tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15903701386698016652013-04-23T09:24:22.137-04:00FRESH MOUTH is about one family. A dingy American diet. How we try to feed ourselves without mutiny, bankruptcy, Red Dye #40 or sounding like total locabores.Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-8324964505961377392012-06-06T15:57:00.000-04:002012-06-06T16:00:18.215-04:002012-06-06T16:00:18.215-04:00

I spied bunches of gnarled green stems at last Saturday's market for the first time and couldn't take my eyes off them. They curl and twist like ribbon.  They're garlic scapes, the stem of a hard neck garlic. I took their photo, but didn't buy any only because I didn't have a clue what to do with them. So, I checked out some food savvy blogging sites.  They have a mild garlic taste and can be

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com2http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-scapes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-62602986817615708982012-06-02T18:24:00.000-04:002012-06-02T18:25:44.609-04:002012-06-02T18:25:44.609-04:00

The market was bustling today. We had visiting Grandma and Grandpa, two aunts and an uncle and one cousin helping us out. Our harvest included kale, lettuce, spinach, radish and onions. We sold out of the onions and radishes, but have some kale left. We're making kale and spinach lasagna tomorrow for a family feast. The biggest highlights today were the Palisade cherries that sold out at a

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com2http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/06/family-farm-for-reals.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-284605063661220582012-05-20T14:02:00.001-04:002012-05-20T14:02:03.634-04:002012-05-20T14:02:03.634-04:00

If you see me, you'd know. We're having a little bumper crop in September - our fourth baby boy! Any advice on raising so many boys is heartily welcome. I always think of an old coworker who told me, "My mom always says mothers of all boys are crazy." Bring on the crazy!

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com2http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/05/bumper-crop.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-55209762416317341522012-05-19T18:29:00.000-04:002012-05-19T18:29:00.561-04:002012-05-19T18:29:00.561-04:00

This week we've been dealing with our dirt. I mean that literally and figuratively. We're testing our soil in one of our garden beds. The seeds aren't coming up as fast in one section of new soil as they are in a more established bed that's been worked with compost for two years. We bought a home testing kit from the Flower Bin in Longmont so we can check pH, nitrogen, potassium and other

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com2http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/05/good-dirt.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-39412332098604391102012-05-07T11:11:00.001-04:002012-05-07T11:11:18.381-04:002012-05-07T11:11:18.381-04:00

Working at the farmer's market has its advantages. We got the spicy green salad mix from Aspen Moon Farm and a roasted red pepper and onion flatbread from Breadworks for dinner. The salad was delicious because we topped it with the Creamy Green Goddess Dressing recipe from chef Mara King of Esoteric Foods. We used basil and it's spectacular. Creamy Green Goddess  Makes about 3/4 to 1 cup of

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com5http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/05/whey-good-weekend-food.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-48757096813986216602012-05-05T18:50:00.001-04:002012-05-05T18:50:49.367-04:002012-05-05T18:50:49.367-04:00

Thank you to all of our customers today at the Boulder County Farmer's Market! Weather was perfect - crisp and warm, kids were happy and the plants loved the temperature. No freezing morning like last week.  Heirloom tomatoes and basil were the huge hits of the day. The summer menu planning is in the works. We had four requests for lemon cucumbers today We wanted to recap some of the

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com1http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/05/our-heirloom-tomato-varieties.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-60296511700710460632012-05-05T13:53:00.002-04:002012-05-05T13:53:30.086-04:002012-05-05T13:53:30.086-04:00

Come out and see us today from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. We're selling out fast. We have tomato, pumpkin, pepper, cucumber and basil plants. We also had French Breakfast Radishes, but we sold out. They were our first crop of the year! Exciting!

