Try It Tuesday: Serve Beer in the Right Glass

The beer enthusiast would argue that each sparkling glass contains an array of B vitamins and all the glorious benefits of fermentation, but let's be frank: beer isn't the healthiest thing on Earth.

Even so, there's something to be said of being dedicated to a craft and becoming a master of your interest. I myself laugh at the research articles that claim coffee is harmful to your overall health and choose to, instead, spend my time perfecting the classic French press.

In hopes of inspiring you to elevate your nightly brew to more than just a one-dollar can, I bring to you: How to Serve Beer in the Right Glass!

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Inspired by the wildly entertaining book: Show Me How
A compulsive library-grab from last week that has proven to be most aesthetically pleasing and strangely inspiring. It offers illustrated instructions on a variety of tasks, from quite necessary to ultimate party trick, including: How to Install a Tire Swing, How to Defend Against a Shark Attack, and, How to Tango.

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A Belgian ale or barley wine goes great in a tulip glass. The bulbous body and flared lip will make the most of its hearty aroma.

The Weizenbier glass is great for wheat beer because its shape showcases fluffy foam and golden hues.

A strong ale is great in a snifter because the big bowl captures aromas and concentrates them at the glass's lip.

In the US, ales and lagers are typically served in a straight-edged "poor man's pint" glass measuring a measly 475ml.

In England it's illegal to serve a pint less than 600ml and they use a glass with a slight bulge to allow for more head.

Anything with a malty flavour will taste best in a goblet as it traps the flavours and retains hearty head.

Lastly, a flute's elegant form, often used for champagne, boosts carbonation and will compliment fruity and lambic beers.

No matter what your favourite style of beer is it deserves the right glass. Serve anything from a hefty Guinness to a Bud Light to the new Rickard's Blonde (in sampler packs now!) and you're sure to impress. Just be sure that one of your guests knows they're on dishes duty.

Try It Tuesday: The Vaccination Book by Dr. Sears

Choosing whether or not to vaccinate your children is an important decision, the outcome of which can affect their ability to attend public school and travel globally. Vaccinating your child without doing ample research runs you the risk of suffering severe consequences, on the flip side being cavalier about not vaccinating your child could hold equal risk. I have seen both sides of this dilemma. One friend now parents a child with mental and social delays that she credits to additives in her young boy's vaccination. Another lost her newborn to a preventable disease after choosing to opt out of its vaccination. Which is worse, a loss caused by action or inaction? These are the questions I've weighed since becoming pregnant last November.

Oliver is nearly 3 months now. With his 2 month pediatric appointment come and gone, and his next one in a few days, I am knee deep in this decision. Even if he receives all of his shots this Friday he will still be on a "delayed schedule" as we opted out last time. Currently our decision stands that we will choose to vaccinate him (on the basis of preventing death, but also making access to future school and travel easier) for only severe illnesses. This means we will opt out of the chicken pox (varicella) vaccine and all seasonal flu vaccines. We will, however, boost his immunity through the homeopathic flu shot which you can read about on one of my earlier blog posts. He will, therefore, be receving the mandatory DPTP and MMR but I have to say I am not looking forward to helping him through this tough appointment.

Recently I read "Your Child's Best Shot" by Ronald Gold and was very disappointed to see how biased it was. It was essentially 400 pages of assurance that there are barely any risks or side effects of vaccination, and scare tactics about the potential risks of the relevant illnesses. The book also featured information about past, subpar vaccinations put out to the public and how we've miraculously (note my sarcasm) improved them. By my logic, if a previous shot was, at that time, promoted as safe and is now seen as risky, could we not assume that future editions of this book will feature information on how 2011's vaccination versions were inadequate? We never know what future research will show us about things that we currently have confidence in: see thalidomide.

But here's a book that's worth its weight in gold: Dr. Sears' The Vaccine Book. He is a brilliant man, promoting concepts and philosophies well before his time. I believe future generations will look back on his books and say "This is what changed everything." Because the public library does not offer it, I recommend purchasing it now!



