Seed Saving

Let's be honest here: I have no idea what I am doing. With that said, I am not going to let that stop me from trying something new.

After Hurricane Sandy hit, my brother and I had some time to see where we stand in a state of emergency. Thankfully, I didn't get to really test out my resources, because... well, with the lack of any kind of solid financial backing in the last couple of years, I have none. My brother, on the other hand, had no power for nearly a week and found out he was pretty well equipped to hang out within his condo in relative safety. His one "weak link" in his prepping was food. He had enough to sustain himself for the short term, but had no real preparation for anything long term. He decided that he would like me to be the food expert in the family. (I'm guessing that's because I have the backyard!)

Anyway, since I have already started some of the exploration in this area and I have been wanting to bring my garden to life, I figured I better take him up on this challenge this way I have someone to cheer me on when things start going right. Also, since we starting having this conversation in December and my health is crawling back to the somewhat quasi-normal, I think there is enough time to really make this happen.

I started saving seeds. (This is where the "I have no idea what I am doing," comes in). I was watching one of those prepping shows (maybe Doomsday Preppers) and there was this family that had a really great self-sustainable garden going. The kid in the family was in charge of seeds. He saved all the seeds from anything they ate so that he could plant them the following year. A couple of things passed through my mind when I read this:

• If a kid can do it, so can I! and
• Those seeds are FREE!!

I started researching seed saving and quickly saw how easy it was. The only problem is, I am not sure what I am doing is actual legitimate seed saving, or if my seeds will actually grow. Here's my problem: I did not have a garden this year. The seeds I am saving are from store-bought produce. I don't even know if they will germinate in the Spring. Every site that I research about seed saving only discusses saving seeds from the fruits and vegetables grown in your own garden. I've tried to see if I what I am doing will work, but I have not recieved any answers. I guess only time will tell. When it is is time to plant I will probably buy seeds also, just to make sure I have some guaranteed growers, but it would be really great if I could do this for free since funds are super low!

If you have any suggestions for where I should do my research or any tips on seed saving and growing seedlings, I'd love to hear from you in the comments!!
 

Why I Call Myself a "Foodie"

I love food. I always have and I believe I always will.

As an infant I was categorized as, "a healthy eater," to the relief of my parents who didn't have to battle with me to eat. As I grew into a young child I would gladly partake in all of our home-cooked meals and be baffled by my brother's picky pallet. As an adult I have come to truly appreciate my food thoroughly - from its creation and preparation to its aroma, flavor and nutritional support.

Foodie, Defined 
 
For these reasons, I have considered myself a foodie, which is defined as follows,

Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.

So, in short,  a foodie is a fan of food. That's how I always thought of it. I am a fan of food. Perhaps you would prefer that I call myself a food nerd, as I am already a math nerd and book geek? To me, they are one in the same, except that "food nerd" has a term already developed for it: "foodie."

Foodie, Interpreted
 
However, it has come to my attention that this term foodie has a negative connotation to it for some. I guess it comes from that part of the definition that says a foodie is "a particular class" of food fan. It seems, when some people here the term "foodie," they hear things like:

• food know it all
• food snob
• blind follower of food professionals
• food elitist (I was inspired to write this post after reading Eric Schlosser in The Washington Post called "Why being a foodie isn't 'elitist'")

It makes me wonder: What do others hear when I am coined a "foodie"? Since it seems this term is subjective in meaning, I guess it is important that I state my intent of the term.

Foodie, As I Use It

I believe that food is the most valuable product on this planet. In my eyes, its value dwarfs that of the dollar, of gold and even of oil - strip all of those away and we can still survive because food and water are the keys to our very existence.

I value food.

I appreciate food.

I want to learn more about food because I think food is that important to my health, my existence and my family's future. I call myself a foodie for all of these reasons. In my life as a foodie I am learning, cooking, eating, gardening and shopping.

Do you consider yourself a foodie? Why/why not?

What does the term "foodie" mean to you?

Is there some other term, aside from "foodie" that you prefer to use? 

Time to Help Tornado Survivors

I can't even begin to imagine.

Homeless, lucky to be alive, but incapable of knowing what steps to take in order to continue to live. You're not alone - your neighbors are in the same boat, if they are lucky and while there are promises of government aid you've got to wonder - What does that really mean for me and my family?

I saw one girl on the news tonight covered in mud, hair strewn all over who said, "I don't mean to sound materialistic or anything, but... I mean... we lost everything." She broke my heart - so apologetic in her feeling of loss, as if she should be somehow thankful for her current situation. Her loss is so far beyond that of a materialistic loss - it is loss of home, security and trust in nature. She will grow stronger from this loss, but right now that girl and all those who have survived to see the devastation and live with it, need our help. 

