Sourcing Real Food - Locavore Thursdays in Clark County

Summer at Dee Creek Farms has been doing a weekly locavore delivery for quite awhile now. She deliveries an abundance of real food to two locations; Salmon Creek (6:00-6:30) and Downtown Vancouver (7:00-7:30) each Thursday. Please read below for ordering information. You can email her at summer@deecreekfarm.com and ask to reciever her weekly notices. I have pasted one below to give you an idea of what she has available. I seem to have a hard time getting to that side of town in the evening. If you are interested in being part of a group that shares driving to pick up please contact me at minda@eatwellbewell.net.

Hey Folks! It feels like it's been forever, and our next stretch is even longer! Remember that we won't have deliveries on Christmas Eve, or New Years Eve. That said, I'll miss you dearly, and will be excited to resume in January, weather permitting.

Also, I have a few boxes of grassfed beef trim/fat/bones that are perfect for broth-making or animal food. Let me know if you'd be interested! The Quiz Results email will probably have a few more goodies, including breads (I hope!), so be sure to keep your eye out for it, and order whatever you'd like by Wednesday late morning, if possible! ~S
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Dee Creek Farm Cheeses, from start to finish - (Watch for some interesting Holiday flavors and gift packages coming up!...)
NEW PRODUCT!!!
Goat Milk Caramels in 6 flavors! Buy 5 and receive the 6th for free! Would make a wonderful gift package:
CARAMELS:
Plain & Flavored, 5.0 oz, $5.00 tub. Flavors are: Plain, Chocolate, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Coffee, Rum
CHEVRE:
Original, 4 oz, $5.00 tub
Flavored, 3.5 oz, $5.00 tub. Flavors are: Garlic & Chive, Provence
FETA:
Regular, Fresh, Pasteurized, block or crumbles, 4 oz, $5.00
Smoked, Pasteurized, block, 3.5 oz, $5.00
REGULAR CHESTER (young Muenster-style). Pasteurized milk, washed rind cheese. Mild, smooth, soft and creamy. $1.50 per oz. Vacuum sealed wedges. Apprx $6-9
Eggs, $5/dozen,We will have extra from other farms this week - with almost no eggs from DCF. Our chickens are fed only natural feeds and lots of pasture - you can find lots of info on our poultry-raising on our website. Be sure to recycle egg cartons that you pick up at our deliveries with us!

Grassfed Lamb - from Reister Farms
$8/pkg of feta mint brats (4 to a pkg)
$30 - Individual Pack (1-2 people) includes the following:
1lb. kabob meat, 2 loin chops, 1lb. burger, 1 pkg garlic/feta brats
$65 - Small family size ( 2 to 3 people) includes the following:
1 boneless shoulder roast, 4 loin chops, 1 lbs burger, 1lb. steaks, 1 pkg garlic/feta brats, 2 shanks
$100 - Large family size includes the following:
6 lamb chops, 1 boneless roast, 1lb burger, 2lb lamb steaks, 2 pkg garlic/feta brats2 shanks
This is from Reister Farms in Washougal, and includes USDA processing and packaging. Checks for this will need to be made out to them separately, as possible.

Fresh Persimmons, 2 for $3.00
Straight from Storytree Farm, these Hachiya persimmons are ripe and delicious for your holiday baking.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree, $3.50
Just like Libby's canned (but minus additives, chemicals while growing, and the canning process -- so, basically, completely different!) this puree is made with Storytree Farm's pumpkins, freshly cooked up for your Thanksgiving dinner. Be it for pie, soup, or pumpkin doughnuts, use in place of 'pumpkin' in any recipe. 2 cups per zippy bag. Freezes well, too, for later use.

Raw Local Honey, $7/pint, $12/quart, $18/half-gallon - from Honey House Farm
I will be stopping in to Honey House Farms before Thursday - and will have the pre-promised gallons, as well as any additional orders.

Wild & Naturally Preserved Eats - from Nature's Choice
Mushrooms, Fresh (1/4# bags) -
Shiitake $3.00
Maitake $4.00
Wild Chestnuts $4.00 per 1# bag (fresh, with shell)
Dried, Peeled, Cleaned $7 per 1# bag
Frozen Elderberries $6.00 per pound
Frozen Wild Blackberries $3.50 per pound
From Nature's Choice, a couple-owned business in Vancouver, these wild eats are amazingly well-gathered, fresh, and nutrient-dense!

Granola, $6/bag (1lb.) - made by Summer at Dee Creek Farm
This is made with natural rolled oats, local milk & cream, organic coconut oil, local honey from Honey House Farms, organic cinnamon, and roasted hazelnuts from Columbia Coffee.

