

in search of taste

Well, I did it. I actually got my sleepy self out of bed this morning & went to, not one, but two farmers markets. And if we are being honest here, I was a bit like a kid on Christmas morning. I kept peeking at the alarm clock every 15 to 20 minutes. Crazy right? All in the search of the perfect tomato plant.

I even had a co-pilot for my mission, William. He was just as excited to go as I. A little suspicious, I'll admit. But promises were made for no whining & plenty of patience and off we went. Upon our arrival, I discovered the reason for my sons enthusiasm...all the immediate pleasures on offer. Soft pretzels, cider donuts, kettle korn & his favorite, peach cider. Yup, I am that kind of mom. I let him have his fill of the bounty. It was just he & I and not a whimper of complaint. Definitely liked being the yes woman for once.

Ok, so back to my enthusiasm. The promise of juicy, jersey tomatoes, tart rhubarb & fresh herbs danced in my head. The morning was bright & full of promise. I was downright gleeful. And we found "Ramapo" tomatoes. Not the fancy heirloom plants I had hoped for but something all together better.

See unless you had a grandpa or aunt saving the seeds of their harvest to plant new tomatoes year in & out, true jersey tomatoes have been a dying breed. They have been hy-breed & otherwise tinkered with to hold up during shipping & handling. And if you remember driving home from the beach all hot & sandy (wave your shoobie flag proud!), there was usually a stop at one of the markets to pick up corn & tomatoes. No way was I allowed to hold the precious cargo either. True jersey tomatoes have very thin skin and juice to spare. You can actually leave a fingerprint on 'em when they are perfectly ripe.

So lucky for my kids (& their kids) Rutgers NJAES (NJ Agricultural Experiment Station) decided it was high time for these tasty beauties to make their return. Not sure if they found the elusive seeds ( my hope) or did their own tinkering. But it worked. The market was brimming with plants of all kind and the Ramapo tomato was highlighted thru out. Very cool to see. I'm hoping to be part of the authentic jersey tomato comeback. Send all you green thumb energy my way, I'm going to need it!