What a hard decision for any parent, but how lucky we are to have this information at our finger tips.

Updates

Oh my garden is being so good to me. Yesterday I went out there for a check up and came back with patty pan squash, cucumbers and one lunar carrot. They all tasted stupidly delicious. The tomatoes are really taking their time but they taste good green so if I get antsy I just eat them anyways. I have a cute idea for bringing my herbs in when it gets cold, but it involves a ton of mason jars and I worry I should save them for canning.

I am reading so many good books. Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin is the best read I've found in a while. My friend Debbie lent it to me and now I don't know if my life will be complete without owning it. I also read the Baby Food Bible, every issue of Canadian Family & Today's Parent that I could find. I read Dr. Bradley's Husband-Coached Childbirth and BirthCentre's Baby's First Year and.. well, to be honest just about every book in the Pregnancy, Birthing, Parenting, Eco-friendly, Recipe Book & Craft sections of both Landon & Stoney Creek library. I've had so much time on my hands with being off work but being too pregnant to do anything useful. Which brings me to my next point.

I spent 2 days in Toronto with Calvin and various members of my family trying to find my little sister, Sarah, an apartment. It was really fun and a good way to get out of the house. We found a great restaurant called Just Thai, so next time you're there check it out. I think it's on Jarvis, somewhere near King if I remember.

My blog turns 1 year old on the 7th. I'd like to write a celebratory post and give away all sorts of prizes and make it miraculous but that's a day away from my Estimated Due Date and I seriously doubt I'll be thinking about blogging. Well, maybe I will :) Would anyone like if I share my birth story on here? I plan to if anyone would enjoy.

Calvin got a great hair cut from my talented friend Bethany last night. He's still asleep but I can admire it none the less. And he finally has a long weekend which is very exciting!

If I don't post much in the coming days I hope you understand but I look forward to writing up a storm once things settle down & I already having canning plans so we can be sure that I will document the heck out of that! Thanks for reading my friends.

Rhubarb Crumble

Wow, short of the fiddlehead pasta I've been really slack on posting seasonal recipes! This was brought to my attention with the new books I've been reading:

and

So in all my guilt I've decided to post a recipe. Really after this one I'm not that far behind. I don't have anything brilliant to show you about asparagus (just cook it lightly and eat - can't get any better) so with fiddleheads, asparagus & rhubarb down I'm on to June which of course brings to mind strawberries so I'll see what I can do about that one soon! Roots are also available right now but because they're so easily stored I say enjoy them all year round.

Here's my favourite rhubarb crumble.

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups chopped rhubarb, 2 medium apples chopped, 1 egg and 1/2 cup maple syrup. Sprinkle in a few nice warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Pour into a large baking dish.
In that same bowl (don't bother cleaning it) combine 1 cup flour (I've tried this recipe with 3/4 cup rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch - it was great), 1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Then cut in 1/2 cup cold butter or Earth Balance.
Crumble this mixture over the fruit and bake for 45 - 55 minutes.



There's no picture. We ate it all right away. Every time.

My Natural Bathroom!

"There's Lead in Your Lipstick" is a new book hitting top sellers lists quickly and leaving me on a library hold list for longer than I'm used to waiting. It's a great book, and the thing I'm most excited for is the resulting awareness of the public in regards to the chemical toxicity of mainstream make up and hygiene products. I haven't read the whole thing yet, and I don't agree with everything she writes, but it prompted me to write you a list of things I use every morning. Make that, every morning that I actually will myself to get in the shower.

Yes to Cucumbers shampoo and Yes to Carrots conditioner:
I'm a strong believer that your hair is healthier if you don't wash it every day or even every two days, so I get by using shampoo probably once a week and just rinsing with water in between. When I do think my roots need a scrub, and it'll take more than baking soda solution or soap bar, I reach for these products because they are a mix good of decent ingredients and excellent result. Some natural shampoos and conditioners I've used are garbage and I don't think it's worth the effort if they don't have any effect. You can find them in any Shoppers Drug Mart.

