Bob's Red Mill

Today, Joy and I picked up my mom from work and went to lunch at Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store. They have a small store which sells grains, breads, baked goods, dried fruit, and a variety of organic and all-natural items from local companies. They also have a restaurant where they use these products. They have a great selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals. Joy ate whole grain pancakes that were served with real maple syrup and a fruit cup (they serve breakfast until 3 pm). I had a really good garden burger sandwich, and my mom had a grilled tomato and cheese sandwich with a cup of broccoli cheddar soup. We were all very satisfied. Everything was made with whole grains and was all natural. No artificial ingredients or additives. And reasonably priced! So if you're in the Milwaukie, Oregon area, I highly recommend checking it out for a casual meal or to pick up a couple grocery items. And if not, their products are sold at most major grocery stores all over the country. And if you're out of the country, you can order their products online. I've had to order stuff that my local store didn't carry, too. They have over 400 products, including a whole line of gluten free items. We bought a package of the Vegi Soup Mix, which has green split peas, yellow split peas, barley, lentils and vegetable pasta. I will post a recipe later if it turns out well!

Now, not only was it a great experience at the restaurant and store, but we actually met Bob! Bob, the founder and owner of Bob's Red Mill! Now that might not seem too exciting to the average American, but to a health fanatic like me, he's famous. He was eating lunch two tables away, and when he got up, he stopped and talked to Joy and gave her a token for a free cookie. We talked for a few minutes and he told us we should do a mill tour one day. He was very friendly and personable. He has actually turned the company over to be employee owned. He teaches cooking classes, too, along with other chefs. Good guy. So that was kind of exciting!

You can look up information on the company, products, classes, recipes and menus online.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/
Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store, 5000 SE International Way, Milwaukie , OR 97222

Garden Burger Sandwich:
2 slices whole grain bread, toasted
1 garden burger patty
guacamole or avocado
sauteed mushrooms
1 slice Swiss cheese
lettuce
tomato

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Crisps

I’m usually a chewy, doughy kind of cookie eater, but lately I am loving crispy, light cookies. These are perfect for curbing my craving. Now I know this is a health and nutrition blog so here’s my rationale: If you are going to indulge in a sweet craving, it is so much better to make your own home-made treats using whole, organic foods than to buy something highly processed and full of artificial stuff. And I know I don’t have time to be baking treats all the time, so we’re not eating them constantly. And sometimes it’s better for your overall health (maybe the mental part more than the physical) to give in to those cravings. And I don’t feel guilty because I went to the gym today and plan to tomorrow too! I’m sure you can all come up with your own excuses to make these cookies once in a while! If not, borrow some of mine. So now I’m going to sit down with my tea and cookie and watch an episode or two of The Office.

Besides being delicious, I do like that these cookies don’t call for flour-you put part of the oatmeal called for into a food processor until it’s about the consistency of whole wheat flour. But, if you are on a strict gluten free diet, be careful because even though oats that are grown completely isolated from wheat should be free of gluten, most oats are grown in close proximity to and processed on shared equipment with wheat. I think that Bob’s Red Mill produces a gluten free oatmeal if that is something you’re looking for.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – I use Smart Balance sticks – slightly softened
1 ½ cups organic light brown sugar
2 large organic eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
10 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put 2 cups of the oatmeal in a food processor and process it until finely ground and floury.

Cream the butter until soft and smooth. Mix in the brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the ground and whole oatmeal, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until blended. Add the chocolate chips and mix just until blended.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the pan. I made smaller cookies, so I don’t over-indulge; I know I can’t eat just one! Leave 2-3 inches between them, as they will spread. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool on the pan, then store in an airtight container. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Source: I got this recipe off the back of my Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Light Brown Sugar package. It is from Executive Pastry Chef Gale Gand, author, host of Food Network’s Sweet Dreams and co-owner of Tru in Chicago.

Sustainable Living

I've compiled a list of things you can do to make your lifestyle a little more sustainable. These will not only benefit the earth, but your pocketbook as well. They might seem simple and the savings might not pay the mortgage, but taking little steps will make a difference over time. One key to sustainable living is to simplify. The more we simplify, the less money we are spending on unnecessary items. And it's good for the Earth, so nobody loses!

