See that luscious strawberry? Well it's not mine. I had one. It looked just like it. Before I could even snap a photo my lovely dog plucked it right off with her teeth. Chewed it up a little. Spit it out next to the pot for me. Awesome! Around 200 species of pests are known to attack strawberries. Didn't know the family pet was one of them.

If I take this mishap out of the equation then I can say the strawberries are flourishing. I've counted 13! They adore the rain - I think they sprout new fruit every time they feel a few drops. Who knew a fruit could do so well in a pot.

Strawberry plants are at garden centers now. Buy a couple, grab a pot, find a sunny spot, and give yourself instant saccharine!

Holy Cow

Have you ever kissed a cow's big wet nose? Have you ever looked into those gigantic eyes? I have. And as much as I want to pet and snuggle those mammoth ruminants I would still head over to Five Guys for that delicious cheeseburger.

Now I'm not saying I will never eat one again. But I'm pretty sure it won't be from Five Guys because I'm pretty sure I'm done supporting corn-fed cattle from feedlots.

Cows do not naturally eat corn. It actually makes them sick. Thus antibiotics. Corn is abnormal to their systems. They eat grass. That's what they were born to do.

But you see, cows who eat only grass take 4 to 5 years to reach the proper weight for us to take their meat. That's too slow for the industrial food chain. We need them plumped up in 16 months tops. Bring on the corn! And the fat from previous killed cows (still USDA approved)! And the antibiotics to keep them going until slaughter! And after inhaling this lovely cornucopia, they hang out/sleep in their own manure so they are pretty dirty most of the time. It is a fact that some of these feces end up in the beef we eat since standards say please slaughter 400 cows an hour. Well, there just isn't time to clean up.

Clearly it upsets me. I'm supporting a food chain that causes suffering. And not just the suffering of the cow. You are what you eat. These guys are sick. Corn causes damage to their blood and their livers. We eat that meat. What must it do to us?

All I ask is this. Think about buying the grass-fed over the corn-fed. And then do it.

Gone to the Veggies

After months and months of reading about the good and bad (mostly bad) of eating furry animals we are trying out the veggie life for a couple weeks. As always, I have the most supportive boyfriend on the planet. He's listened to me spout off information I keep absorbing and over the weekend, without hesitation, he said, "let's try this".

I'm nervous as hell. Breakfast and lunch don't feel difficult, in fact we pretty much go without meat all week with those meals. It's dinner I'm sweating bullets over. But with The Kind Diet, Whole Living.com and Cooking Light.com, I've already found a vast array of what look to be delicious recipes.

I should note that we are gearing towards the Vegan side on this trial. Every meal is built around 3 elements - grains, beans and vegetables. I'm not substituting cheese or butter yet (one thing at a time here, though I did buy Tofutti to replace sour cream) but we are going whole grains - quinoa, brown rice, cous cous, barley, oats - you get the idea.

It seems once you get all your staples, meal-making becomes inexpensive and simple. Think about what really costs you at the grocery - processed food, meat, dairy. Your produce comes mainly from your weekly farmer's markets and your beans and grains can be found at most grocers (I prefer Ellwood Thompson, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods).

I must say I'm looking forward to the detox. Plant foods are lighter and provide energy in a different way. I am sure we will experience some shifts as the heaviness of meat works its way out. Our body has been accommodating meat our entire lives so I'm hoping for a lot of patience (something I have a tendency to lack)!

By committing to a new way of eating, you are investing in your health, longevity and peace of mind, and overall enjoyment of life. By giving up meat and dairy, you withdraw your support from industries that take a toxic toll on the environment.......by not eating animals, you are reducing the needless suffering that occurs in the world, on many levels.

The Kind Diet

Lettuce Pray

My garden is in full production! Blooms are cropping up and one of the tomato plants is already bearing fruit. I'm hoping I get enough to make a fresh tomato sauce. Growing up I thought that everyone made their own sauce (Italian child syndrome). I also thought that every misfortune was made better with food. But this is neither here nor there. My garden is in full production!

If I can do this, you can do this. Happy planting!

Vote for the Snail

When you see that little snail logo on a restaurant, school, or grocer you know you've hit good territory.

