Willow Work on my Porch

I moved into a new house last June, 2011.  Here is what the back porch looked like then;

Billy Willow came last weekend and worked his magic and did willow work.  The original metal roof had a layer of netting and a layer of worn out bamboo shades (no idea why!) that had stuff nesting in it.  He ripped that out, repaired some of it, added a table and bench and many willow embellishments.

Here is a shot of the whole thing. The table top was in Rick O’Shea’s back yard, the wooden banister used for the table leg is an old bannister that was from the family home of my friend, Janice Ghelerter.  As you can see it wraps around the table.  All material for this project was found, recycled, gathered.  The hanging glass beads I have had for years, they look awesome with the sun pouring through them in the afternoons!  I have a collection of prisms hanging in the wood just under the roof on the edge.

Here’s the bench. The poppies and Bachelor Buttons are just sprouting.  I’m still working on the tin roof, the potting bench will go in the greenhouse when it is finished.  The garden, the water barrels, the compost is all to the left.  In the foreground is the bird bath, cucumbers and milkweed thistle, which attracts butterflies.

Next year, when Billy returns from Michigan we will finish the willow work under the tin, add more bent willow… 

Macadamia Snowballs

1 1/2 cup macadamias
1 1/2 cup dried apricots
1 cup grated coconut

1)  Blend macadamias to a course texture in a food processor. 

2) add apricots and blend until it forms a ball.

3)  Roll into walnut sized balls, roll in coconut.  Enjoy.

Smoked White Bean Soup

I make this bean soup with turkey bacon (I don’t eat pork) but you can use ham hocks or regular bacon.

3 cup cannellini beans
1 large Vidalia onion- large diced
3 quarts chicken stock
3 whole bay leaves
6 slices turkey bacon
1 Tablespoon rosemary
6 medium carrots- cut in 1 1/2 inch long rounds
1 teaspoon smoked salt
freshly ground pepper

1) Rinse beans well, pick over to make sure there are no small rocks.  Place beans in pot of cold water with one large piece of Kombu seaweed.  (seaweed is optional).  Slowly bring to boil.  Let sit while you are starting other ingredients.

2)  Sauté bacon in butter until cooked but not crisp.  Remove from pan, set aside. Sauté onions in 2 Tablespoons butter over low heat, covered, for 1 hour.

3) Drain beans, add to caramelized onions.  Add stock, carrots, all other ingredients.  Add water as needed to cover plus about 2 inches over beans.

4) Simmer slowly until beans are tender.   Remove 1 cup of beans, blend in blender with some stock, add back to soup.  Adjust seasonings.

Serve with Gluten Free corn bread and sautéed kale with onions.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

From Nourished Kitchen

MAY 15, 2012 BY JENNY 66 COMMENTS

Preserved lemons enhance the cooking of North Africa with their pronounced saltiness and a sourness that is oddly mellowed, rather than enhanced, through fermentation.  Even with no other ingredients but salt and lemon, preserved lemons take on other unique and complex flavor profiles that can become even mint-like over time and after proper fermentation.

While you can buy them at specialty stores and online for up to $15 for a jar, you can make them yourself with just a little investment in salt, lemons and time.

For FULL post and Recipe CLICK HERE…

Millie’s Gluten Free Granola

The best granola you’ve ever tasted!

Years ago I found Adele Davis’s Granola for sale at Jacksonville’s first health food store (1973), I fell in love. I have never tasted a better granola. Here is my gluten free recipe that started with that inspiration.

Serve with almond milk to keep the carbs lower.

6 cups gluten free oats- Publix carries it here locally or you can find it online from Bob’s Red Mill
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1) Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

2) Mix first 7 ingredients together.

3) Make a well in the middle of the granola, add honey. Pour HOT water over it and mix.

4) Spread on two cookie sheets, pat down firmly. You want it to bake together; this will form nice clumps of chewy granola.

5) At the end of an hour, gently stir and turn so that it can brown, being careful to leave it it clumps.

6) Bake until browned evenly, periodically spreading granola in from sides as it tends to brown quicker on the edges.

7) Cool on cookie sheets. When cooled completely store in air-tight containers. Glass canning jars work great!

National Trust – ‘What’s Your Beef?’ Report

A recent report from the UK’s highly respected National Trust has confirmed what Animal Welfare Approved has been advocating for a long time: Feeding cattle on grass throughout their life-cycle is the most environmentally sustainable way to raise beef.

The new report – entitled What’s Your Beef – is an important contribution to the on-going debate about how to increase food security while reducing the environmental impacts of food production.

For FULL ARTICLE…

Chocolate Is a ‘Super Fruit’: Rich Source of Antioxidants

Cocoa pods and chocolate.

From Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Feb. 7, 2011) — It is widely known that fruit contains antioxidants which may be beneficial to health. New research published in the open access journal Chemistry Central Journal demonstrates that chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants and contains more polyphenols and flavanols than fruit juice.

When researchers at the Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition™ compared the antioxidant activity in cocoa powder and fruit powders they found that, gram per gram, there was more antioxidant capacity, and a greater total flavanol content, in the cocoa powder.

Similarly when they compared the amount of antioxidants, per serving, of dark chocolate, cocoa, hot chocolate mix and fruit juices they found that both dark chocolate and cocoa had a greater antioxidant capacity and a greater total flavanol, and polyphenol, content than the fruit juices. However hot chocolate, due to processing (alkalization) of the chocolate, contained little of any.

Dr Debra Miller, the senior author of the paper, says that, "Cacao seeds are a "Super Fruit" providing nutritive value beyond that of their macronutrient composition." Which is great news for chocolate lovers.

Beyond Apples: A Serving a Day of Dark Chocolate Might Keep the Doctor Away

From Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Apr. 24, 2012) — Chocolate, considered by some to be the "food of the gods," has been part of the human diet for at least 4,000 years; its origin thought to be in the region surrounding the Amazon basin. Introduced to the Western world by Christopher Columbus after his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, chocolate is now enjoyed worldwide. Researchers estimate that the typical American consumes over 10 pounds of chocolate annually, with those living on the west coast eating the most. Wouldn’t it be great if only chocolate were considered healthy?

In fact, chocolate is a great source of myriad substances that scientists think might impart important health benefits. For instance, it contains compounds called "flavanols" that appear to play a variety of bodily roles including those related to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. Many large-scale human studies have documented a statistical correlation between flavanol intake and risk for cardiovascular disease. And animal studies suggest that this relationship may be due to the physiologic effects that flavanols have on chronic inflammation, blood vessel health, and circulating lipid levels. However, few controlled human intervention studies have been conducted to test the direct effect of chocolate consumption on these variables.

For FULL ARTICLE….