Nourish Your Family From the Inside Out

I received an e-mail from Tracey Miller of Tracey Miller Wellness announcing some upcoming classes.  I took a few of her classes last year and they were info-packed and just wonderful.  Try one out if you haven't yet, you won't be disappointed...

Back to school means meal times get shorter as kids run out the door to catch the bus or eat a quick meal in between classes. But don't let sugary breakfasts and high-carb lunches zap their energy and pack on the extra pounds! Work schedules and soccer games can also put healthy dinners on the back burner (or the microwave) and the daily grind of "figuring out what's for dinner" gets old real quick! But healthy meals can be quick.

Join me this fall for three cooking classes that combine BOTH food preparation AND nutrition to give you new ideas for meals, and teach you the most important information you need to keep your family healthy. I'll also give you tips for menu planning along with my handy menu planner and a list of dos and don'ts to help you and your family avoid foods that will put your blood sugar on a roller coaster and compromise your immune system.

September 29
Thinking Outside the Box: Wholesome Breakfasts and Lunches for Kids
and Grown Ups Too
Are you (and your kids!) tired of the same old things for breakfast and lunch and relying on too much processed food? I'll give you new recipes to get you thinking outside the cereal box for breakfast and get inside the lunch box with colors, textures, and shapes that adults and kids will love. I'll show you how to make foods "fun" without fancy packaging and without lots of additives and preservatives.

October 13
The Fall Harvest: In Salads, Sides, Soups & Snacks!
When the growing season winds down, it's easy to give up on eating bountiful local vegetables and trade them in for limp supermarket seconds. Learn about the benefits of seasonal eating and why we all need more (good) fats and proteins as the fall gives way to winter. I'll show you how to make nutrient-dense beef, chicken and fish stocks as a base for cold-weather soups and stews. You'll also learn how to prepare some wonderful grass-fed meats like beef and pork as well as some tried and true ideas for getting more deep leafy greens like chard and kale into your families' diet.

November 3
Building Your Immune System to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays
Your child's immune system is still developing, so now is the time to help build up their resistance to common childhood ailments like colds, ear infections, and allergies. Learn how the body protects itself against nasty colds and flus and which nutrients are the most important to help boost your child's immune system and learn how boost its fighting power - from the inside out!

Register now for one or all three classes. Each class is $40 and includes dinner. Receive $5 off if you sign up for two or more classes. (Each class will be $35.) Bring a friend and get an additional $5 off. Click on the links below to register:

Thinking Outside the Box: Wholesome Breakfasts and Lunches for Kids (and Grown Ups Too!)
The Fall Harvest In Salads, Sides, Soups & Snacks
Building Your Immune System to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays!

Email me at tracey@traceymillerwellness.com if you have any questions or call me at 603-380-1080.

I also provide health coaching for individuals and families. I offer nutritional guidance, menu planning, and cooking instruction to help you understand and reduce your cravings, lose weight and increase your energy your energy and feel better in your body. My approach focuses on helping you create a lifestyle of healthy eating which nourishes you and puts your body in balance - without deprivation and counting calories. Call me about my free health consultation to learn more about how I can help you.

See you in the kitchen!
Tracey Miller, 603-380-1080

Read more...

A Recipe For Chronic Disease

Proposed 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines -- A Recipe for Chronic Disease

Weston A. Price Foundation Proposes a Return to Four Basic Groups of Nutrient-Dense Foods

WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 2010: The proposed 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines are a recipe for infertility, learning problems in children and increased chronic disease in all age groups according to Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

"The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources," explains Fallon Morell. 

"The revised Guidelines recommend even more stringent reductions in animal fats and cholesterol than previous versions," says Fallon Morell, "and are tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. While the ship of state sinks under the weight of a crippling health care burden, the Committee members are giving us more of the same disastrous advice.  These are unscientific and grossly deficient dietary recommendations."

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation with no ties to the government or food processing industries.  Named for Dr. Weston A. Price, whose  pioneering research discovered the vital importance of animal fats in human diets, the Foundation has warned against the dangers of lowfat and plant-based diets.

"Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates, but excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function," says Fallon Morell.  "Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease."

The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese. Incredibly, the Guidelines single out cheese as an unhealthy food!

