Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Joy of Gardening or "Mommy, is my beanstalk ready yet?"


yellow pear tomatoes in our garden :)

"Mommy, is my beanstalk ready yet?" I hear this on an almost daily basis now that summer is in full swing. I suppose I brought it on myself. After all, I was the one who insisted on showing my 3 year old the joy of gardening.
Few things in life are as sweet as a sun warmed tomato, straight from the vine. Rhubarb right in your backyard, ready at a moments notice for a sweet yet tangy crisp. The perfect leaf of lettuce just picked and placed on a BLT. Somehow they all taste that much more delicious when they have come from your own garden.
It has become my mission in life to raise smart, conscientious little men who contribute some good unto this earth. There are enough parents out there who don't care already. So, let us start with taking care of the beauty in our surroundings and the food we put into our bodies. Something even a toddler can handle. And thus began our little vegetable patch...

Mother's day, in our family, always brings with it a trip to the plant nursery. We spent the afternoon selecting herbs, melons, tomatoes, corn, lettuces; you name it we probably bought it. We tilled the soil, added some compost, and we were ready. 2 hours later the garden was done, and we were too. Time for some lemonade to reward our efforts.
So how do you explain to a 3 year old that what we just planted won't be ready tomorrow, or the next day, or even the one after that? Patience is not a strong point for the toddler set, but I told him the reward would be worth the wait. So for two months we waited and weeded, weeded and waited, until....the very first snow pea appeared. And then a pepper. And some lettuce.
But where were the beans? And why isn't the stalk up to the clouds by now? This was all that mattered to the 3 year old mind. Forget about the veggies, I want to climb a beanstalk and meet a giant. Well, the beans finally appeared, and the stalk grew too (though not nearly to the clouds) and we "climbed" and we picked, and we ate. And all along the way a little boy discovered new things, new tastes, and hopefully a little appreciation that if you nurture something, if you tend it and weed it, and water it, it will sprout, and grow and blossom into something truly delicious.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Yummy Mummy Pancakes

Pancake mix? Who needs it! It's full of preservatives and additives. These pancakes whip up in no time to make a delicious Sunday breakfast treat...



1 1/4 c.  gluten-free all purpose flour*
1 Tbsp.   baking powder
1 Tbsp.   sugar
1/4 tsp.  salt

1            egg
1 1/2 c.  milk or buttermilk
2 Tbsp.   canola oil
1 tsp.      vanilla


In a medium mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients and mix well. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in wet mixture. Mix with whisk just until incorporated. Cook in skillet over medium heat until small bubbles form on top, then flip and continue to cook until golden. These are wonderful with berries, sliced soft fruit or nuts added to cakes before flipping. I serve with homemade or organic applesauce or REAL maple syrup :)

Makes 12 medium sized pancakes.


*to make your own gluten free flour mixture, combine 2 cups rice flour (I prefer finely milled Thai rice flour, available in most ethnic food sections at your grocery store), 1/3 cup tapioca starch, 2/3 cup potato flour, and 1 tsp. guar gum. Use the 1 1/4 cups you need for this recipe, the store the rest in a sealed conatiner for next time :)