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/05/todays-market.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-34524121381681679562012-04-29T21:52:00.001-04:002012-04-29T21:52:31.011-04:002012-04-29T21:52:31.011-04:00

We started our Saturday at 6:00 am. The kids were up and ready to sell at the Boulder County Farmer's Market. Our learning curve was sharp. We hustled to get the tent up, our plants out and everything in place for the 8:00 am gong that rings in the market start time.  There's no frivolity in market set up. We watched in admiration as Aspen Moon Farm set up a double tent space with enough

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com1http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/04/first-market.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-17616408544576445242012-04-14T17:56:00.005-04:002012-04-14T18:33:34.531-04:002012-04-14T18:33:34.531-04:00

Last night, I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives. It makes you think a lot about your diet. In fact, it makes you worry about your diet. The thesis of the film is that a plant-based diet without meat and dairy is what is going to prevent you from going under the knife in later years. Your nutrition can trump disease - your fork over the knife or scalpel. I loved the quote in one of the

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/04/forks-over-knives-other-worries.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-77236141539062090172012-04-04T16:15:00.006-04:002012-04-04T16:21:53.180-04:002012-04-04T16:21:53.180-04:00

Here's a cool article on Patrick and Fresh Mouth Farm at the Boulder County Farmer's Market. He spoke to the reporter on his own. I was curious to see what he had to say! There's also a really cool chart on produce and seasonal availability for summer months.

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/04/patrick-loves-his-vegetables.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-19409204708014334922012-04-02T16:56:00.011-04:002012-04-02T17:35:27.105-04:002012-04-02T17:35:27.105-04:00

This weekend we ripped up nearly 700 square feet of our yard to make vegetable garden beds. All that precious green carpet, that suburban commodity, taken right out. We put an ad on Craig's List offering the free, rolled up sod, and we got about 30 calls in a single day. Grass is king.Considering that the American lawn fuels a $40 billion industry and that there are about 26 million leaf blowers

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com1http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-suburban-agriculture-no-more-grass.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-26251551513163100502012-03-24T19:07:00.011-04:002012-03-24T19:49:39.771-04:002012-03-24T19:49:39.771-04:00

We attended our first day of orientation for the Boulder County Farmer's Market. How do we feel? Excited and scared. It's the 25th anniversary of the market, and Patrick is the youngest farmer to date in its history.Jenn Ross, market manager, explained that we should anticipate selling more than we expect. Dirk and I both wanted to rush home and till more soil. Patrick wanted to buy more flats

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/03/farmers-market-orientation.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-52378712330491573962012-03-12T14:45:00.005-04:002012-03-12T15:06:26.146-04:002012-03-12T15:06:26.146-04:00

I read two articles this week linking modern food to our illnesses. It boils down to the fact that processed foods like soda and refined carbs like chips, cookies, etc. cause cancer and heart disease. Coke and Pepsi have a chemical in them to give their drinks that rich caramel color. It's known as 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) and in high doses it causes cancer in animals. The Center for Science in

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/03/kill-processed-foods-not-yourself.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-32766122613156301672012-03-06T13:26:00.003-05:002012-03-06T13:45:16.194-05:002012-03-06T13:45:16.194-05:00

I love reading alumni magazines from any school. It's like sport to me to get a handle on what the university or college deems relevant and the focus of research or faculty. You can souse out any biases. There's the class notes where you can read what people your age are doing with their lives. That can be an exercise in self-punishment ... be cautious! This week, we got Bostonia Magazine from

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com1http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-we-are-fat.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-72003097673254958112012-02-17T17:43:00.004-05:002012-02-17T18:27:54.131-05:002012-02-17T18:27:54.131-05:00

My Mojo is in the tank. I have one kiddo with pneumonia, and the other two with hacking coughs. I'm stuck with head cold and chest congestion. It's been hard to stick to the Mojo guidelines for these weeks three and four. The third week entailed being gluten, dairy, caffeine, sugar and alcohol free. Gluten was hard when I didn't feel well. Toast was one of few things that appealed. Week 4 is

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com2http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/02/mojo-farmers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-63193137977048976042012-02-03T11:20:00.003-05:002012-02-03T11:37:20.728-05:002012-02-03T11:37:20.728-05:00

Mara King and Marcie Goldman preparing a vegetarian soup with tofu and miso. This week we strip it down. No dairy. No gluten. Oooo. It's hard. Last week I added greens to nearly every meal I ate. My food consumption was really high, but I never felt hungry. Only satisfied. We feasted on kale, collard greens, brussel sprouts, spinach, lettuces. We added herbal infusions and lots of water to our

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/02/mojo-mastery-week-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-72630739547297305972012-01-26T18:09:00.002-05:002012-01-26T18:20:43.865-05:002012-01-26T18:20:43.865-05:00