Fallon Morell notes that by restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will accelerate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders.  The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats-including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid-are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior.  Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day-but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. In their deliberations, the committee referred to this as the "choline problem." Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible-yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.

The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats-calling them Solid Fats-thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats.  Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.

The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction.  The Weston A. Price Foundation warns that the 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.

"The 2010 proposed Guidelines represent a national scandal, the triumph of industry clout over good science and common sense," says Fallon Morell. "It must be emphasized that the Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and-through the back door-encourage the consumption of processed foods. For while the USDA food police pay lip service to reducing our intake of refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt, this puritanical low-fat prescription ultimately leads to cravings for chips, sweets, sodas, breads, desserts and other empty food-and-beverage-like products just loaded with refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt."
The Weston A. Price Foundation proposes alternative Healthy 4 Life Dietary Guidelines, which hearkens back to the traditional four basic food groups, but with a renewed emphasis on quality through a return to pasture-based feeding and organic, pesticide-free production methods:

Every day, eat high quality, whole foods to provide an abundance of nutrients, chosen from each of the following four groups:

ANIMAL FOODS: meat and organ meats, poultry, and eggs from pastured animals; fish and shellfish; whole raw cheese, milk and other dairy products from pastured animals; and broth made from animal bones.

GRAINS, LEGUMES AND NUTS: whole-grain baked goods, breakfast porridges, whole grain rice; beans and lentils; peanuts, cashews and nuts, properly prepared to improve digestibility.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: preferably fresh or frozen, preferably locally grown, either raw, cooked or in soups and stews, and also as lacto-fermented condiments.

FATS AND OILS: unrefined saturated and monounsaturated fats including butter, lard, tallow and other animal fats; palm oil and coconut oil; olive oil; cod liver oil for vitamins A and D.

AVOID: foods containing refined sweeteners such as candies, sodas, cookies, cakes, etc.; white flour products such as pasta and white bread; processed foods; modern soy foods; polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and fried foods

ACTIONS TO TAKE
1. Please take time during this week to post a comment at the USDA website. Go to www.dietaryguidelines.gov and scroll down to "SUBMIT Written Comments."  It is particularly important to describe any adverse health effects you or family members have suffered by following earlier versions of the Guidelines. You may also want to use any of the talking points listed below.

2. Please also EMAIL your comments to your Senators and Representative in Congress.  Let them know that USDA's formulation of dietary guidelines is a complete waste of taxpayer money and has resulted in a health crisis of epidemic proportions, especially in our children. It would be good also to PHONE your elected officials as well. For congressional contact information, go to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

3. If you live near Washington, DC, consider attending the public hearings at USDA on July 8.  You can sign up to give an oral presentation (as I will do) or simply attend to show support.  To sign up for attending the meeting, go to www.dietaryguidelines.gov and scroll down to "Meeting Registration/Oral Testimony."

Read more...

A Springy Weekend

I am over the moon right now!  My garden is sprouting!  I took a risk and planted just a bit of Swiss chard and peas back on March 17th.  And sure enough, it's popping out of the garden!  Today I planted more chard and peas as well as (purple) carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce, and tended to my one little wintered kale.

Before I got to gardening though, I spent the day be-bopping around NH.  I started the morning at the last Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers' Market in Exeter.  I love seeing all my friends at the markets!  I picked up a nice lunch of potato hash from White Heron Tea.  (Check out Warren Farm's blog about their experience at the market today and what Amy is pondering and an update on her homesteading life.)  Now we can officially move on to the spring and summer markets!  Can't believe summer is on our doorstep...

After the market I zipped up to the Made in NH Expo.  What a fun time that was!  There were so many food samples and lovely products to browse.  I purchased some spice mixes from Camp Mix, one of which is a mix of granulated honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  I can't wait to try it on my oatmeal...  I also picked up this really neat ceramic grater for garlic, nutmeg, cheese etc.  Hope it works well (it did during the demo)!  The last thing I snagged was the new SPF 30 sunscreen/bug repellent from Badger Balms.  This sunscreen is highly rated by the Environmental Working Group. 

The Made in NH Expo will be open Sunday from 10 am - 4 pm.

