FOOD AND RELATIONSHIPS

Nine Ways to A Man's Heart (through his stomach)

You know the old saying: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well, I tested this out last weekend. So, here they are:


1. Take him to your favorite hole-in-the wall restaurant and let him buy you your fav. dish -here's pizza at $3.50 a slice- even the most frugal guy will foot the bill!



This is a photo of me eating at a favorite place of mine called American Dream Pizza in Corvallis, OR.

2. When you drive to the beach, give him some fresh smoked salmon to eat as he drives.

3. Ask him what his favorite foods are and plan a meal for him. Buy the freshest fruit at the market.



In this case the farm stand was in Florence, Oregon.



4. Let him help you in the kitchen. He can cut up veggies or stir the pot, etc.



5. Do something silly/cute while you cook. This will show him that while you are a serious chef, you don't take yourself too seriously.



6. Milk is comfort food- make something creamy. Don't tell him you're using goat's milk or he may not eat it- though you know it IS better for digestion.



7.Cooking should be a sensory experience- forget the measuring cups & spoons, use your fingers.



8.Eat on the back porch on a tablecloth that you inherited from your mother. Keep things simple- this will make the man pay more attention to you than the place settings or any of the bling, bling that is SOOO overdone in a more formal dining experience.



9.For dessert, pick wild berries. This will get him in touch with his primal instincts as a hunter/gatherer.



Photos by Casey Cranor...

You're never too old to play with your food.
String Bean Season is Here!



This is one of the string beans from my neighboor's gardens, which I will write about soon. It's a wonderful heady garden full of all kinds of ripening veggies. My new neighbor invited me to help thin her Ruby chard.

I'm a bit of a late bloomer to gardening. I grew up in a place where the snow didn't melt until June, so we didn't really have too long of a growing season :) But now that I live in Oregon, I'm becoming a green thumb! Here's a photo of me sitting beside my whiskey barrel planter full of tomatoes and herbs. I painstakingly rolled it and transported it to my new abode. It's still flowering and fruiting. I love this little green space. I like the fact that I can step outside whenever I need a little rosemary or sage for a recipe I'm cooking up.



Oregon brings out the gardener in most people, I've realized. It's not uncommon to be around town and hear people talking about how their plants are flowering and fruiting as if they were talking about their children.

(photos by Casey Cranor)

Origin of photo

Gardening for the Future
Hydroponic vertical gardens, & rooftop gardening

I've been meaning to write more about progressive ways of growing food, since we're going to have to radically rethink our agricultural ideologies. Here are a few news bites to chew on while I work on a story: Enjoy!

High-rise apartments in China integrated with a vertical hydroponic garden- for food and heat.

Rooftop Gardens could feed millions in the city. Check out this article.

For more info about growing hydroponically, check out Growing Edge magazine

FOODLORE
A Home-grown meal: Yellowstone river trout and Livingston backyard garden veggies



My aunt Marilyn and Uncle Craig just moved to a cabin by the Yellowstone River in Livingston, Montana. What my aunt says about the place sums it up: "I'd like to die here," she said. Do you feel that way about the place where you live? How would it be to feel to be settled in a place to the extent that you'd be content to live the rest of your years there. That would be an amazing feeling.

So I asked Mer and Craig to share a food story with me about their place and the food surrounding the place. They harvested veggies from their garden, caught trout from the Yellowstone River and created this wonderful meal. Does it get any better than this?

This is my aunt Marilyn in her apron.




And they both shared these thoughts and photos, ENJOY!

First we show gratitude to Father Sky and the clouds for the energy and moisture that powers Mother Earth to grow the plants along with the protection and blessings of The Goddess of the Garden



We shared peas, carrots, beans, raspberries, and herbs from the Land






The fish came from the Yellowstone waters as does our drinking and irrigation water.



We are fortunate to be able to share the space here with many creatures like ourselves borrowing the land and resources.







Mer's special spot with the tree and cross is right next to the Beaver Lodge, we can hear the young cubs mewing.



Love,
Craig and Marilyn