8.25.2010

Pretty Birds.



They are all 4 laying almost daily. You have all heard about the giant egg recall for salmonella. This is what happens when giant corporations take over our food production. I guarantee their chickens never see the light of day and are pumped up with antibiotics. I bet their little chicken feet have never even touched grass. They peck each other to death in the "factories" and are pushed to the egg limit. They are treated poorly and live in extremely unsanitary conditions. I strongly feel like my kids should know where food comes from. Eggs are from actual living beings. Carson watched Bobsyouruncle lay an egg yesterday and she was in awe. Sam ate two eggs yesterday that were laid not 1 hour earlier. Tasty.
We are raising Sam and Carson as a vegetarian. As they get older, we are giving them choices and offering them fresh fish and farm raised meats. Sam has tried a few things including, gasp, a McDonald's hamburger, but Carson refuses any type of meat. I feel strongly that most people have no idea what is in the meat they buy at the grocery store. It is pumped up with colors, antibiotics, and growth hormones. I have read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen 3 times and recently bought the young readers version for Carson. In my opinion, Michael Pollen is a genius. It is something that I want to read together with her to make sure she understands it.
I do appreciate that I live in a city that supports local farms and foods with an amazing farmer's market and access to fresh food. don't get me wrong. My kids will enjoy the occasional twinkie or McDonalds fries, but I want them to see those things aren't actually food.
People have told me that chickens are dirty animals and they wouldn't want them in their yard, but these are the same people eating food from dirty food factories. I wish everyone would listen to Michael Pollen.
Anyway. Enough ranting. I just wanted to say thank you to my beautiful chickens for providing us fresh, nutrient rich (because i know exactly what they eat) beautiful eggs.

8.24.2010

pickle making fools





Last weekend I joined the nabes for a little pickle making. 50 pounds of pickles, 2 gallons of vinegar, three huge bouquets of dill, dried peppers, and way too much garlic = tons of fun. These girls were serious. The pickles were washed and placed in ice packed coolers the night before and all the garlic was peeled. Thankfully, the garlic was not my job. The pickle packing went on all day with a break in the middle for some feasting. In the end there were nearly 45 quarts of spicy, dilly pickles and 5 little jars of pickled garlic cloves. I will let you know in 3 months how they turned out.