Give your cooking a makeover!

I was talking with my husband one day while browsing Amazon for titles of organic baking cookbooks. I commented on what I found to be a surprising lack of books on the topic, adding that maybe this was a niche that needed filling (perhaps by me?) "The reason there aren't any organic baking books is because there's no need for them," my husband explained patiently. "You don't need a recipe to make organic food--you just need organic ingredients. Any recipe can be organic." I sulked for a moment, not wanting to give up so soon on my newly discovered road to authorship, but I knew what he said made perfect sense. I had been preparing my favorite recipes organically (mostly) for a few months now, without the aid of any special cookbooks. There is virtually no recipe that can't be made "organic" simply by substituting organic ingredients for the conventional ones. Okay, I suppose that the recipes found in The Twinkies Cookbook: an Inventive and Unexpected Recipe Collection from Hostess can not be made organic no matter how hard one tries (I do not even want to know what is in a "Twinkie Burrito"), but any other recipe calling for normal ingredients can be converted easily. In fact, recipes for baked goods--cookies, bread, brownies, cakes--are great candidates for organic makeovers because organic butter, flour, sugar, eggs, chocolate, oats, dried fruit, and other common baking ingredients are readily available. For example, I recently made the infamous Neiman-Marcus cookies using organic ingredients with the exception of the vanilla and the pecans (a word of caution here: if you make these cookies, you probably only want to make half of the recipe, unless you are not like me and you have the will power not to eat all of the 144 cookies the full recipe makes. As it was, I got 90 cookies out of the half recipe and yes, I ate most of them). Substituting organic ingredients for their conventional counterparts guarantees a healthier dish; not so much from a fat-and-calorie standpoint, although there is some debate about whether the fats in organic foods are better for you than those in non-organic foods, but more from a what-I'm-eating-will-not-harm-my-body standpoint. And as I've mentioned before, they usually taste better, especially when it comes to organic produce.

Eating organic does not have to be difficult; in fact, it can be as easy as making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or your grandmother's macaroni and cheese. Give your favorite recipe an organic makeover, and I'm sure your family (and your body) will thank you.

GO PATS! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself--we're all a little Patriots-crazed here in New England these days.)

Kate
The Ordinary Organic

Information Overload?

No matter how interesting or intriguing a subject may be, too much information about any topic can be overwhelming. Not only are we likely to develop a headache from trying to absorb and comprehend as many facts as possible, but chances are that some sources will directly contradict others, making it difficult (if not impossible) for the seeker of the information to discern between truth and myth. My desire to know all there is to know about organic foods and eco-friendly products has prompted me to borrow no fewer than a dozen books from my local library. In fact, I’ve been to the library so often in the past few weeks that when the librarian sees me walking towards the circulation desk, she smiles and immediately goes to the ‘holds’ shelf to gather the most recent books waiting to be added to my impressively lengthy list of checked-out volumes (if there is a limit on the number of books a library patron can have checked out at one time, I am sure that I am rapidly approaching that number). And being no stranger to academic research and conflicting theories, I was fully expecting a fair amount of head-butting between texts. I had decided at the outset that I would assemble my data, pick out the parts that made sense to me, and go from there. My one hope was that I wouldn’t become discouraged and overwhelmed, either by an overload of scientific jargon or by inflexible demands that I throw away everything I own, tear down the toxic dump otherwise known as my house, and start living off the land.

To my immense surprise (and relief), all of the books I have consulted thus far have offered nothing but some gentle advice, a fair amount of common sense, and a great deal of information that is astonishingly consistent. Even the books written or edited by people from different countries—most often the U.S. and Britain—agree on virtually everything, from recipes for concocting all-purpose cleaning products from vinegar and baking soda to the best tasting heirloom tomatoes to the detrimental effects genetically-modified crops have globally on both the environment and the survival of small farms. What started out as intellectual research quickly became pleasure reading: books bearing titles such as The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food vie for space on my bedside table with Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, a rather bizarre yet engrossing novel called The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami and, of course, Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Knowing that I only have until next Tuesday to read freely without guilt—after which I will still probably be reading just as much even though I should be focusing my brain power on French vocabulary and verb conjugation—I have been cramming my brain with far more information about organic and eco-friendly products than it can possibly ever hope to retain. But that’s okay, because despite the overload of information, I get it. I understand what it takes to grow vegetables without the use of chemicals—it’s not rocket science. People were growing food this way long before rockets were invented, just as they were keeping their houses clean using little more than, well, vinegar and baking soda. And while it might seem like a waste of time to read a slew of books that all say pretty much the same thing, for me, just the opposite is true. I find it reassuring to know that no matter which text I consult, the facts remain the same, and I am free to enjoy the anecdotes or personal experiences of the author (which are often more informative than the facts themselves). Being a life-long lover of reading and books in general, there is no greater satisfaction than to finish a book feeling enlightened and entertained, and the books I have recently read on organic and eco-friendly living have not disappointed me.