Soap Works simple bar soap:
I switch between varieties - I like them all. Right now I'm using their pine tar and I have a bar of chamomile in the shower too. They made good honest soaps, cold-pressed method I believe and they're cheap as heck. You can buy them at Quarter Master or the Bulk Barn.

Homemade tinted moisturizer:
For this concoction I simply saved an old pot from a night cream and filled it with a brew of: face cream, sunscreen and a few pumps of foundation. It doesn't give me a lot of coverage but I don't really need it. I'm particularly prone to sun burning right now (if it weren't snowing) because I'm pregnant, so even though I love my vitamin D, I put a little SPF on the face for good measure.

Lavera Intense Volume mascara:
It was a miracle to find a 100% chemical-free mascara that actually works. It is organic, vegan & cruelty free with no parabens, petrochemicals or toxic chemicals.

JASON Sea Fresh toothpaste:
I'm addicted to this product, I'll never switch to anything else (OK fine, I sometimes use Weleda Calendula toothpaste and Hakeem's herbal). It tastes so good, cleans so well and has great ingredients.

Lastly,

Green Beaver Wild Yam deodorant:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Green Beaver is the best company on the planet. Honestly, they're from Ontario, they made amazing things that work and use all natural ingredients. This deodorant is my recommendation for anyone who wants to get away from cancer-causing ingredients living under their arms. Buy one today!

The Very Best Gardening Books...

... or, the very best gardening books that my library has to offer, would be a more suitable name.

Fresh Food from Small Spaces - RJ Ruppenthal

 This book goes way beyond growing vegetables in the city. It was my first in depth look at urban beekeeping and chicken raising. Yes, it did convince me to adopt a duck but don't tell Calvin. The book is a great guide to gardening in small areas like apartment building balconies, cozy backyards, fire escapes and even abandoned areas that you don't own (guerilla gardening). I found some of the information only pertained to southern, warm climates so keep in mind if you're from Ontario like me you'll have to adjust.

Carrots Love Tomatoes - Louise Riotte

I'm actually still waiting to read this book but just about every one who's anyone recommends it. It goes into the relationships (beneficial and harmful) between various garden crops. This year I'll be growing the classic companion planting combination: the Three Sisters. The theory goes that if you grow corn, winter squash and pole beans together they will each benefit the others in some way. Corn provides a pole for the beans to grow up. Beans bind nitrogen into the soil. Squash provide pest control and insulation through ground cover. 

Four-Season Harvest - Eliot Coleman

Finally, a Zone-5 specific book to teach me gardening techniques specific to my cold climate. This man believes (and has easily persuaded me) that you shouldn't just plant seeds once a year and harvest them when they're ready. Rather, you should practice succession planting. This is where you plant new seed every two weeks or so and enjoy multiple harvests. Using cold frames (built up boxes with glass on top) he eats fresh produce all year round.

You Grow Girl - Gayla Trail

Probably the most visually appealing book that this subject has to offer, Gayla does a great job at plainly, and interestingly, explaining a wide range of gardening topics with no risk of losing your attention. From planning a garden, to starting one, to caring for it, reaping the benefits and then winterizing, she has it all. She also throws in a lot of her creative flair with instruction how to paint your pots, make fancy seed posts, brew up herbal tea and use old garage sale junk to make your backyard look great.

Putting Food By - Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaugman

My reaction to this book is equally 'inspired' as it is 'entertained'. The book was probably written before my parents were born and uses some hilarious language. It is the ultimate guide to preserving food. I don't plan on using the guide to canning wild game or collard greens, I will remember the tips on sauerkraut and stewed tomatoes.