The last stop of the day was the A Market Natural Foods Store in Manchester.  It was my first time there and it was quite a lovely store.  They had a very thorough selection of natural and organic products.  If you're in the area, be sure to check them out.

Oh, I have a gluten-free product review coming up for you!  Should be up within the next week, be sure to stop on back here!

Read more...

Granite State Of Mind

This just came across my desk and I couldn't help but post it for you!   I am so proud to live in the great 603 - New Hampshire!  :)  Hope you enjoy as much as I did.  (Note: there is a bleeped expletive)

Read more...

Real Food Face-Off: My Turn!

Today I am featured in the Real Food Face-Off at Kitchen Stewardship.  The Real Food Face-Off is a gathering of "real food" bloggers sharing their real food thoughts, ideas and tricks of the trade.

So please head over to Kitchen Stewardship and check out my answers to the real food questions.  My face-off partner today is Kim at Homestead  Acres.

And here are some questions and answers that didn't make it live today:

1. What food was your favorite that you no longer eat (or shouldn’t eat)?

Cheez-its. Seeing they contained GMO’s on Food, Inc. ruined it for me.

2. What’s your favorite real/traditional food?

Enjoying all the butter, oh and bacon…I guess I love breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns…

3. What’s something you remain afraid to try?

Definitely has to be organ meat, I need to find a reputable local source. I am also not a big seafood fan!

4. List your top 3 baby steps to move from a Standard American Diet to Real Food.

1. Get rid of high fructose corn syrup
2. Research local meat, meet the farmers and the farms
3. Switch to raw dairy

5. Biggest drawback of real food lifestyle?

It can be frustrating to find real food, it’s definitely not as convenient as modern food, though the health benefits are well worth it and you do figure out shortcuts.

6. What do you refuse to buy at a grocery store that you do eat from its source?

Definitely meat. I have to have local grass-fed meats. When I do start incorporating organ meats it will be locally sourced as well.

7. Best book recommendations? 

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair and Peggy O’Mara
Holy Cows And Hog Heaven by Joel Salatin

8. Number one tip you tell your blog readers about eating healthy foods:

Know where you food comes from, get to know you local famers and food producers, and support the local economy.

I hope these answers and the answers at Kitchen Stewardship give you some ideas on how to incorporate more real food into your everyday meals! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or leave a comment.

You can also follow me on Twitter @livinglocalnh

Read more...

Shift Your Spending

As the "black Friday" shoppers swarm the stores, I encourage you to sit at home and start thinking about the meaningful, homemade, local, thoughtful gifts you're going to hand out this Christmas season. There are so many options for buying local gifts, you really have no excuse!

Next week starts Seacoast Local's Buy Local Week. Here's a blurb from Kelly Cioe President, Board of Directors for Seacoast Local:

SHIFT YOUR SHOPPING
and enjoy
SEACOAST LOCAL'S BUY LOCAL WEEK
November 30 - December 6

Don't forget to get Buy Local Week in your calendars. Come out and support your neighbors.

In an effort to give our local economy a much-needed boost this holiday season, towns throughout the Seacoast officially proclaim "Buy Local Week" Nov. 30 through Dec. 6. Tell everyone, so we can really make a difference!

Buy Local Week encourages shoppers to "Shift Your Shopping" and seek out local businesses during the biggest retail shopping week of the year.

Dollars spent at locally owned, independent businesses recirculate up to twice as much in our community compared to dollars spent at non-locally owned businesses. That means each dollar that Seacoast residents shift to local independents during the holiday season turns into more local people getting a paycheck, paying their mortgage, and buying what they need at other businesses across our community.

Also, you can shop online at NH Made anytime and pick up nice gifts from all different catergories:

• Maple Products
• NH Mementos
• Specialty Foods
• Coffee & Tea
• Decorative Accents
• Pottery & Glass
• Toys & Recreation
• Clothing & Jewelry
• Prints & Cards
• Personal Care
• Organic/All-Natural
• Pet
• Accessories
• Books/Calendars/DVDs
• Candles
• Gift Baskets
• Wood & Metal

And if you can't decide, there's always the NH Made gift certificate option!

Don't forget about the:

** Jenness Farm Stimulus Package**
We will offer 10% off your entire purchase from Nov. 27 through Dec. 24, 2009. This offer valid in our retail shop only and excludes food/beverage sales.