What Can We Do?

If you sat down to dinner with your family tonight on a chair, with a roof over your head and have a bed awaiting your resting head at the end of this day, then perhaps you may want to consider donating, or if you or close enough, lending a hand to one of the following organizations.

• The Alabama Food Bank to help bring food to the many families that will be searching for it. You can donate food or money to any number of areas in Alabama.
• Feeding America is the organization that runs food banks all over the United States. While Alabama was the hardest hit, a number of states were affected (see this Wikipedia article for the details of where the tornadoes hit and what kinds of damage have been reported in those areas).
• Salvation Army is working throughout the region to help. So far they have "mobilized 10 feeding units and a communications unit.  Another 22 mobile feeding units including catering trucks, mobile kitchens, and a 20,000 meal per day full service field kitchen have been placed on standby.  Units are providing food, beverage, and spiritual support to storm victims."
• For other options, including where you can donate bottled water or volunteer your services and time, check out this article by Wade Kwon at MagicCityPost.com
• [Update: GOOD magazine has released its own article with links directing you to find places to help!]

Finally, spread the word. Tomorrow will be a big global news day with the Royal nuptials on the minds and appointment calendars of so many. It is easy to see how those who are suffering may get second billing when they need our attention most.  Let's not forget Prince William's years of charity work and honor him and his new wife on their wedding day by spreading the good will so dear to their hearts.

There is a LIVE WEBCAST going on right now called,

The Challenge of Managing Crises in a Rapidly Changing World

 COme join me in viewing at http://live.worldbank.org/challenge-managing-crises-rapidly-changing-world?altcast_code=fb2889851f

 

Should Your Boss Be the Boss of Your Diet?

It begins with a desire for celebration, a way to break up the monotony of the day-to-day drudgery and to allow for the humanity of socialization to peek its weary head into a day at work. Someone decides to bring food to share among coworkers!

Either for a meeting or for some event (boss' birthday, perhaps?), it's wonderful to have such a break from the norm, it feels like on these days you will actually have something great to talk about when your significant other asks that same dreaded question, "How was work today?"

But what if your job didn't allow for a no-holds-barred approach to the sweet life of office celebration? What if there was no more CAKE?

Yesterday, the New York City Department of Health moved their office to Long Island City, and with the move, they got some new guidelines about operation in their new home. Along with rules about eavesdropping, cubicle decor, personal hygiene, cell phone rings tones and other possibly disruptive sounds, there are rules for what types of food will be acceptable in the office. Here are the DOH Nutrition Standard on What to Serve for meetings and events in their new office as per the new "Guidelines for Life In Cubicle Village":
Doh Nutrition Standards 11

So... exhale... cake is still there, but only if it is a "celebration cake"! There are rules about what drinks can and can not be provided and what portion sizes should look like. There are these sections of "DO NOT SERVE" for breakfast and lunch menus that had a lot of people talking here in NYC.

Forbidden Foods:

• sugar-sweetened beverages with more than 25 calories per 8 ounces
• any juice other than 100% fruit juice (breakfast)
• dips high in saturated fats such as cheese, sour cream or ranch (lunch)
• high calorie fried snacks such as french fries, chips or fried chicken (lunch)
• cake, doughnuts, pastries or sweet buns (breakfast)

I wondered what Billy Cosby would think of this "no cake for breakfast" rule...



And then I wondered how I would feel about all these rules if I worked at the Department of Health, since everyone else was chiming in on it.

My Thoughts

The office in question here is the Department of Health, if I worked in that office, then I believe in promoting good health throughout the city of New York. I do believe it is part of my job (especially during work hours) to represent that claim. It is simple: the employees at The Gap come to work everyday wearing clothing from The Gap, Banana Republic or Old Navy (all owned by the same company). Do they wear this Gap clothing 24/7? Probably not, but while at work, they are expected to represent their brand. Why shouldn't the New York City Department of HEALTH do the same thing?

What are your thoughts?

Does your office have a similar policy? (Do you wish they did/didn't?)

The Joy of Being Fed

I think that "thank you" is sometimes not strong enough to express the gratitude for a home cooked meal. I know that the term Soul Food has connotations of its own - a flavor, a culture, heck there's even a movie! - but when I have had the experience of a home cooked meal prepared for me I am hard pressed to find a better expression than "soul food" to encapsulate how it truly nourishes my being.

This is my phone life right now.

Yesterday I had a long and difficult day. I spent the entire day on the phone with various bureaucrats in my union, my human resources department, and bill collectors who have suddenly appeared with questions about my grandmother's essentially non-existent estate. This is exacerbated by the fact that the only phone that functions appropriately in my home is a land-line, corded phone. So I spent the day, like it was 1982 on a chair in the middle of my kitchen trapped until each called ended. It is actually kind of funny now that it is over.