Lastly, if you would like heirloom, organic seeds for this growing season I am doing group orders through Quarter Master. The packets are $3 each and I prefer pre-payment but depends how well I know you. Varieties can be found at www.cottagegardener.com and will be sent/ready for pick up in May.

100 Mile Diet and DIY Home Roasting Coffee

I've recently started reading 100-Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. It is a book about a couple who spend one very interesting year consuming only food and drink grown within 100 miles of their BC home. This time last year I attempted to organize a 100 mile diet Thanksgiving dinner for my friends and I but convincing people to go out of their way to research and source southern Ontario foods was harder than expected. The moral of the story is that it's great and honourable to attempt local eating, however the theme of this blog is, ironically, how to roast coffee at home.

Coffee is quite a beast for me because on one hand it is my favourite beverages, hands down, and I am often asked if I love it so much why don't I marry it? (The answer is because I'm already married, and that's the only reason.) On the other hand, it is one of the most underpaid industries in the world, bordering on slave labour in some parts, and it is a crop that simply can't be grown around here, necessitating long transportation and the inevitable toll on the environment. Here is where the two themes collide.

In my opinion, Fair Trade* practices and certification alleviate some of the moral burden of purchasing and consuming items like coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and sugar. These are things that we have to import if we want to enjoy them - they will not grow here. I will note that there are many teas and spices that are native to Canada, and there are also sugar alternatives like maple syrup and honey that are equally if not more delicious, but that's neither here nor there (I've always wanted to use that phrase in a blog). Now on to what I do with my fair trade coffee, besides the obvious.

A few years ago I began roasting my own coffee, both to save a few dollars per pound and to do something fun and productive with my mom. It's truly one of the funnest Saturday morning activities a person can get up to, after they're home from the farmers market of course. Here's what you'll need:

85 grams of green (unroasted) coffee beans - if you live in London go see Dave, Pat or Jason at the Fire Roasted Coffee Company in the Western Fair Confederation Building - www.fireroastedcoffee.com
An air popcorn popper - just the cheap kind you buy in a hardware store or at a garage sale
A metal colander
A wooden spoon

Begin by measuring out 85 grams of green beans.While you are seeking out a professional baker or drug dealer to borrow a scale from, heat up your popcorn popper so it's good to go when your beans are. A minute will do.

Drop the beans into the popper and immediately start mixing them around with the back of the wooden spoon, even if your popper is doing a nice job of stirring them around with its whirling motion.

Watch as the colour changes from light green-grey, to golden to dark espresso. The aroma will change dramatically too. As you roast more often you will be more in tune with what the smells and colours mean. I keep the lid off because I roast outside and don't care about the chaff flying around. If you do this inside, you need to know a few things: number one, there will be smoke, and number two, the outer layer of the coffee bean is separated during the roasting process and will be lifted up in the air creating a mass exodus of papery chaff that won't be fun to clean up no matter what childhood song a clown named Luna is singing (ha ha?).

Less than 5 minutes in, if you're listening, you'll hear a cracking noise. This is aptly named first crack and signals the beginning of the time that you can choose to finish roasting. Beans taken off at first crack will be quite light in roast, best suited for a Latin American coffee as far as I'm concerned. Not long after you'll hear a second, different crackling noise and this, as you may guess, is second crack. Finishing the roast at second crack or beyond will yield a dark roast, so you should probably invite me over. Dark roasts are nice for African coffees or anything you'll be using for espresso. When you want to pull the beans, turn off the popper and quickly dump the beans into your metal colander, then sift the coffee around like you're looking for gold. This will remove any last chaff and will get cooler air flowing through, thus stopping the cooking process.

Now the hardest part: rest the coffee for 1 - 5 days. It needs time to degas. This is why you should be doing a roast a few times a week. Don't worry if you make too much coffee, I will drink it. When your newly roasted coffee has had time to sit, then pull out a fresh press, just some filtered water heating, and grind up a batch.

Congratulations, you roasted coffee. 




* For more information on what Fair Trade means, request that I write a blog about it!