Sweet Potato Graham Muffins

Before we even got out of bed this morning, Susan and I discussed what I could cook today for the blog. Then I signed into Facebook and, lo and behold, the first thing I see is a post from Whole Foods about Sweet Potato Graham Muffins. Decision made, let's get cooking!

These were really simple to make, but beware, the batter is EXTREMELY stiff! I opted to add the cinnamon and I'm glad I did. Even with the cinnamon, these are a more savory muffin, very much reminiscent of corn bread. I think these would go really well with chili or jambalaya. I may have to make some to test my theory!

(If Susan doesn't eat them all for breakfast.)

Twenty One!

onions
basil
sweet potatoes
salad mix
peppers
tomatoes
winter squash
beets
sage
eggplant
gourd
not pictured: carrots and flowers

I (Susan) did the pick up for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, I had a terrible headache, so the experience of choosing the produce wasn't all it could have been. But driving home with a car full of lovely, fresh smells was wonderful!

What Do I Do With a Gourd?

I've been trying all day to post this blurb Gerry wrote about gourds, and it hasn't been cooperating, so I am going to start over from scratch!

When Ger was at the farm on Friday picking up our half-share, another CSA member asked what to do with the gourds. Gerry told him he was planning to dry ours to make birdhouses, and he would post information later. Well, it's MUCH later now, but better late than never!

How to Dry Gourds
Another Take on Drying Gourds--Great info here!
Making a Gourd Birdhouse

This is an example of a gourd birdhouse we bought down in Kinzers, PA at Smucker's Gourds. We like the natural look of the gourds hanging in our trees, and birds really do use them!

Use it Up

Just a quick shot of the turkey roast Gerry cooked a few days ago, surrounded by whatever we had left in the crisper drawer. It smelled like Thanksgiving at our house!

Week Twenty

I can't believe it's been twenty weeks since we started this.

Five months!

And I don't know what we're going to do when it's over. Wander aimlessly around produce departments, looking for something semi-local? Study up on canning for next summer?

For now we are enjoying: kale, eggplant, onions, peppers, basil, sweet potatoes, squash, cilantro, pumpkin, salad mix, zinnias, gourd.

Pumpkins Plus!

Behold the majestic muffin!

I think this is the first time we've ever made something besides a jack-o-lantern from a pumpkin! And because our carrot and parsnip patch is growing like crazy, I asked Gerry to look for a muffin recipe that included both pumpkin and carrots.

Yep, another shot of our carrots. We're so proud of actually GROWING something, we can't help ourselves. Yeah, we know they could have been thinned better so they wouldn't twist around each other, but we sort of like that!

I'm going to hand over the keyboard to Ger now so he can talk about making these, but before I do, I just want to say that they are really good!

My favorite cake is carrot cake. Hands down. I love how moist it is, I love the spices, I love the cream cheese icing. Of course, because Susan doesn't like cream cheese, I have to compromise and leave the icing out. But there is nothing better than a carrot cake! UNLESS it's this recipe for carrot/pumpkin cake!

These are delicious! Once again I have changed the recipe just a little bit. I don't keep canned pineapple in the house but I always have a couple of bags of those jumbo raisins from Trader Joe's, so I substituted the raisins for the pineapple. Combined with the fresh-from-the-garden carrots and fresh-from-the-farm, homemade pumpkin puree, these cakes (or muffins, if you like) are as moist as anything you'll ever have! See if you don't love them, too!

This week's share is coming tomorrow! We flaked this week and didn't remember our pick up until the last minute. Neil was kind enough to let us switch our pick up!

Forks Over Knives

Time for another movie review! This time we watched Forks Over Knives, a documentary which came out just this year. The basic premise of this movie is that eating a plant-based diet is healthier. Forget what your mom told you about needing to drink your milk for calcium or eat your meat so you'll grow big and strong. The doctors in this film claim animal-based products are at the root of many of the health problems we face, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In fact, they say many health issues can be reversed by eating a plant-based diet.

Now it probably won't surprise anyone to hear that I, as a vegetarian, was more receptive to this message. Gerry is skeptical and wants to know more about the science behind it. Gerry also likes his turkey bacon and cheese burgers an awful lot. But I am also a big fan of cheese and consume my share of milk. In fact, I just had a check up and my doctor asked me about my dairy consumption and told me to keep drinking my cereal milk! But I wonder if there is anything to this. I wonder how our overall health would change if we gave up animal products entirely. It's something to think about.




If the trailer piques your interest, there are tons of related videos on YouTube, including the entire movie for $3.99. Or, check it out of your local library! I know the Bucks County system has it! There is also more information at the official website.