Cultures:
Bulgarian Yogurt Starter, $12.00
Piima Yogurt Starter, $12.00
Water Kefir Grains, $17.00 - makes naturally soda (free of high fructose corn syrup!)
Camaldoli Sourdough Starter, $10.00
Julie from Cultures for Health brought us a nice variety of her cultures to share at deliveries. Where I sometimes have cultures available to you, I don't have a lot, and not often. Julie is a great resource for your ferments!

Herbal Tea, $6.50 - from Garden Delights
Set includes 3 of each of the following:
Minty Cocoa - chocolate mint & peppermint
Anti-Achy - lemon balm, lavender, rosemary
Cold Calming - sage, dutch tea thyme, lemon balm, chamomile, marjoram

Herb Mixes, $3.50 - from Garden Delights. Choose one or more: poultry (great for your stuffing!), beef, herbs de provence, veggies & soup, herb dip/dressing, dilly dip/dressing, italian, mexican, seafood, herb butter.

Laundry Soap Kit - $5/each
The kit will make 2 1/2 gallons of liquid laundry soap, made by Kathy. All ingredients & instructions included to make your very own. You just need a pot, a bucket, a wooden spoon, and essential oils if you desire!
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Remember that in an effort to be more efficient, and less wasteful, we do not write individual receipts, but instead keep a book. If you specifically want a receipt, please let us know when you place your order, if possible.
Anyone and everyone can order from our deliveries, not just "subscribers" or CSA-ers! To any newcomers on the e-list, welcome! Also rest assured that all farms contributing to our deliveries all meet several standards: chemical-free, sustainable, natural, family farming... If you have questions about any of them, don't hesitate to ask, or check them out yourself!

To order, click here and specify what you would like. (Please email Summer to be on her list and get the links!)
All checks go to "Dee Creek Farm", or bring cash.
**BRING YOUR OWN BAG**
We fill pre-orders first, then its first come, first served!
We do mostly pre-orders at deliveries, rather than Farmers Market style.
Please help us in this by pre-ordering what you can!

WIN FREE FOOD THIS WEEK
How Well Do You Know Your Farm?
What is the fear of chickens called (this is no joke)?
EMAIL YOUR ANSWER!
The first person that emails me the correct answer will win a free mini honey from Honey House Farms, to be redeemed at Thursday deliveries this week. The correct answer will be emailed to our regular DCF e-list Wednesday evening! 1 answer per email address.

Curried Yam Soup Recipe

One of my staples during the winter months is Curried Yam Soup. I'll make various recipes throughout soup season, but the soup I make the most is this creamy, sweet and spicy delicious soup. It is easy to make and freezes well. I usually keep a jar in the fridge and one in the freezer to thaw later.

Ingredients

1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 T. olive oil
2 large carrots diced
1 T. curry powder
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
3 large yams peeled and cubed
1 quart vegetable stock
1 1/2 T. fresh ginger minced
1 C. coconut milk

Instructions

Sweat the onions, garlic and carrots with the olive oil in a 2 quart stock pot. Once the onions become a bit translucent and the carrots soften, add the curry powder, red pepper flakes and ginger. Stir and heat through. Add cubed yams and 1 quart of vegetable stock. Add water if necessary to completely cover the yams. Bring to a moderate boil and reduce t simmer. Continue to simmer, covered, until yams are tender. Remove soup from heat, add coconut milk and blend with a hand blender until smooth, or transfer to a food processor or a blender and puree until smooth.

Hot Chocolate!

Brrrr! It is cold outside, which means hot chocolate season is here. It is nice to see a trend of real hot chocolate coming back. If you haven't yet emptied your pantry of Swiss Miss or other package mixes that you stir with hot water, do yourself and your family a favor and go toss the packages in the trash right now. Gone will be the trans fat, modified whey, artificial flavors and other non-food ingredients that compromise your health. Make your own hot chocolate on the stove top with organic whole milk and your taste buds will be amazed. We typically use Ghirardelli's Sweet Ground Chocolate, my kid's favorite. If I treat myself to a cup of hot chocolate, I'll use Green and Black's Organic Cocoa Powder. I mix it milk and sugar to taste. If you have other brands you like or recipes for real hot chocolate, please share them.

