Tuesday, July 10, 2007

More CSA goodness, YIPPEE!

Good News:
I found a grain CSA! I stumbled upon a review of Windborne Farms (no website) a few months ago and forgot about it; in my attempt to locate locally grown oatmeal, I found the review again and contacted Jennifer Greene, the farmer who is, with her family and draft horse Thor, growing organic grains and beans. Here's what she wrote to me:
We are a 30 acre diverse organic/biodynamic farm, located in Scott Valley Ca. We grow over 30 different varieties of grains and beans including, barley, wheat, rye ,Teff, Amaranth, oats, whole corn, Kamut and so on. Many of the varieties are hierloom varieties. The row crops are cultivated with our draft horse Thor. Sharholders pay 300.00 a year for 10 deliveries of grains and beans. A typical delivery would include 3# hard red flour, 2 # pastry flour either barley oat or soft wheat, 2 # of a whole grain such as barley or millet, 2 # pancke mix, 2# hot cereal mix 1-2 # dry beans.Deliveries are about once every 5-6 weeks and all of the flours are milled here on the farm with our stone mill. All of the share is grown here on our farm.

I'm signing up at the end of the month. Of course, flour and pancake mix are not CORE, and I'll have to count the Points on products made with them. But fresh, stone ground flour made into home-made bread is worth the Points.

I also found a Bay Area Meat CSA in the Bay Area Buy Fresh, Buy Local guide that I mentioned the other day. They have pick ups in San Francisco and the East Bay. I looked for something like this before buying the quarter of a cow but couldn't find anything in the area; I'm so pleased that this exists, even though I won't be participating as I already have a freezer full of beef and plans for an equal portion of pork and lamb in the near future!

Bad News: (the whining shall commence)
I'm woefully off track the past few days. I start out well, sticking to my plan, then vear off toward the chips and cheese, the last hold outs of 4th of July leftovers. Add to the unnecessary nacho munching and too many hours of sedentary computer time and general lack of activity, and I'm finding it hard to even see the track right now.

I started the Couch to 5k a few weeks ago and got one run in, but have had no luck getting out of the house sans toddler to do it again. Mr.M is busy and the 30 minutes that I'm feeling energetic are after he's left for the day;I can't take Jax along, as he'll want to be held the whole time and jogging is hard enough without a 26 pound squirmy weight (he will not ride in a stroller anymore.) I know I need to just DO it, get off the computer, get out of the kitchen, get out of the house, and I'll feel better. I'm sabatoging my own success and I hate it, but continue to do it. Blah.

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Review of the Eye of Round recipe linked yesterday: it was a little overcooked by the time I hit 8 hours, and could have been perfect probably at 6 hours. I shredded the beef and made a gravy with the juice, defatted, and a little flour-water combo. It was flavorful but a little tough from the overcooking. Leftovers were made into barbecue beef with barbecue sauce and shredded beef, and those were better but still tough. I have to keep a closer eye on meat as it cooks and not rely on the recipe as directly.

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