This means Slow Food. Counteracting fast food. Supporting good, clean, and fair food.

Good: enjoying food created with care from healthy plants and animals

Clean: nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies

Fair: food that should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and fairly compensated for their labor

Slow Food is an international movement that began in Italy to resist the opening of a McDonald's near the Spanish Steps in Rome. It is still very young (1986) so it's difficult to determine its effect but it currently has over 100,000 members in 132 countries. Recently, its target has been the youth of primary and secondary schools.

I'm sad to say I haven't found a Richmond restaurant that proclaims that little snail but there is a Slow Food RVA group so maybe that mollusk is heading in our direction in the not so distant future.

Fresh and Local is the Name of the Game

Saturday morning we were driving home from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure when we stumbled upon a farmer's market on the corner of Monument Ave and Robinson St in the fan called, of all things, Monument Market. Who knew! Delighted, we pulled in. The lot was filled with several vendors - veggies, turkey, pasta, crafts, etc.

The tent that caught my rapt attention was Victory Farms. Their bounty was marvelous. My pictures don't do them justice. Bok choy, broccoli rabe, aspargus - every single thing was piled high, lush and fresh, straight from the dirt.

Victory Farms is a "Certified Naturally Grown" farm in Hanover, VA. The land is compost-fed and pesticides are never ever used.

****Congress declared that any farmer selling more than $5,000 worth of produce may not refer to themselves as ORGANIC unless they have been certified by a USDA agency. While this sounds like no big deal this is actually terrible for the small diversified family farms using natural methods who can't handle the high certification fees and extensive paper trails. CERTIFIED NATURALLY GROWN is a grassroots alternative certification program fully committed to organic practices.

You may find Victory Farms at the following locations:

Tuesday 3-7pm

Bryan Park - North of the James Market

Saturday 8am-12noon

Forest Hill Park - South of the James Market

Monument Market

They also have a CSA program. Please check them out at http://www.victoryfarmsinc.com

P.S. Don't forget to bring your reusable bags to these things people. Those plastic bags are hard on the environment!

Dominion Harvest

Local. Sustainable. Farms. Home Delivered.

My friend Patrick is a member of Dominion Harvest. Look at what was delivered to him last night! I'm super jealous. See, I kept weighing whether I should do this or not and then when I finally said YES, I was out of luck. No more openings. Now I'm on a damn wait list.

But please check them out. https://www.dominionharvest.com/

And there are other CSAs (community supported agriculture) - Victory Farms, Agriberry CSA, Fall Line Farms. If every household in VA spent $10 of their total grocery bill every week on local Virgina grown food, over $137 million every month would be invested in our local farms, local independent businesses and the local community. Something to think about.

Spinach, Garlic and Potato Soup

I have a soup obsession, plain and simple. It's light, yet filling, and usually chock full of "good for you" ingredients.

Growing up I watched my Mom throw anything and everything into her pots of soup. For someone who "really likes" to have a recipe to follow, I was always in awe. Then I tried it.

Soup is easy!! Just open your veggie drawer and grab that last zucchini. Open your pantry and take out that can of beans that's been sitting there for months. I always make sure to keep Organic Vegetable and/or Chicken broths on hand (and not only for soup - stock makes any dish better). I've found that you can't go wrong with lemon and/or parsley.

There's a little shop down the street from my office, A Moveable Feast. Everyday they have 4 or 5 different soups of the day - Greek Lentil, Gazpacho, Creamy Asparagus, Italian Tomato, to name a few. It's inspiring.

Now that I've debunked soup recipes, I'm leaving one for you. But remember, you really can't mess up soup - add something here, take something else away...........it's all good.

Spinach, Garlic & Potato Soup

4 T olive oil
8 cloves garlic minced
1 large sweet onion chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound baby spinach cleaned and chopped
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t red pepper flakes

Heat olive oil in soup pot. Add garlic, onion and potatoes. Saute 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Lower heat and cook until potatoes are soft. Turn off heat, stir in spinach and cover for a few mins, until spinach is wilted. Add lemon and red pepper flakes. Partially puree mix with a food processor, leaving it a little chunky. Add more broth if you need it. Season with salt and pepper.


***Good for Meatless Mondays!