Photo from Mojo Mastery We began our Mojo Mastery Month last night in a three-hour session that included nutritional education, cooking lessons and tasting. We ate the "Spinach Gomaae" created by chef Mara King, owner of Zuke Products, and I can't tell you how good it was. I will actually fantasize about this dish. It's just spinach and the most amazing sesame sauce with freshly ground sesame

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com2http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/01/mojo-mastery-week-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-12576986756161384162012-01-22T14:43:00.003-05:002012-01-22T14:59:59.191-05:002012-01-22T14:59:59.191-05:00

I am doing two things this week - visiting Las Vegas for the first time and starting a cleanse. Nothing like going to the den of excess to start a dietary reboot. A medical conference with Dirk is the reason for the trip, and trying to get healthier is the impetus for the cleanse. The timing just happened to coincide. The first week of the month-long cleanse requires no food elimination, just

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/01/getting-my-mojo-back.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-16595712239312022182012-01-20T16:28:00.000-05:002012-01-20T16:29:28.080-05:002012-01-20T16:29:28.080-05:00

Here's an inspiring movie to watch.

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/01/may-i-be-frank.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-43786064637615597972012-01-11T15:30:00.003-05:002012-01-11T16:02:35.562-05:002012-01-11T16:02:35.562-05:00

Photo courtesy of cheeseslave.comI have never bought any drink by the case in my life. Well, other than beer. But today kombucha is on sale at Whole Foods for $1.99 instead of $2.99 per bottle. I bought a case of GT's Organic Raw Kombucha in the Gingerade flavor which is as mysterious to me as it may be to you. I've been craving this fermented tea made from a symbiotic colony of yeast and

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/01/ive-been-thinking-about-kombucha.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-28859644241779841552012-01-03T11:15:00.002-05:002012-01-03T11:31:43.634-05:002012-01-03T11:31:43.634-05:00

Happy New Year!Resolutions are in full swing. We are as committed to eating well as always, but we're bumping it up a notch. I started seeing a nutritionist and it's been the most insightful, useful and practical experience for my own well being and the whole fam. Here are a few of small tips that have really amped up our family nutritional profile: - Adding plant-based protein powder to Jack's

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-year-resolutions-and-noodle-bowls.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-11968786027731086692011-12-28T13:36:00.000-05:002011-12-28T13:37:26.175-05:002011-12-28T13:37:26.175-05:00

“The passive American consumer, sitting down to a meal of pre-prepared food, confronts inert, anonymous substances that have been processed, dyed, breaded, sauced, gravied, ground, pulped, strained, blended, prettified, and sanitized beyond resemblance to any part of any creature that ever lived. The products of nature and agriculture have been made, to all appearances, the products of industry.

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2011/12/confronting-food.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-39048988778752595692011-12-19T18:20:00.004-05:002011-12-19T18:30:21.473-05:002011-12-19T18:30:21.473-05:00

Want a quick, healthy and delicious holiday gift for friends and neighbors? I made this dark chocolate pistachio bark in five minutes, and it couldn't have been better. It's from Whole Living Magazine. Pistachios are a great antioxidant and are high in B6, thiamin and fiber. And the dark chocolate is also an antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure. Sounds good for the holidays. Ingredients

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2011/12/quick-chocolate-treat-for-holiday-gifts.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-20810538642843183662011-12-13T09:36:00.007-05:002011-12-13T23:29:13.668-05:002011-12-13T23:29:13.668-05:00

My four-year-old making apple crumble at his preschool fall festival. I recently hand fed my four-year-old, Jack, meatballs. He only eats meat in that form. I really wanted him to get the nutritional value of the meal which I had bolstered with flax and a nice parmesan.In between his chatting and chewing, I would fork in a hefty bite. He chewed and chatted some more. I kept giving him more until,

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2011/12/we-need-to-spend-some-time-alone.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1590370138669801665.post-75591009100274575602011-12-09T14:39:00.004-05:002011-12-09T15:27:47.024-05:002011-12-09T15:27:47.024-05:00

Snow White fell prey to a poison apple thanks to the Wicked Queen, but our kids are falling prey to poisoned apple juice thanks to the federal government. As of today, there's absolutely no federal limit for the amounts of arsenic or lead found in fruit juices. The apple juice and arsenic issue came to light this school year when Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of "The Dr. Oz Show," commissioned tests of

Eileen and Dirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381258339081934748noreply@blogger.com0http://familyfresh.blogspot.com/2011/12/poison-apple-juice.html