Farmer's Markets: I know I've said this before, but finding a farmer's market and using it on a regular basis can make a big difference. Not only will the food taste better, but you will be supporting the local economy. And why send our hard earned money elsewhere when it can stay local? My advice on shopping at a farmer's market - make a list of things you need before you go. It is easy to get carried away! You can keep it simple, maybe just eggs and a few varieties of fruits and vegetables. But be open to trying one or two new things that you find...just don't overload on things you've never tried (or heard of) before.

Bottled Water: Buy a couple reusable water bottles (or better yet, dig out the ones you already have and never use) and stop buying plastic bottled water. It is amazing the waste from these. And bottled water isn't any cleaner or purer than your own filtered tap water. So invest in a Brita and start saving money and reducing your waste.

Eliminate Wasting Food: One of my biggest annoyances is when I have to throw food away. Not only because it's wasteful, but mostly because I paid for that food. Plan to eat leftovers a couple nights a week, or take them in your lunch. When you clear the table after dinner, portion out lunch for the next day so you don't have to do it later. It also makes it easier to eat a healthy lunch, you won't be tempted to grab fast food if you have a leftover home-made meal waiting for you. Simply planning out what you will eat for the week and making a shopping list once a week will save on wasted food and wasted time. The more prepared you are the better you will eat.

Use Cloth Napkins and Rags: Cutting down on paper products might save you a lot of money. I've heard of families going through a roll of paper towels in a day. That will add up. As my dish towels and washrags get old and stained, I turn them into cleaning rags. The cost of washing these is much lower than the cost of paper towels. Investing in and using cloth napkins will lower your waste too. Plus they look nice and feel nice!

Water Conservation: This one might bring you back to first grade when you learned to turn off the water when you brush your teeth and to take shorter showers. But it's a good reminder. Fill a bowl or pot you're washing with a little soap and water and use that to rinse all your dishes. You can do this while you're cooking dinner and drop everything into the pot to soak until after you eat and are ready to wash dishes. Plus it makes clean-up much faster.

Cleaners: You can buy expensive cleaners or you can make your own "green" cleaners at home. White distilled vinegar, mixed with some lemon, will kill most mold and bacteria in your kitchen. (More cleaning "recipes" at http://www.vinegartips.com/) Try replacing one cleaning product with one you make and then go from there. Search the web, experiment and then share with me the ones you like the best!

Recycle: This is a fairly obvious one, but it doesn't take any extra time to put your paper in a recycling bin than in the trash, yet so many people don't do it. Under our sink we have our trash can and a recycle can right next to it. They are the same size, but one is black and one is white. It's so easy to recycle, there is no excuse not to. Look up what is accepted in your weekly pick-up and if there is something you use a lot of that isn't accepted, put it aside in the garage for a few weeks and take it to the local recycling center. When our boxes start piling up in the garage Matt will break them all down and take them to our local landfill, where they have a recycling center. So once every few months we have to make more of an effort than just choosing which bin to throw something in.

Reusable storage: Use your Tupperware or storage containers instead of Ziploc bags. I like the glass storage because you can stick leftovers right back in the oven or microwave to heat up and not have an extra dish to wash. You can also reuse butter tubs or glass jars from pasta sauces and applesauce. Having a variety of sizes and shapes will help, too. If you google "reusable sandwich bags" (or look on etsy.com) you can also find tons of people who make snack bags that you can use in place of plastic bags. They are good for toting around snacks for your little ones, and I know I never leave the house without a snack for Joy.

And if you're looking for a good cookbook, try Sustainably Delicious by Michael Nischan. He has more tips, plus some great recipes. OK, I'm going to get one more tip in here...get a library card! Don't spend so much money on books you'll read once or cookbooks you use once in a while. I check out so many cookbooks from the library, then either photocopy or write down the few recipes I like.

OK, so my challenge to you is to make one change this week. I do most of these things pretty well, not perfectly, but some effort is there. But my change for the week is going to be to switch out one of my cleaners for one a make myself. Hold yourself accountable. Let me know what your change is going to be. Most of these things are pretty simple, I'm not asking you to buy a new hybrid car. Change the things you can.