The Winter Farmers' Markets are also a great place to purchase Christmas gifts. Think about local maple syrup & maple treats, wine and spirits, a wooden cutting board from The Original Woodchuck, jams & jellies, teas and more!

Where do you buy your local Christmas gifts? What are your plans? Will you be doing more homemade/local products?

Read more...

Certify Your Habitat

I came across this awhile ago, but thought I'd blog about it, finally!

The National Wildlife Federation has a neat program that will allow you to certify your yard as a certified wildlife habitat. It doesn't take too much work either and it's only a simple $20 application fee.

All you need to do is provide elements from each of the following areas:

• Food Sources - For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar
• Water Sources - For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream
• Places for Cover - For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse
• Places to Raise Young - For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond
• Sustainable Gardening - For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer

Looks like I need a birdhouse and a birdbath and I could certify my little parcel! Neato, huh?!

Read more...

Botany of Desire on PBS

The Botany of Desire based on the book by Micheal Pollan will be airing on PBS Wednesday, October 28 at 8 pm. This two hour broadcast will explore the natural history of apples, tulips, marijuana and potatoes and their impact on humans. For more broadcast times, click here.

I'm excited to watch this as I haven't read this book by Pollan. Anyone else joining me?

Read more...

GSS Fall Foliage Fest

This Saturday is Good Shepherd School's 25th annual Fall Foliage Fest. Admission is free and the event is located in Haley's Field across from Calef's Country Store from 9 am - 3 pm. Lots of family fun activities as well as a silent and live auction. Be sure to check it out before or after the Jenness Farm Harvest Festival. For more information about the GSS Fall Foliage Fest visit www.thegoodshep.org

Read more...

Barrington Farm Tour Day

Finally I can share information with you regarding the 2009 Barrington Farm Tour Day!! It will be held Sunday June 28th from 10 am - 3 pm with nine different farms participating throughout Barrington.

Participating farms include:

• Warren Farm
• Sallie’s Fen Alpacas
• Yellow House Farm
• Nippo Brook Farm
• Castle Anam Cara “The Castle”
• Profile Alpacas
• Lasting Legacy Farm
• Young Road Peaches
• Ramsbotham’s Riverview Farm

Download and print a brochure and map: Barrington Farm Tour Day (.pdf)

Also, at Yellow House Farm there will be a table with information regarding the first annual “Natural Heritage Agricultural Fair” September 12^th, 2009. Be sure to make at stop at Yellow House Farm for this exciting information...as well as to see the amazing flocks of heritage chickens and more!

Read more...

Happy Pig = Happy Meal

What a fabulous video I came across tonight from ABC's Nightline. Did you know that Chipotle chicken and pork comes from "happy" chickens and pigs? Chipotle's motto is "Food with Integrity" (gotta love that)!

Did you know that Chipotle buys some of its meat from Polyface Farms? How cool is that?! If "Polyface Farm" doesn't ring a bell, PLEASE find a copy of The Omnivore's Dilemmaby Michael Pollan and read it as soon as possible. This is the book that got me started on my "living local" journey.

Must watch video clip from ABC:
Chipotle's Fast Food Facelift

"In our culture today, our Western, reductionist, Greco-Roman, linear, fragmented, disconnected, systematized, all parts orientated culture, we don't ask how to make a pig happy, we ask how do we grow them faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper. And that's not a noble goal." --Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms

I truly believe that buying food from farmers who embrace "happy animals" is the way to go. There's no need to confine these animals unless the end goal is to grow them "faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper" as Joel said. Pay for the better quality food. You're not just paying for a tasty meal, but for a bit of these farmer's livelihoods. Vote with your dollars who you want to support and which values you believe in.

It's so great to see a "fast food" restaurant step up and use meat from non-industrial sources. Oh and did I mention that Chipotle has no rBGH in their dariy products? Chipotle has a new (vocal) supporter (not that I ever didn't like their food before)!! The only Chipotle in NH is located in Newington, NH, so hopefully you're close so you can enjoy their tasty food! For other Chipotle's across the USA, click here.

Another great local "fast" food restaurant is Fresh Local on Beane Lane in Newington, NH. They use local produce and meat and I'm excited to try them out as well. They are also part of the Green Alliance.

