mipmup.

eat local.

i'm doing the august eat local challenge sponsored by jen at life begins @ 30 in association with locavores. the goal of this challenge is to eat food of local origin to each participant. ask yourself these questions posed by jen:

"what if all of our food decisions for a month were based on what was available in our foodshed? what is it like to eat only what's in season? what if we all became more aware of where our food really comes from? what if local businesses got the message that people actually care about where their food comes from because of the sheer number of people asking questions about sourcing?"

i think it's a fantastic idea and a great way to start supporting sustainable agriculture. (read this for more info on sustainable agriculture.) the goal of this challenge is not to restrict yourself entirely; just to do what you can. for me, this will mean taking some exceptions, like for soy. it's just not grown local to me, so that is that. i will try, however, to find a local processor of soy to see how i like it. (anyone know of a good tofu factory near la?)

today was my first farmers' market trip in support of this challenge and i had expected to meet the market manager so she could give me a list of farmers and a map, but she wasn't there today.  i was surprised that many of the workers at the booths didn't know the name of the farm offhand or didn't know where it was located. i eventually got the answers, but it took a few moments. that was surprising to me. i'll post the farms shortly.

here's the info jen asked the participants to post:

1.  what's your definition of local for this challenge?
i'm going to aim for a 250-mile radius and perhaps extend that to the state of california.

2.  what exemptions will you claim?
soy products (but will try to find local processor), coffee (for the household, not for me), peet's chai tea (though they're a california company), spices. there may be others, i'm waiting to hear back from companies. anyone know of any local dairies (besides alta dena)?

3.  what is your personal goal for the month?
my goal is to have each meal contain at least 50-75% locally-grown/raised items.

wish me luck! and if you want to participate, post your info by tomorrow and start eating!

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• sprinkles cupcakes. i love the concept of having cupcakes delivered. i think their flavors are really interesting and fun (mocha, chai, dark chocolate). what i don't like is that the (local!) delivery charge roughly equals the cost of the cupcakes themselves! $36/dozen.

• lavender. you may remember me mentioning eatwell farms before. one of the owners was so sweet and gave me a hydrosol for my dad while he was in the hospital. when i was trying to think of a "thank you" gift recently, a friend reminded me about them. they are a small, organic, independently-owned, family farm. i was able to call them and put together a wonderful gift for $50. plus, they don't charge shipping! my favorite items include lavender and calendula healing salve ($7, 1 oz.; heals cuts like nothing else), lavender and rosemary salt ($7 for 4 oz.) and their hydrosols to freshen the air ($7 for 4 oz.). they also offer fresh bunches in a box ($43) may through october. imagine receiving that? they were recently featured in fine cooking, too! yay for them! if you're in the bay area, check them out at the local farmers' markets.

• anvil paper. ok. i have a lot of wrapping paper. a lot. meaning that when i saw their designs recently, it took almost physical force to stop me from purchasing some. my favorites are geisha, champagne and octopi. and look at the other adorable stuff like the newborn survival kit! gorgeous design! i need to be reincarnated as paper. i couldn't even look at them to check the price. it was that bad.

• cool serving set. these are just beautiful. i like to have a mix of modern and traditional pieces. these would work nicely, thank you. $54.

• elegant binders. why did i just buy those disgusting white plastic three-rings that remind me of an office at two for $6? i need these, dammit and i need them now. sure they're four for $66, but my office would look fantastic. don't even get me started on the storage stuff. actually, just wrap up the entire site and put it in my mailbox.

photo credits: sprinkles cupcakes, eatwell farms, anvil paper, iikh, russell+hazel.

the not-so-endless summer.

what's with all the summer clearance sales? it's only july, people. really bugs. talk about rushing life. jeez.

dead tired.

she and my husband share a habit of sleeping with their eyes open. yes. it's as creepy as it looks (on both of them).

want fries with that?

i received an email today from a friend about the "drive-through" mastectomy bill in congress (and i checked, it's true). as the daughter and granddaughter of two survivors (one of whom had a full mastectomy), will you take a moment and sign the petition?