If you are interested in finding out more about organic and eco-friendly living, I urge you to check out your local library before heading to the bookstore—you’ll save yourself some cash (unless you’re like me and never remember to return the books by their due dates even though the library sends out friendly email reminders in advance. Hey, maybe that’s why the librarian smiles when she sees me come in; she’s thinking “Hey, there’s the girl who bought us five new books last month with all her late fees. With all those books she has checked out now, we should be able to buy a new set of encyclopedias!”) Oh, and you’ll save some trees, too—not that I’m a treehugger or anything.

Kate
The Ordinary Organic

Love Thy Neighbor

Today the kids and I went to Peaceful Meadows in Whitman to get milk and vanilla ice cream for the ice cream sodas we were having for dessert. As is our custom, we stopped in the barn to visit the cows (it's always nice to see first-hand where the milk you're drinking is coming from), and we were delighted to see this two-day old calf napping in the corner of its pen. Although the milk from Peaceful Meadows is not organic, it is free of growth hormones and (I believe) antibiotics. And not only is its taste far superior to the milk found in the supermarket, but it costs less, too! The only organic milk available around here comes in cartons, and I just don't like the taste of milk from a carton, organic or not (my son, however, absolutely loves the Horizon chocolate milk "boxes"). So in the case of milk, I am choosing natural over organic without guilt. In fact, I am far happier supporting a long-standing local dairy than I would be buying organic milk from a faceless supplier. I try to support local farmers as often as I can, which is one reason I was so excited to find an organic CSA less than fifteen minutes away. This strategy works well from late spring to early fall, but when winter comes and the ground freezes solid for weeks on end, it's obviously a bit harder to find local produce (acorns and pinecones notwithstanding). I guess I will never be able to call myself a true "localvore" unless I start squirreling away keepers such as onions, garlic, potatoes and winter squash; preserving summer berries and tomatoes; canning, well, whatever produce one cans (tomatoes again?); drying herbs; and omitting carbs completely from my winter diet because there are no flour mills anywhere in this neck of the woods. And without flour, there would be no cookies, breads, crackers, pizza...Let me just say here that I am a girl who lives for carbohydrates--pastries, freshly baked bread, crackers with gourmet cheese spreads--and a winter without the aforementioned victuals would most definitely prove to be an excruciatingly long winter for me and everyone who knows me. I don't think I would make it in Vermont (or maybe I would--they do have King Arthur up there in Norwich).

When I was thinking about the topic for this blog entry earlier today, my intent was to write about my organic experience at Hannaford's (I almost typed "orgasmic", which actually wouldn't be too far off the mark considering how excited I was by all of the organic stuff I found) this morning. In fact, I had half of the entry composed in my head before I even reached the store. Of course, the likelihood that I would have remembered any of the clever remarks or compelling arguments that kept running through my mind was nonexistent from the outset, which reminds me that I really need to look into getting some sort of recording device to keep in my minivan. Then the kids and I went to Peaceful Meadows and saw the newborn calf, and--well, you've read the rest. So the plan is to dedicate the next entry to my trip to Hannaford's...but who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Kate

The Ordinary Organic

What's old is new - or is it?

While it will take some time before it (hopefully) becomes mainstream, organic food is steadily gaining popularity in the United States. Or perhaps it would make more sense to say that organic foods are making a major comeback, because growing food organically is not a new concept. In fact, organic food was the only kind of food that existed until the advent of chemical pesticides and fertilizers during the last century. Since the dawn of agriculture, people all over the world have been growing everything from corn to potatoes to tomatoes to cotton relying on nothing more than common sense, careful planning, and a little bit of luck. However, the demand for more food that would grow quicker and last longer which became prevalent during and after the two World Wars led to the creation of (what we now know to be) toxic fertilizers and pesticides. Just as we can blame modern science for the introduction of these convenient yet harmful chemicals, we can thank modern science for the slow but steady understanding that the way it was is, in reality, the way it needs to be today.

When I decided to make the conscious effort to eat organic foods and use more eco-friendly products, I did what I always do when I want to know more about a subject: I went to my local library. Actually, I logged onto http://www.sailsinc.org/, a website that allows me to search the catalog of my library as well as those of neighboring libraries which belong to the Sails network. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of books my search for "organic" turned up. One of my favorites so far is A Slice of Organic Life (edited by Sheherazade Goldsmith). This wonderful book is crammed full of ideas for those who wish to adopt a healthier lifestyle but don't necessarily want to make radical changes. There is advice on a myriad of topics; some of the ones that have grabbed my attention are supporting local businesses, give eco presents, wear and sleep in natural organic fibers, and all of the sections regarding growing one's own organic fruits, vegetables, and even animals (my husband just won't go for raising chickens, though, even though I found two books about the subject at my library). If you're interested in finding ways to integrate organic and eco-friendly products and practices into your current lifestyle, whether you live in an apartment in the city or on three acres of land in the suburbs, this book is the perfect place to start.

Off to gymnastics (and I suppose I should study for that French final I have tonight). Have a great day!