More restaurants that serve local food:

• Anneka Jans, Kittery, ME
• Black Trumpet Bistro, Portsmouth, NH
• Blue Moon Market Cafe, Exeter, NH
• The Dunaway, Portsmouth, NH
• Ferguson-Davis Dining Room at Flag Hill Winery, Lee, NH
• Flatbread Company, Portsmouth, NH
• Four, Portsmouth, NH
• Joshua's, Wells, ME
• Las Olas, Exeter, NH
• Pepperland Cafe, S Berwick, ME
• Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH
• Ristorante Massimo, Portsmouth, NH
• Robert's Maine Grill, Kittery, ME
• Victory 96, Portsmouth, NH
• Zampa, Epping, NH

As a last side note, I have also read one of Joel Salatin's books, Holy Cows And Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer's Guide To Farm Friendly Food, and I highly recommend it in addition to Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. These are two must read books. Do yourself a favor and go find a copy, you'll be glad you did!

Read more...

Fee-Free Weekends in Your National Parks

America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better this summer with three fee-free weekends at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees*.

Mark your calendars for fee-free weekends this summer:

• June 20-21, 2009 (Father’s Day weekend)
• July 18-19, 2009
• August 15-16, 2009

Local fee-free parks include:
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

Acadia National Park

Adams National Historical Park
Cape Cod National Seashore
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site
Longfellow National Historic Site

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Read more...

These are a few of my favorite things...

I wanted to share 10 of my favorite things. These are things that keep me going day to day and help me live local!1. Roadside farm stands. So great for random fresh produce without needing to visit a farmers' market. I love that feeling of "discovering" a new stand as I drive along. I have a few favorites as well. There's a small farm stand on Gear Rd. off Rt. 125 in Rochester, NH that has a fun selection of fresh veggies and fruit. I've stocked up on rhubarb and asparagus in the past month!

Elf's Garden Center on Walnut St. will have local produce and they carry local meat, milk, eggs and more. More road side farm stand locations can be found here.

2. Paperback Swap. This is an economical way of "swapping" your used unwanted books for other books you want. I've received over 75 books, some which are amazing out of print cookbooks. I'd love for you to use me as a referral and if you list 10 books, you get a free credit to pick out your first book.

3. Peppermint Pick Me Up Soap from Jenness Farm. I'm just in love with this stuff. It's such a refreshing smell with a bit of exfoliating scrubbies. Jenness Farm has an amazing store filled with tons of goat milk products, from shampoo to bath soap to bug spray! Their products are available to purchase from their online store, at their store in Nottingham, or at the Portsmouth Farmers' Market.

4. Cookbooks! Here are some of my current favorites:

• The Hay Day Country Market Cookbook
• From Asparagus to Zucchini (bought at the North Berwick Farmers' Market)
• Greene on Greens (Paperback Swap find)
• Nourishing Traditions
• The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook
• The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook (Paperback Swap find)
• The Inn Cookbook by Igor Kropotkin (yard sale find)
• Yankee New England Cookbook (found at The Christmas Tree Shop)
• Ball Blue Book of Preserving (bought at Walmart)

5. Bloggy friends!

• Colleen at Penny-Wise People
• Amy at What Did She Do Today?
• Sarah at Seacoast Eat Local

6. Ariston Olive Oil Refill & Save program. Available at Calef's Country Store in Barrington, NH. $11.99 for the initial purchase and $8.99 for refills. I figure if I can't buy local olive oil then I can at least buy my olive oil locally!

7. Shaklee Vitalizer, Mighty Smarts, Incredivites and the Get Clean home products. For over 50 years, generations of families have counted on Shaklee to do what no other company can do quite the same—make products that are naturally safe AND proven effective. The vitamins are wonderful and the cleaning products can't be beat!

8. Hiking and taking walks in the area. We love Blue Job Mountain and Mt. Isinglass Recreational Area. The Mt. Isinglass Recreational Area is located on Rochester Neck Rd in Gonic and offers two looped trails with waterfall views and picnic areas. With the kids approaching ages 4 and 3, we're definitely looking forward to more outdoor time!

