Our Saturday Lunch

~Veggie Sandwich~ Click on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom

Lunch yesterday was a veggie sandwich consisting of healthy-sauteéd' (in vegetable broth) Portobello Mushrooms with Japanese Eggplant & onions, on a bed of Romaine Lettuce & fresh cucumber slabs, under sliced tomato & Mung Bean sprouts, all stacked between two slices of Food For Life 100% Whole Grain Ezekiel 4:9 Flourless Bread, lathered on one side with home-made hummus, and on the other, with Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise.

We create variations on this theme several days a week, sometimes with avocado and a slice of cheddar, but always making a superb tasting sandwich!

By my best reckoning, this absolutely cholesterol free sandwich, including the hummus and Vegenaise, provides about 290 calories, maybe 75 of them from fat (derived mostly from healthful essential fatty acids). But that's not the reason to eat this thing, the reason is because it tastes so danged good!!!

While I'm on the subject of food, I should, once again, recommend our bible on healthy eating, 'The World's Healthiest Foods', by George Mateljan.

880 pages of comprehensive and invaluable information on the world's hundred most healthful (commonly available) foods, including nutrient richness charts (based on nutrient density per calorie), exhaustive nutritional analysis charts, detailed explanations of why each of the foods is good for you, and, the most healthful ways to store, prepare, and cook them.

~Includes 500 delicious recipes~

(Incidently, the sandwich above is not one of the recipes, but the ingredients are among the Hundred Healthiest Foods, and the method of healthy sauteéing the eggplant, mushrooms, and onions is right out of the book.)

This huge book is the product of 10 years of research by Mateljan and a team of nutritional scientists, and it's a virtual steal at around $25.

If you're interested in this book you can order it directly from http://www.whfoods.com/ or buy new & used copies through our Amazon.com book link in the sidebar to the right.

January Food Co-op Delivery

Click on photo to enlarge

Jose, a driver for our food Co-op distributor, looks on as Peggy inventories this month's delivery.

My friend Charlie was delayed for an extra day in Las Vegas but he should be rolling in here this afternoon, and it's a good thing because I already drank three of the beers I bought for us. ;~)

I doubt if I'll get any basketry stuff posted today because I'll be busy with the co-op members as they come to pick up their goods.

Organic Food Delivery

Peggy checking in this months food co-op order.

Sol Food Market

307 steps from our front gate (we counted) is Sol Food Market.
A car-free couple's dream came true when our friend Susie opened this health food store a block from our house last year. Susie caters to her customers with attentiveness & care, it's people like this who make a community.

Susie & The Apple

Susie tempting us with one of her organic apples like Eve in The Garden of Eden, look out Adam! If you don't find what your looking for at Sol Food Market Susie will order it for you.
And, by the way, I must say in an act of shameless self promotion, that you'll find my Native Plant Notecards (see photos & descriptions at Feb. 26th post) for sale here too! See the little green box on the shelf at the far left side of the picture?

Organic Food Co-op

One of the things that has been so helpful in our efforts at car-free living is belonging to an organic food co-op. We have about 15 regular members who participate in our monthly order. A shipment like this one today is delivered to our house by refrigerated truck and the other members come by to pick up their goods.
We have a large pantry and order organic foods in bulk, things we can store, like cases of cranberry juice or soymilk, and 25lb sacks of oatmeal, rice or beans. We have airtight containers to keep the grains and beans in.
We've belonged to the group for over 10 years and took over the responsibilty for the deliveries 3 1/2 years ago when I (Jim) retired.
It's great for us because we used to have to bicycle over and pick up our food with the bike trailer (sometimes two trips) but now it comes right to our door.