Healthy Nutrition Bars

I receive various nutrition/wellness newsletters and one that always has great information is from Sunshine Wellness in Santa Barbara, CA. I am quite impressed with the business that Betsy Markle, R.D. operates, helping her clients become well through nutrition. One of her current newsletters had some really good information about nutrition bars, which she has allowed me to share with you. Some of the following information may not be applicable to our area and certain stores in various regions do not carry all the same products. Unfortunately, Trader Joe's has stopped carrying Organic Food Bars. But you will be able to glean some useful information from Betsy at Sunshine Wellness,

As a Registered Dietitian, I usually recommend my clients eat real whole foods and small frequent meals throughout the day. Unfortunately this is not always possible. Most people resort to processed quick foods and tend to eat larger meals due to their busy schedules. Many clients ask me if bars are ok to use on the go. My answer is yes, but since there are so many unhealthy bars out there, it's essential to read ingredients and labels to pick a good bar. Lucky for you, I just came from Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Costco and have picked my "Nutritionist Approved Bars". If you already have a favorite bar, read my guidelines to see if it fits my "Nutrition Criteria for a Healthy Bar".

Nutrition Criteria for a Healthy Bar

1. First look at its ingredient list to make sure that it is filled with wholesome ingredients that you can pronounce.
2. Avoid Soy Protein Isolate! It is a highly processed and a cheap protein source that causes unwanted hormone imbalance in your body.
3. Next look at the nutrition facts. When evaluating energy bars, the two main areas that I examine are the grams of protein and sugar. In one bar, I aim for >5 grams (approximately 1 oz) of protein and <15 grams of sugar.
4. I rarely read calorie levels because the purpose of an energy bar is to stabilize your blood sugar between meals. When this is achieved, you feel content and your cravings are under control so you can make good decisions. This is done through proper balance of carbohydrates and protein, not calorie control.

My Nutrition Criteria is tough to meet. Listed below are all bars that met my criteria or came close (in order from best to ok). To be honest, I was unable to taste them all, so please email me your feedback!

Nutritionist Approved Bars
- Mrs. Mays Bars and Crunch Mixes
Sold at Costco (reasonably priced in bulk)
Pros: It is the lowest sugar bar on the market and it still tastes good. Most of their bars and crunches contain 1 oz of natural protein.
Cons: None

- Nutiva Bars
Sold on my Website and Whole Foods
Pros: It has over 1 oz of natural nut protein and all wholesome ingredients.
Cons: It meets my criteria, but is a little high in sugar.

- Ultra Lean Gluco Support Bars
These are my favorite Gluten & Dairy Free bars on my website (Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, and Crispy Rice)
Pros: They contain at least 2 oz of pure rice protein so they can hold you over for a few hours. They also contain lots of vitamins and minerals.
Cons: They meet my criteria, but they are a little high in sugar (at least it is a low glycemic sugar source).

- Organic Food Bar
Sold at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Lazy Acres
Pros: It contains wholesome ingredients and they also carry a raw bar with lots of sprouted ingredients. Most of their bars contain 1-2 oz of natural protein.
Cons: Too much sugar (around 20 grams).

- Lara Bars
Sold at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Lazy Acres
Pros: They usually contain only 3 natural ingredients.
Cons: This line of bars is usually low in protein and high in sugar.

- Pure Organic Bar
Sold at Whole Foods
Pros: It contains natural ingredients and 1 oz of protein.
Cons: Too much sugar (17 grams)

- Greens+ High Protein Bar
Sold at Whole Foods
Pros: It contains an antioxidant greens mixture and 2 oz of whey protein.
Cons: Too much sugar (18 grams)

- Raw Revolution Organic Live Bar
Sold at Whole Foods
Pros: It contains live sprouted ingredients and 1 oz of protein.
Cons: Too much sugar (19 grams)

Betsy's criteria for a healthy bar is spot on. In my workshops I usually mention Soy Protein Isolate as something to avoid, actually any ingredient in a food product that you cannot buy yourself at the grocery store should be avoided.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The kids will soon be home from school, starting their five day Thanksgiving break, and the excitement of a holiday dinner with relatives is in the air!

Being that most of us will be eating Turkey this Thursday I thought I'd share with you an e-mail I received about the health benefits of Turkey. Each week I receive an e-mail from World's Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/, highlighting a different food. The website and newsletters has a wealth of nutritional information, so I'd encourage you to at least bookmark the site or sign up for the newsletters.

From the newsletter this week:

Did you know that a 4-ounce serving of turkey breast contains only 1 gram of fat and is the leanest type of meat you can include in your diet? By including a serving of turkey as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating, you will be fulfilling 65% of your daily value for protein! Protein is a key building block not only for structural tissues, but also for immune defense cells, and it is involved in just about every other physiological function in your body. Turkey also provides 47% of the daily value for selenium (a powerful antioxidant co-factor that helps protect against the damage to cell structure and DNA caused by free radicals), as well as many of the B vitamins, which are essential for energy production. So, sharing your Thanksgiving meal with family and friends also means sharing a wealth of health-promoting benefits with those you love!

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your turkey, and don't forget to get your fill of the non-starchy vegetables!