I ate a hard boiled egg and a bowl of cereal all day, that was it. Ridiculous, I know, but true. There was time for little else, because when my husband got home, we had an appointment to go to. Another stress I was not looking forward to. Needless to say, with all of this, dinner was not something I had thought about. In the midst of our meeting, my husband had to excuse himself because his cell phone rang. I thought it was strange, but it must have been justified...

As we left (not sure if we were more or less relieved than when we entered) he explained that the call was from his mother and he got nervous because she called twice in a row. I understood, and then he said the magic words,

"She cooked for us."

It was as if the entire insanity of my day melted away. I was saved! Food was coming my way - good food was coming my way and for no other reason than she loves us and she has extra. Soul food.

We had pork chops, rice and beans and a salad. It might as well have been the food of the gods.

I say thank you a thousand times over, I was the dishes, I say thank you some more, but is the message received? Is the sentiment conveyed? How does one truly show one's appreciation for a meal?

It Can Just Get Washed Away...

Do you appreciate your food?

How much of last night's meal ended up in the trash? What about this morning's breakfast?

Do you know where your next meal is coming from? What about next week's?

We have the luxury of talking about about food choice right now, but as I watch the tsunami in Northern Japan I am reminded: it can all just be washed away.

If you have not yet seen the footage, here is one station's coverage of the farmland being swallowed by the deluge.



What if that is your food? What if that is your land?

Where does their next meal come from?

I am sure global efforts are mobilizing to ensure these people will get their sustenance, but "food choice" is a factor that has no priority in this context.

For those of us that remain unaffected and unscathed by natural disaster at this hour, let us take this moment to truly appreciate our food, our choice and, of course, our safety.

Thoughts, prayers and well wishes to all that have been affected by natural disaster this season.

(This post has long been on my mind with all that has been happening in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, local flooding here in the US and, now the tsunami and earthquake in Japan and throughout the Pacific.)

Searching for Sustenance - In My Own Words

Some of you may have heard of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog project by Darren Rowse. I am doing this with the SITS blogging community and I was working on my first assignment today (while I had a completely different post planned for you) and I got a little carried away. In short, the first assignment, called "The Elevator Pitch" is an attempt to get you to define your blog. I always have great difficulty doing this in print, but I can talk to someone about it without a problem. When completely stumped, I came up with a ridiculous writing assignment for myself. I asked myself a question and then gave myself time to just free write on it. Here is my question and answer, for any of you who wonder what my motivation for this blog is.

Question:
 
Nicole, I don't have the Internet, but I hear you write a blog called "Searching for Sustenance" what is that and why do you do it?

Answer:
 
Searching for Sustenance is a blog that I created when I realized that I was eating without thinking. Once my eyes were opened to all of the things I was missing - all of the horrors - I, being a teacher at heart, wanted as many other people to know as possible. I began to tell my friends, my family, and even started slipping things into my high school math lessons to try to shine a light. However, it never seemed enough, it never felt legitimate. Those conversations were always distracted within some other context, and people found a way to forgive themselves, forgive me and take us all off the hook for all of the things we WEREN'T doing to make it better. I couldn't force the issue in those arenas. I needed to find another way.


I decided to create a blog. A blog where I knew, at least in the beginning, I could wax philosophic until the cows came home and believe, or in fact, know, that no one else would be reading but me. However, in the depths of my soul I hoped and wished that eventually I would find like-minded souls. People, who upon reading all these things I kept finding out, would decide this IS something we ALL need to be talking about. This IS something we ALL need to be THINKING about. Food is serious, eating is serious - we can love it and adore it, but do we APPRECIATE it?! 


Searching for Sustenance has two roles - to learn and to teach. I write about the things that I learn in hopes that if I write something wrong, someone out there will find it and comment right away so that we all learn together. And in that way it teaches. I have been a teacher for 12 years, but I never enjoyed the whole idea of "I have all of the answers, here they are for you," that is simply impossible no matter what you are teaching, no matter how long you are doing it. My style is more about, " I enjoy learning about this. I have figured out a lot of different places and resources we can go to in order to learn together. Here is what my experience is telling me might be right in this situation. What do you think?" That's how I roll with this blog as well. I am learning about food, the food industry, ways to eat better and healthier, resources to tap into in order to accomplish that goal and I am gaining more experience with it as I go. I am NO expert, by any means, but I'll share what I know and what I am really curious about is: WHAT DO YOU THINK?




That's it. It helped. I wrote a new About This Blog page and a new About Nicole page. So... um... WHAT DO YOU THINK?