Kate

The Ordinary Organic

Organic: it's not just for earthy-crunchy tree huggers anymore

Last week I was talking with a friend about Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook for children, Deceptively Delicious, which I had received as a Christmas present. We were discussing how the premise of the book—making fruit and vegetable purées and adding them to your kids’ meals without telling them as a means of sneaking more fruits and vegetables into their diet—negates the fun of cooking with your kids since said kids can’t be in the kitchen while the “deceptively” healthy food is being prepared or they won’t touch it with a ten-foot fork. “At first, I thought it sounded interesting,” said my friend, who had seen the Seinfelds touting the cookbook on a talk show. “But when they started talking about cooking and puréeing and freezing the vegetables, I said ‘This is way too earthy-crunchy for me.’”

I was momentarily rendered speechless by her comment. I hadn’t realized that some people still regard healthy or organic food as “earthy-crunchy”. Since that conversation, I have been paying closer attention to the attitudes of my friends and family towards all-natural and organic foods. I ran into another friend in the grocery store recently, and while we were chatting I noticed her surreptitiously glancing at the contents of my shopping cart—which were, for the most part, organic—with a slightly raised eyebrow. She didn’t say anything, but it was obvious from her expression that she wasn’t on board with the whole organic idea. And just by observing some of the snacks and beverages that a surprising number of my acquaintances allow their kids to consume (we’re talking freeze pops, donuts, Twinkies, soda and Teenie Weenie drinks—I didn’t even know they still made those) I’m guessing they’re not terribly concerned about what might be in the foods that their kids eat. A similar attitude is shared by the majority of my immediate family. My father, brother, and sister think it’s hogwash, to put it delicately (I can guarantee my father would have voiced his opinion on the matter in quite another way), and while my mother is a little more open to the subject, she’s not about to change the way she does her grocery shopping at this stage in her life (she does have to live with my father, after all). In comparison, my husband’s family shows a good deal more promise, especially my sister-in-law Jocelyn and her husband, Sal. Jocelyn is very conscientious about her health and often purchases organic products. I am unsure of Sal’s stance on organic versus conventional products, but I do know he is passionate about good food and he loves to cook, so I am willing to bet he chooses organic when possible. My mother-in-law is slowly realizing that maybe her sister out in California has had the right idea all along about eating only organic and all-natural foods (the vegetarian diet, though, not so much). As for my father-in-law, well, he’s a hard one to judge. Suffice it to say that if my mother-in-law wants to eat certain foods and not others, for whatever reason, then he’ll do the same, regardless of his thoughts on the matter, and I suspect the gist of those thoughts to be that he really couldn’t care less if his food is organic or not.

Overall, I think it’s quite plain to see that I’m not exactly surrounded by like-minded people when it comes to organics. So the obvious question is: why am I so gung-ho about organics? The short answer is that to me, it just makes sense. If there is an organic, or at least all-natural, version of a conventional product—which there is for virtually any product you can imagine—why wouldn’t I buy the organic/natural one? Take Oreos, for example. Oreos are full of things you really shouldn’t eat, such as partially hydrogenated soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup (more on these evils in a future blog). Luckily, the Newman’s Own Organics company makes Newman-O’s, which contains organic sugar instead of corn syrup and organic palm oil; in fact, there is even a description of what palm oil is on the back of the package. In a blind taste test, it would be a challenge to say which cookie is which, although I happen to think the Newman-O’s taste far better than Oreos. And similar comparisons can be made between hundreds of conventional products and their organic counterparts. Admittedly, the cost of an organic product is often higher than that of the same conventional product. But as more grocery chains introduce their own organic brands and as more consumers make the switch to buying organic, the price gap between conventional and organic products will lessen steadily. Besides, when one weighs the cost of eating healthy foods against the cost of medical care stemming from eating unhealthy foods, there really is no doubt which is the more expensive scenario.

Going back to the beginning of this blog for a moment, I am amazed that many people still think organic food is only for earthy-crunchy tree-hugging hippies. Not so, people. Hence my moniker “the Ordinary Organic.” Yes, I prefer to purchase organic and all-natural foods and products. I also take showers on a regular basis, shave all the parts of my body that American women are expected to keep smooth, and wear a bra; I do not burn incense or smoke marijuana or practice free love. I am not a hippie. I do like to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers, so maybe I am somewhat earthy. I prefer crunchy cookies to chewy ones, so I guess you could call me crunchy. And although I don’t usually make a practice of hugging trees, I can’t imagine a world without them…you get the point. I am an ordinary girl who happens to think that eating organic and natural food is the right choice for me and my family. If nothing else, my goal in writing this blog is to liberate the organic industry of its “earthy-crunchy” reputation once and for all.

I’ve never been one to force my beliefs upon others. The intent of this blog is not to bully readers into throwing away everything in their refrigerators and cupboards and restocking their kitchens with only organic products (I can assure you that that certainly has not happened in my house). I simply wish to share my thoughts and experiences with others who are curious about “going organic” as well as to receive feedback and advice from readers who feel the same way—and even those who don’t; I’m always game for a lively debate! And maybe, just maybe, some of my friends and family will come to understand that organics don’t have to be “earthy-crunchy” anymore.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kate Strassel
The Ordinary Organic