What is in Your Yogurt?

Yogurt is a great snack or part of a meal, IF you are careful about which kind you put in your shopping cart. I can never say it enough, you must read labels! Yogurt can be beneficial to our digestion and immune system when we choose the right product.

First, make sure the yogurt you are buying contains live cultures such as, L. casei and L. acidophilus. Look for "live cultures" on the packaging. If the container says "heat treated after culturing" do yourself a favor and put it back on the shelf. The manufacturers will heat treat the yogurt to prolong the shelf life. The process of heat treating yogurt can denature lactase enzymes and destroy live cultures. The lactase enzymes are important for digesting lactose, the milk sugar in the yogurt.

But what else is lurking in your yogurt? Upon reading the labels you will find a majority of yogurts contain high fructose corn syrup. Ideally, the yogurt should contain no added sugars. Avoid those products with artificial flavorings and colors. Recently I looked at a yogurt containing carmine, which turns out to be pigment from dried bugs. Yes, a "natural" coloring, but I think most of would rather not ingest bugs! The Yoplait brand has many varieties and they each have at least one of these undesirable ingredients.

Rather than buying the flavored and sweetened yogurt, try switching to an organic plain whole milk yogurt, like Nancy's (this brand can be found at New Seasons, Whole Foods and Azure Standard), and mixing it with the berries that are now in season. Sprinkle a little granola on top, and you've got yourself a delicious snack filled with nutrition that will truly do your body good! You will also find a decent selection of plain organic yogurts at Trader Joe's.
One last thing to think about: the fat free yogurts with sugar added can cause blood sugar spikes (increasing the likelihood of fat being stored in your body rather than being burned by your body). The whole milk yogurts eaten with fresh berries will keep your blood sugar even, reducing insulin surges. The milk fat will also satiate your appetite and there is nothing to fear of the fat as long as it is organic and eaten in moderation. Eating the yogurt with the fat and only the naturally occurring lactose sugars, as nature intended, keeps our insulin levels steady for good health.

Azure Standard

I have mentioned Azure Standard in previous blogs, and thought it might be a good idea to elaborate on how to order from Azure.

Azure Standard, is a food distribution company located in Dufur, Oregon. They specialize in natural, organic, earth-friendly foods and products. They deliver directly to customers, buying clubs and retailers by semi truck and UPS.

You can order pretty much anything from Azure; produce, dairy, nuts, bread, dried fruits, flour, etc. They carry a lot of the brands you will find at Whole Foods or New Seasons. If you currently shop at WinCo or Safeway you won't see much of a savings shopping at Azure, but you will get a better quality product. If you currently shop at Whole Foods or New Seasons you will save some money, especially if you buy cases. Products periodically do go on sale. A new sales catalog comes out every two months.

You can order from Azure at anytime. They will ship non-perishable items via UPS. If you'd like to order perishable or frozen items, or not pay for shipping you can order for delivery (or drop). The drop point must have a minimum group order of $550. Paula Clark and I run a drop out of Camas Friends Church in downtown Camas, on the C-1 and D-3 routes. We have a large group and meet our minimum for every order. To join the Azure drop you will need to:

1. Create an account with Azure at http://www.azurestandard.com/. They will mail you a schedule of deliveries (our deliveries for C-1 and D-3 come in one day earlier than the schedule states).
2. Send an email to minda@eatwellbewell.net and request to be added to the azure list. I send out email reminders a few days before the order is due and another one with the time of delivery. 
3. Place your order on Azure, using drop point number 519577. At the checkout you will pay for your order using a credit/debit card or COD. 
4. Watch your emails the day of delivery, as I'll be emailing those that ordered the delivery time. The driver calls me approximately 2 hours before he will arrive. Currently both of our drops are in the evening.
5. Show up at Camas Friends Church, 1004 NE 4th Avenue, Camas 98607, on time to help unload the truck and take your order home.

A few things to be aware of:

• Once your invoice is pulled at the warehouse you can view it online (under your name on the left side of the website) and see what items actually shipped (items that are out of stock will have a zero in the total column).
• Azure does not track backorders. If you want to order an item that didn't ship, you'll have to put it on your next order. 
• Every now and then you may get charged for something you did not receive. In that case you need to call Azure and they will credit your account. Not your credit card, but your azure account.
• Your non-perishable and refrigerator items come in a box labeled with your name. The frozen items will come in a box containing all frozen items from our order. So if you have frozen please don't leave until the frozen box(es) have been unpacked. 
• If you would like to order but cannot be here for delivery, please arrange with someone to pick up your order. 
• If you'd like to share a case, please feel free to send an email asking if anyone would like to share.
• If your individual order is less than $50 you will be charged a $5 handling fee.