Today is very special day for me as I'll be featuring a guest post written by my friend Val Curtis, owner of the delicious and fascinating blog, Mental Chew. Val has an incredible life story filled with diversity. Her passion for her family and their health through food, is evident in every line and photo of her fascinating blog.
I became acquainted with Val through voiceBoks... A safe and comfortable meeting place for hundreds of mommy bloggers!
Q: Tell us about yourself.
I grew up "behind the Orange Curtain" of the OC and
now I have been living life on an island in the Pacific
Northwest for the last 14 years. Over the years, different avenues
have allowed me to wear many hats, (Preschool teacher, SCUBA field researcher,
marine biology camp instructor, legal secretary, grad student, tech geek, live
aboard, middle school science teacher) however; now I am blessed to be a Stay
at Home Mom. said with pride and a sense of thanks.
Growing up, I was
removed from my food and now I am in it. Gardening and buying local meats are
how we are creating meals these days. I am not afraid of butter, but margarine
makes me cringe. I am mindful of how much sugar we use, and refuse to open a
packet of anything identified as a sweetener. I believe in healthy meals, real
desserts and giving in to rib-sticking goodness occasionally
(although those are the most fun to write about!). Meal planning starts with
produce in our house and at least two days a week, we have veggie-only meals.
My blog, Mental Chew, is about appreciating seasonal gardening, food and fun for
my island-style family. In addition, my camera is frequently in front of my
face, so I have a little fun posting pics there as well. Overall, I am
concerned about what is happening to our food source and through my writing, I
hope to inspire moms and dads to get their kids outside, make great food from
scratch with their families and get their hands in the dirt.
So, I began to read and watch documentaries about where our food
comes from and how it is being treated.
Thus began our journey to start our own garden. My husband was sucked into my vortex of research and seed purchasing and now he even claims to enjoy
it. Love.
Along the way we have become a family of four. I am no longer a middle school math and science teacher. I am
a mom. I am a mom who is striving to do the best for my kids and
this blog is a record of my gardening and dietary journey with them. For them.
A friend commented that "I seem to 'have it so
together'" and that life was a "bed of roses" here. I use this
blog to share my silver linings. Some days they are so abundant, I could post
20 times. Some days, or stretches of days, I have to force myself to sit down
and find them.
I am a taskmaster with two kids under five. Not a great combo.
Today I aim to complete my thoughts.
Mental Chew is really about taking a little time to think before
we eat. Convenience now doesn't lead to anything worth saving in the long term.
As a result, I am trying to make conscious decisions for my family about what
keeps their bellies, minds and hearts healthy and happy. Did I mention that
this can only happen after I have had a good, strong cup of coffee.
Q: Where did your love for gardening and food start?
When I moved to San
Juan Island
the type of food, the quality of food and the community aspect of food created
a shift for me. Potlucks were 2-3 times a week during the summer. Fresh caught
salmon, oysters, crab, scallops, lingcod, prawns, homemade breads, salads and sides from personal gardens, friends who were like
family gathering around fire pits with great wine, laughter. It was addictive
and why my "summer stay" in '97 turned into a permanent move.
Cooking is something my husband and I love to do together and I
have fallen into a group of friends who are all amazing cooks. They all fuel
the fire for sure.
Before kids, we were wine, coffee, beer and food snobs. Now we
are more frugal with our spending, but I
definitely do not think our palates are suffering. Some of our favorite recipes
like, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Enchilada Soup and Butternut Squash Risotto are not our
everyday meals, however, they do pop in frequently because we love the
incredibly vibrant flavors they bring to our table.
Q: Do you think
photos are important within blog posts?
I believe that we are drawn to visuals over text. It is why we
use icons on our computer desktops and why my students would scan a page on a
website and think the answer wasn't there (because the question wasn't about
one of the graphics). One of my greatest pet peeves on blogs is when authors
use graphics and do not credit their source when it is not one of their own
originals. Perhaps this strikes a chord with me because I shoot all of my own
photos and I have quite a few posts I never published because the photos I took
were not worth posting.
When it comes to writing about food and gardening, a picture can
be a wonderful expression of what my words cannot bring to the screen. When it
comes to my kids, there are moments that my words could never do justice. There
is a moment, a feeling, an image.
Q: What advice would you give to a frustrated gardener?
Think of each year as an experiment. You try something out,
there may be success or failure, a combination or surprising outcomes. Whether
the weather, a mold, a raccoon or Towhee throw a wrench into your "plan", it is all part of
the experiment. You learn, you alter.
I would also advise to start small, have some success and then
build on your successes. Herbs and lettuce will grow. Start there.
Q: How do you stay motivated and driven?
