Protein Shake

My friend Kimberly shared the way she starts her day by "kicking it off" and "sipping it up" with good fuel for her body. Smart Girl! Thanks for sharing Kimberly!

Kimberly says...
I use about 8 oz of almond milk, one scoop of high protein whey powder, one scoop of super greens powder, about a quarter cup of Alaskan blueberries and a tablespoon of chia seeds. Sometimes I add almond butter or switch out the fruit. For a change of pace I use banana and scoop of Dandy Blend herbal coffee substitute and a spoonful of cocoa for a kind of mocha flavored smoothie along with the almond milk, whey, green pwd etc. http://www.dandyblend.com/ I don't even need to add sweetener most times but I use raw agave when I do.

Dandy Blend Instant Herbal Coffee Substitute
www.dandyblend.com
Dandy Blend, a healthy herbal coffee substitute, similar to Postum coffee substitute... Gluten Free

Milking it for a LIVING...

I hope you enjoy Judy and Allen's story and slide show as much as I have enjoyed getting to know them and their farm operation.


For almost two years I have driven out to Talala, Oklahoma on a bi-weekly basis for fresh eggs straight from the free roaming chickens that live there. Delicious fresh “raw” milk from both Nubian goats and Jersey milk cows that roam and graze the beautiful green pastures on the HLA Country Farm and Dairy. The most delicious cheeses and butter; fresh and homemade by Judy herself, (the MILK QUEEN is what I call her) and a goat milk yogurt I have Judy culture for thirty hours; this produces a very high probiotic content that is really good for your gut providing healthy flora that keeps your tummy happy and running smoothly. I make fresh berry yogurt smoothies for my husband and I almost daily, thanks my little goat friends for the delicious milk and a big shout of thanks to Judy and Allen for milking and making this possible. It helps keep Frank and I healthy.
Allow me to introduce you to Judy and Allen Calvert, they own and operate HLA Country Farm and Dairy, located in the lovely wide-open spaces of Talala, Oklahoma. By the way, their operation is Animal Welfare Approved; check out www.animalwelfareapproved.org to view what is required for this stamp of approval.
Judy is the MILK QUEEN and Allen is well, the KING of everything Judy hires (he works for food) and hands out to him on a daily basis – CHORES. They have lived on the property for forty plus years and have been operating their farm ,and dairy for more than eight years now. During one of my recent “visits” to their farm I asked Judy, out of curiosity, “What got you started in all this?” “Did you grow up on a farm?” Her answer was surprising to me, she said, “No, I didn’t do this growing up. As a young child my parents and siblings visited my uncle and he had a cow. One morning he took me out with him to milk his cow, and he asked me if I wanted to give it a try? I was so excited and fascinated by it all, the milking thing that is, that I replied with a big, “YES!” I think I was hooked from that moment on because I knew deep down in my heart I wanted to milk something again, and so, that’s what started the whole MILKING thing!”
Shortly after they married Judy told Allen and her family about that dream and her yearning to MILK, and being the loving and supportive family that they are; they eventually all have pitched in to help Judy make it a reality. “Farming is hard work Judy tells me and I could not do it without the help and support of my entire family!” Judy started milking and trying her hand at making products that were produced by her Jersey cows and Nubian goats. She has become an expert at making delicious cheeses, cheese spreads, butter and yogurt. The “expert” reference is my opinion, not hers; she is much too humble to refer to herself as such, but she has been doing “the homemade good for you” thing for a while now and everything she makes is really tasty! So Judy, like it or not; I’m referring to you as an “EXPERT” my MILK QUEEN friend.
If you are ready to try consuming “good for you” and straight from the animal and farm products like raw cow or goat milk, homemade cheeses, butter, yogurt or free-roaming chicken eggs please contact Judy at 918.371.5367 for more details and directions to the HLA Country Farm and Dairy.
You can visit the farm’s website at www.oklahomarawmilk.com
By the way, don’t forget to tell her you found out about her on Cinderella Chats and that Cinderella says, “hello to the MILK QUEEN!”
If you interested in making your own cheeses or how to start your own farm and dairy, Judy teaches classes on the subject that are both insightful and yummy! Judy’s classes fill up pretty quickly as folks come from all over the US to be taught by the MILK QUEEN; she is one SMART COOKIE!


Thanks again Judy and Allen for all your hard work and dedication to your animals that provide our community with "good for you" food choices.

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Crispy French Fries

I fry up French fries every once in a “blue moon” and when I do, well we eat every last one because they are so YUMMY!

Here's how I prepare them…

More than enough for two…

3 organic russet potatoes (peeled and sliced up not too thin)
24 ounces of Safflower oil (I use Spectrum High Heat Safflower Oil)
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 sprig of Rosemary chopped up finely (I LOVE ROSEMARY, but you can use whatever HERB you like.)
“Real Salt” sprinkle to taste or omit (I love this salt!)

Place your oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until it is good and hot. Take your sliced potatoes and place them carefully in the skillet and fry until golden brown. This takes about twenty minutes. Line a large tray with paper towels enough to soak up the oil, take them out, dry them off as best as you can and sprinkle them with garlic, rosemary and salt. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Savory Verrines

Sweet and SavoryVerrines by Food Stylist Beatrice

Food styling class! This was the class I was looking the most forward to attending. I LOVE TO COOK and I LOVE THE PRESENTION OF FOOD. In this class we were there to learn the tricks and the trades of Food Styling that makes those photographs you see in food magazines look so YUMMY that it prompts you purchase them immediately and run straight home to start planning the recreation of those images one by one all the while anticipating enjoying every succulent mouthwatering bite of it!

I will let the photographs above and on Beatice's website (listed below) speak for themselves.

I just have to mention how wonderful Beatrice was as a teacher and a person. She was AMAZING! She was full of ENDLESS ENERGY! She was PATIENT! She was FUN! She is FRENCH and I LOVED listening to her talk, the accent, and her excitement! No doubt, Beatrice has a PASSION for what she does…

FOOD and it SHOWS!

Thanks Beatrice!

Beatrice Peltre is a freelance food writer, stylist and photographer. She is the author of the award-winning food blog (for best photography) "La Tartine Gourmande" in which she shares anecdotal stories about her passions: cooking, family, travel, design, styling and photography. She was born and raised in a small rural village in northeastern France, in a family where food and its traditions played an essential role - this is where she draws a deep respect for beautiful organice homemade food. She graduated from the Universite de Metz in France and worked as a French teacher in the US and New Zealand. She currently lives in Boston with her Irish-American husband and her daughter. When she is not preparing, styling and photographing food, she travels the world, busy exploring and photographing new cultures. She is a regular contributor to the Boston Globe Food Section and is currently working on her first cookbook.

Check out Beatrice’s blog at the address below:

http://www.beatricepeltre.com


Food

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Auntie Organic says…

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YUMMY!