"there's a bill called the breast cancer patient protection act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. it's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home hours after surgery against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

the legislation is supported by the american medical association; american college of surgeons; american society of plastic and reconstructive surgeons; association of women's health, obstetric and neonatal nurses; national council of jewish women; society for the advancement of women's health research; susan g. komen foundation; y-me national breast cancer organization; and families usa."

you can support the cause by buying these semi-postal (weird phrase) stamps, available until december of this year. they've already raised $35m! pane of 20, $9.

artwork: usps.

ps did anyone see six feet under last night? holy smokes! and no teaser for next week either! hurumph.

perfect summer snackie.

new favorite snack this summer: shelled edamame with tamari dressing, toasted sesame seeds and ichimi togarashi (japanese red pepper). this is also very good with cold cubed tofu. edamame are an excellent source of protein and have a bunch of other benies, including being "regarded as equal in protein quality to animal foods."¹

spicy edamame salad
1 package organic*, shelled edamame (i bought mine at whole foods) - if frozen, thaw first.
1 tsp. (or to taste) ichimi togarashi
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup tamari dressing
mix all ingredients.

tamari dressing (adapted from 3 bowls cookbook)
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
black pepper to taste
juice of one lemon
whisk all ingredients.

top edamame mixture with tamari dressing. serve cold. enjoy.

*it's important to buy organic edamame (soybeans) as they are one of the most "genetically engineered" crops around.

¹ the george mateljan foundation for the world's healthiest foods.

great green book.

found an excellent resource today (at an indie bookseller, no less!) for those of you who may want to try "cleaning greener." i couldn't wait until next friday to share it with you. in addition to offering a ton of recipes on natural alternatives to chemical cleaners, the book has handy tips like a laundry symbol chart, where to recycle that bad stuff under your kitchen sink (or even your old carpet!), stain solutions and a whole list of eco-friendly cleaners. usually, i find all of this stuff on random sites, but i'm happy to now have it in a little compact book that is not only elegantly designed, but totally water resistant!

"green clean: the environmentally sound guide to cleaning your home"
by linda mason hunter and mikki halpin
$16.95
greencleanbook.com

photo credit: melcher media

traffic on the ones.

lli was driving down the road today bopping my head along to: a jazz tune. what the hell is up with me? i think i am seriously old. i was also reflecting on how odd it sounds when the traffic reporter happily updates listeners about a "motorcycle down" on the 110 at the 5. i now have such a different perspective on accidents. i used to think of them as minor inconveniences hindering me getting to where i wanted to be. i now can see (oh so clearly) that it's oftentimes a life-altering event, not some newsworthy tidbit to broadcast flippantly over the air. then again. maybe i'm just depressed, cynical and in dire need of something fun.

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• bragg liquid aminos. i use this non-gmo liquid to replace soy in many dishes. it has great flavor and nutritional benefits to boot! about $4. [i was also talking with my aesthetician yesterday about their apple cider vinegar. supposed to be really great as well. her friend loaned her their book describing the benefits. of course, i forgot to get some when i went to the store specifically to buy it. ugh.]

• organic soba noodles. i have to thank jen for this one. she recommended these to me and we tried them cold last night with a splash of tamari, sesame seeds, la-yu (again, thanks, jen!) and for me, sriracha. apparently, buckwheat, not a cereal grain at all, but a fruit seed, is a really great for us. $2.99 (or $4.99 at williams-sonoma!)

• vintage-inspired fan. isn't it hot? our house is stifling and i refuse to buy anything else that's plastic since it looks horrible. my new motto is style, style, style instead of function, function, function. to that end, i came upon this beauty. (i really wanted a real vintage fan, but my better half isn't too supportive of that idea since they're not always that safe. in fact, i remember putting my fingers into the fans when i was a kid just to see what would happen as my fingers snappity snapped against the blade. never said i was smart.) it's available in nickel, as well. $59.

• crocs. i've seen these a coupla times around town and i think i need them. are they ugly? i'm not entirely sure, but they look cool — literally.  $29.99. [update: tried them on and my regular size is too small (big toe scrunch action) and one size up is too large (sloppy flip-floppy action)! the sales dude says he has the same problem and can't wear them. i've emailed crocs directly for support on this issue. they are incredibly comfy otherwise!]

• new hk hat. ever since i lost mine on my honeymoon, i've been wanting a new one. the only problem is my head is on the small side, so sometimes me pea-head gets overtaken in big hats. but i do love them so. $160.

see all favorites.

photo credits: bragg live foods, hakubaku, bed bath & beyond, crocs, bliss.

what time is my appointment?

you know that you're a total hp nerd when you get to the doctor's office an hour early so you can enjoy reading. an even bigger nerd doesn't mind an additional two-hour wait.

[ps link to amazon, not the much-cooler, indie powell's on this one since i have a report that someone is still waiting for her pre-ordered copy!]

[i'm finished. i cried in the dmv (don't worry, no spoilers here). i'm such a sap.]