Blogging is my mental release as a stay at home mom. It is where
I can complete my thoughts and complete a task. My days are filled with 100s of
incomplete tasks and with blogging I click on "Publish" and I am
done!
Gardening is an important past time for our family. It starts in
the winter when all of our seed catalogs come in and we decide what we are
going to grow and when. This is followed by planting starts and tending them,
readying the soil, new projects and eventually our spring planting. Then it is all
about tending, harvesting and preserving until October.
Watching my kids pick peas off the vine for their snacks and strawberries for their pancakes is incredible
motivation. Knowing where their food comes from and what was or was not used to
promote its growth is reason enough.
I do fear I am raising veggie snobs though. My 4 year old turns
his nose up to "less than fresh" produce.
This year was a tough one in the
garden; it turns out an infant can be fairly distracting. We ended up finishing the
summer and fall using a CSA program through a local farm
and we were treated to amazing produce that was inspiring in so many ways. This
summer I also learned to appreciate moments that my children unintentionally
and intentionally
create just for me and the garden has given them a place
for unhampered personal expression.
September, October and November found our counters filled with apples,
apples and more apples. I felt a little like Forrest Gump trying to find
endless ways to use them up. The following recipe was inspired by the
abundance, perhaps how the best recipes come into being. The following is the
recipe, but click here for the story of the “Apple Thief”, perhaps one of my
favorite posts.
Browned Butter Apple Bread
Yield: 2 - 9x4 loaves
Ingredients:
2 cups organic
whole wheat flour
2 cups organic
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons
baking powder
2 teaspoons
baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons
organic cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks)
unsalted organic butter, at room temperature, divided
1 cup granulated
organic sugar
1 cup dark brown
sugar, packed
2 large organic
brown eggs
1 cup organic
yogurt
1 cup organic
sour cream
4 cups of organic
apples, peeled, cored and diced **
Procedure:
1) Preheat
the oven to 450°F. Grease 2- 9x4 bread pans.
==Helpful
Hint==
To peel,
core and dice your apples try the following:
1) Cut off
the top and bottom of your apples.
2) Peel
using a potato peeler.
3) Use OXO
Apple Corer and Divider to chop into slices
4) Dice
slices into bite size pieces.
2) Add 3
tablespoons of butter over high heat in a skillet until just brown and
then add diced apples for 2 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and set
aside.
3) Mix
together the dry ingredients (flours, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda,
salt, and cinnamon) and set aside.
4) In a
mixer bowl, mix the remaining butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup
of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy.
5) Add the
egg and beat until completely mixed. Add yogurt and sour cream and mix until
smooth.
6) Slowly
add in the dry ingredients and mix on slow for 2 minutes.
7) Fold in
the apple chunks.
8) Divide
the batter evenly among the prepared bread pans.
9)
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar on top.
10) Bake
for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or
until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
11) Cool
the loaves for 5 minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto a wire rack to
cool completely.
SIDE NOTE:
=========================
All photos were
taken by Val Curtis for Mental Chew. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Google
Plus, Pinterest and several sites, including VoiceBoks, for moms who blog.
Thank you so very much for featuring MENTALCHEW on your site. I have to tell you the more I visit your site, the more it confirms that wine and chocolate are pretty much the best things anyone can offer. I am gathering up the supplies to make your Santa Hot Chocolate today. XO
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased to feature your site Val! I know my readers will really enjoy getting to know you! Be prepared to be filled with a heavy dose of Christmas Cheer...Santa Hot Chocolate is a magical brew!!
ReplyDeleteI love Mental Chew! Thanks for featuring Val on your site! What a great woman!
ReplyDeleteTy, we so appreciate your visit! Val is the tops!!
ReplyDeletePleasure meeting u, Val! The name Mental Chew sounds so cool! Oh, I love that gadget & it really cuts down a lot of time in food preparation. Lovely recipe!
ReplyDeleteRebecka, thks for hosting & I've enjoyed reading the post! I sincerely appreciate u dropping by my blog so often & always love seeing your wonderful comments.
Happy Holidays to both of u & have fun blogging!
Hi Rebecka,
ReplyDeleteWill drop to visit Mental Chew!
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Hi Rebecka,
ReplyDeleteNice to know another blogger! Will be visiting Val!
Val, it is nice to "meet" you! Being a mommy sure changes everything! Will drop by to visit you soon.
Rebecka, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hope your Christmas is blessed with wonderful things and wish you a good and wonderful year ahead! Happy Holidays!!
Hi Yal, nice to meet you. Hats off to you for planting your own veges. I am sure it is a very rewarding endeavor.
ReplyDeleteRebecka, great feature! I will have to pop over to Mental Chew. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!