9. Yard sales. Great source of used book, kitchenware and other "junk" (as my husband would say)! Here's where I check for upcoming yard sales:

• Craigslist
• Classified Connection (half page booklet available in may local business around the seacoast, they will be online soon as well)
• Foster's

10. And my last favorite thing has to be YOU, my readers! You guys keep me going, learning and exploring the Seacoast to bring you the very best local recipes, events and sustainable living resources! So thank you for reading and visiting this blog and I hope you'll stick around! Any feedback is greatly appreciated (as are comments)!!
You can subscribe via e-mail or a reader or become a follower to stay up to date on all activites going on at Living the Local Life. All the subscribe tools are located on the sidebars at the top of this page.

Enjoy your weekend!

Read more...

Free Family Film Festival

REG Free Family Film Festival Beginning June 2009!
When school’s out, kids around the country visit selected Regal theaters for the Free Family Film Festival. It’s a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and parents. Since 1991, Regal has provided this service to the community, and best of all it’s FREE! Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theater capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer.

Movies at the Fox Run Stadium in Newington, NH include: Space Chimps (G), Horton Hears a Who (G), Inkheart (PG), Wallace and Gromit (G), Igor (PG), Charlotte's Web (G), Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG), and more...

Tickets for our 2009 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show.

Enjoy the show.

Read more...

Tips for Ensuring Healthy Dinners

I received this handout at the cooking class last week at Attrezzi European Marketplace in Portsmouth, NH. Tracey Miller put together this tip sheet and, with permission, I am sharing it with you. It's packed with great tips on how to start creating healthier dinners in your own kitchen. Be sure to sign up for the next cooking class, Super Nourishing Spring Greens, happening June 8th.

Tips for Ensuring Healthy Dinners

Plan ahead! Don't wait until the last minute to figure out what's on the menu! Invest time early in the week to draft a meal plan to take the stress out of cooking during the week.

Focus on quality, not quantity. Choose real foods which are as close to their natural state as possible. REAL food is more nutritious and will provide more of the necessary nutrients for your cells and organs to function optimally.

Choose organic when possible and see out local foods. Studies show that organic foods are up to 30 percent more nutritious! Strengthening your immune system begins with eating REAL food and decreasing their toxic load.

Plan with the seasons. Let the seasons dictate what's for dinner. Pick what's fresh and in season.

Eliminate processed foods that include:

• enriched white flour
• partially hydrogenated fat
• high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• artificial colors and flavors
• artificial sweeteners (including Splenda)
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)

Make your plates colorful! The more colorful your plate, the greater the range of vitamins and minerals you'll get. Make sure to featuer at least three to four colors on your plate.

Burn the rice! Try new foods to go beyond your list of the same "30" foods. Think outside the (processed) box!

Cook once, eat twice. Make extra so you can freeze leftovers like homemade soups to get you out of a pinch.

Keep it simple - a piece of meat, two to three vegetables, brown rice or whole grain pasta!

Read more...

Local CPR Classes

During the week of June 1 – 7 the American Red Cross Great Bay Chapter will be holding a number of CPR classes at local restaurants. Anyone who registers and pays for one of these classes will be able to bring a friend or family member for free.

There are four local restaurants that are participating in these events, and there will be a dinner break so people can order off of the menu. These classes are a great chance for people to spend a night out, have some fun, and learn CPR too!

CPR Night Out -- 2 for 1 Classes:

Robert’s Maine Grill – Kittery
Adult CPR
June 1, 2009
5:30pm – 9:00pm

Portsmouth Brewery – Portsmouth
Adult CPR
June 2, 2009
4pm – 8pm

The Governor’s Inn – Rochester
Adult CPR or Infant/Child CPR
June 3, 2009
6pm – 10pm

Blue Latitudes – Dover
Adult CPR
June 4, 2009
6pm – 10pm

There are limited seats available and pre-registration is required to attend. It's a 2 for 1 deal – first person registers at full price ($45), second person is free.

Read more...

Whey Cool Giveaway!

Welcome to the May Day Giveaways brought to you by the New England Bloggers.

I am excited to be giving away a 30 Minute Mozzerella and Ricotta Cheese Kit. All you need to provide is the 30 minutes of effort and a gallon of milk! You also get a bunch of whey left over after the cheese is made. You can make bread, pizza dough or soup with the whey.

Here are a few pictures of my first time making mozzarella. I made the final product into Bocconcini (little mouthfuls). I tossed the little mozzarella balls in olive oil, parsley, and garlic. Delicious!

Here's how the giveaway works:

1. Giveaway will close May 1st at 12 pm EST. Winner will be announced May 2nd.
2. This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.
3. You get one entry for simply commenting on this post.
4. You'll get a second entry if you subscribe to my FREE newsletter and make another comment stating that you subscribed. If you already subscribe, leave a comment telling me you're already a subscriber.
5. And to sweeten the deal, you'll get a one last entry for blogging about this contest on your blog. Use this button on your blog post if you like. Leave me a comment with the link to your post regarding my giveaway.
Be sure to check out the other participating blogs for more great giveaways!

Art from the Heart - Catherine in ME
Basia-Spirit Space - Barbara in MA
The Book Kitten - Kitten in CT
Fabric 'N Fiber Fanatic - Sara in NH
Life, as it is... - Tara in MA
Loving Mom 2 Boys - Liz in RI
My Secret Garden - Sue in MA
Penny's Art Room - Penny in ME
Penny-Wise People - Colleen in NH
Raise Your Hand If... - Carol in MA
Seriously, No Seriously - Michelle
Thoughts from an Evil Overlord - Elizabeth in MA

Read more...

Welcome NH.com Viewers

I'd like to welcome viewers coming from NH.com to my blog, Living the Local Life. I've been featured as Blog of the Week at NH.com so we can welcome some new faces I hope!

Take a look around and feel free to "follow me" or subscribe to my newsletter (upper left column). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! My e-mail address can be found on the right hand column or feel free to just leave a comment on this post.

Enjoy the recipes, local events and tips & tricks for living in a more sustainable way! And stick around, I'll be giving away a
30 Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit as part of the May Day Giveaways starting Monday April 27th.

Read more...

Teaser Tuesday: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I'm trying out Teaser Tuesday hosted by Should Be Reading. The goal is to give you a few teaser sentences from the book I'm reading.

"A mid-June New England garden, two weeks past the last frost, is predominantly green: lacy bouquets of salad greens, Chinese cabbage, cilantro, broccoli, and peas. A tomato of any type seemed out the question, until we crested a hill and came upon two long greenhouses."

p. 119 "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver

So far of what I've read it's a very good book. I've only heard rave reviews and I can't wait to finish this book! Available for sale here: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)

Read more...

Don't Forget - Jenness Farm today!

I was able to make it over to Jenness Farm and what a blast it was. A perfect event for kids of all ages as well. All the animals were out and loving the attention. And Pat's Cider Donuts stand was there, if you haven't tried his homemade donuts, you're missing out!

Rob of Yellow House Farm was also there selling fresh chicken and duck eggs. Yellow House Farm is also selling raffle tickets for $1 each. The prizes are as follows:

• 3rd prize will be a coupon for 25% off a dozen chicks.
• 2nd prize will be a coupon for 50% off a dozen chicks
• 1st prize will be 12 FREE chicks!
  

Each prize will also include one free tuition to Chicken Husbandry 101 at Yellow House Farm. All proceeds from the raffle tickets will benefit the SPPA. So don't forget to get your raffle tickets at Jenness Farm. I was blessed with a half dozen duck eggs so I'll be posting a yummy scrambled duck egg recipe soon.

The farm store has an amazing selection of bath and body products all made with goat's milk. They also have goat's milk and local meat for sale at the farm store. Don't forget to fill out your questionaire located at the checkout table. You'll earn 2 free mini soaps for filling it out!

The Jenness Farm Open House is going on Sunday as well from 10 - 6 pm.

I think I'll be taking the kids over there this afternoon.

I also was able to stop at the Concord Co-op's Spring into Healthy Living Fair on Saturday. What an absolute great time that was. Way to go Concord Co-op. Vendors were passing out food samples left and right, I had a hard time keeping up with all the samples. I also was given two free reusable totes, I never say no to free totes! I'll have some milk delivery services to blog about in the coming week. So if you're near the Concord area, be sure to check out the co-op's offerings, it's certainly something I wish I had closer to me.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Photo courtesy of iLoveButter.

Read more...