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Category: Guest posts

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CSA: the importance of locally grown fruits and veggies in 2019

Written By: Lauren Briggs, RN, BSN, TNCC, RYT

What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and that’s exactly what it is! A community of individuals coming together to support a local farm by buying shares as you would in a company. In return, the farm gives its shareholders an equal portion of their harvest. There’s nothing quite like weekly fresh and organic vegetables from a trusted source! Imagine knowing your farmers by name, touring the farm in which your vegetables are growing, and knowing that you have made a difference to secure the future of a small farm.

I have been a member of a CSA for five years now and a coordinator for my local farm since year four. I fell in love with not only the organic farm fresh vegetables but also the process of the operation. The vegetables we receive are local, seasonal and incredibly fresh. Yes, my lettuce has some holes in it, but that guarantees me that there are no pesticides in my salad. In fact, joining a CSA has made me think about vegetables in a whole new way. Perfect vegetables are now worrisome to me, wondering about where they come from and what is in or on them. Knowing the farmers and understanding the process of how they grow organic vegetables gives me peace of mind in what I feed my family. Joining a CSA has expanded my taste palate to fully understand what vegetables should taste like and opened up a new range of vegetables that we eat. I loved being introduced to Rainbow Swiss Chard, now a staple in our house! Or Kholrabi, which I have listed a fantastic recipe for below.

The CSA we belong to is in Upstate New York and delivers to NYC, Westchester and Lower Connecticut. The farm harvests their vegetables and delivers them the next day to your CSA for pickup. Pickup times are sometimes challenging, usually after working hours. This is where a share partner or friend comes in handy! If you find that you cannot make the pickup time, someone else usually can. It’s important someone shows up on time for pickup or you forfeit your vegetables for that week. Your share partner is also very useful on weeks when you are away. It’s great to swap vacation weeks so you know your food won’t go to waste. Most CSA’s offer a donation program as well. In case you forget to pick up, your weekly share will go to a food pantry or family in need. One common logistical problem that arises is the abundance of the harvest. People worry that it will be too much food for their family and this might be true. If you are not a vegetarian family, I highly suggest thinking about getting a share partner. This person would share in the cost and help make sure nothing in your weekly basket goes to waste.

If you haven’t considered it before, think about joining a local CSA! Just Google, CSA near me to find a farm that you can trust and love. Every CSA is a little bit different, but they all have the same amazing goal: bringing you one step closer to growing and knowing your own food. It’s an investment in your health that is definitely worth making!

About me: I am a full time mother of two little boys and a part time RN specializing in functional medicine and vitamin infusions. I currently live in Stamford, Connecticut and coordinate for a farm in Upstate New York. I am currently heading up my second CSA start up operation out of Stamford with Stoneledge Farm. I love to cook, practice yoga and travel as much as possible!

Email: laurenbriggsrn@gmail.com

Facebook.com/LaurenBriggsRN

www.stoneledge.farm



Blueberry, Fennel and Kohlrabi Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

This recipe uses three ingredients commonly found in a CSA basket that people often question how to use. It’s incredibly easy and quick to prepare using the mandolin. If you don’t have a mandolin, simply use a potato peeler.  The salad is delicious on its own, with crusty bread or with a grilled protein on top.

Salad Ingredients:

1 head of frisee – rinsed and chopped

1 Kohlrabi – sliced thinly with mandolin

1 Fennel bulb– sliced thinly with mandolin

½ cup sliced almonds – lightly toasted

1 cup blueberries

Homemade dressing:

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup white vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add all dressing ingredients to a Mason jar and shake! Toss on salad and enjoy!!


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Life Coach’s Perspective: New Year’s Tips for 2019

Executive & Life Coach Salley Lee-Chung, ACC

Happy New Year, 2019!

What do you envision this year?

Imagine you are waking on the last day of 2019. What would you like to tell yourself about 2019? What are you proud of yourself? And why? To achieve those goals what are things that you let go of?

Those are the basic questions that I ask my client when they ask me to help them set a goal for the year.

Are you ready to commit to 2019?

When I became a life coach, I learned lots of tips and strategies related to setting up goals, overcoming hurdles, and setting the right mindset that can support them in their personal and professional life. Those are great, so life can be so much easier and fuller. But as you can imagine, I learned the hard way it’s not enough with those tips and strategies to make your better life a reality. In order to be successful in your goals, you need to have a clear goal, right mindset, consistent action and to measure your effectiveness. And making sure your daily actions are aligned with your goal is the golden key for your success.

Every new year, many people set up great goals and are full of energy. I love this sensation and it’s very hopeful. And what happens after few months? Where do the energy and desires go? When we notice that our attempts at new things are challenging, then we often default to our normal routine and wait for another new year, expecting something different is going to happen.

In this article, I’d like to share some tips that keep you focused on habit building rather than just writing goals. When you build up daily actions towards a goal then you just might change your life.   

I’ve been committed to my healthy lifestyle for a long time. Such as eating locally grown food, consuming less red meat, home cooking, walking if I can, riding a bicycle, and so on. But after I had two children, my health went downhill without me noticing. Eventually I wasn’t enjoying all the great things my little ones brought into my life. Finally, I woke up and decided to have a healthy lifestyle focused on exercise. I made a goal that I would do a push-up every day at least one a day, after I read a book ‘The power of habit’. It was very easy in the beginning and one month was not a problem. I increased more exercises as time went by. At one point, I decided to run 5K, 2 – 3 times a week. For 2 to 3 months was worked well. But then my knee started hurting, it impacted my daily life and I stopped exercising. I wanted to keep my exercise up but at the same time there was roadblock that made my momentum stop. I needed to navigate my deeper beliefs around health, and look at new habits.

After consideration, I realized my beliefs around exercise were “I am healthy, I walk a lot, so I don’t need to work out”. In fact, all those stories were not serving my health anymore. I reset myself with 4 phrases: “let go,” “let be,” “let it come,” and “let God.”

I let go of my old ideas that no longer support me, let be with my willingness to try and to accept that I don’t know that much about physical training, let it come with new method such as use Classpass to try new classes, find what I can commit to for long time and tell myself playful words even when I was discouraged, to keep at it, and let God– remembering the divine wants me to be healthy and happy.  

Now I am committed to exercise 5 days a week. When I decided to commit to 5 days a week exercise, I doubted whether I could keep it. But I realized it is much easier (for me) than to do exercise once or twice a week. I don’t need to negotiate anymore with myself because it’s part of my routine. I can say my action became a habit, it feels so natural.

I’d like to share my habit building process. When you want to build a habit, in order to be successful, make sure that you give enough time, be generous to yourself and do one habit at a time. Understand that some will take shorter, some will take longer, to really master.  

Habit building process

Choose one habit that you want to build.

●        Recognize why do you need this habit or not.

●        What does life like for you have that habit in daily life? (describe with as much detail as possible)

●        Envision who you become when you have that habit?

●        How do you feel when you have the habit?

Now, what step will you take to build the habit?

●        How? By when? How do you know when you achieve it? (write in a journal about what did you do and how do you feel about it)

●        When you miss a day or two, what would you like to tell yourself in order to back on the habit?

●        How do you celebrate it?

To implement goals and habits you’ll need to rely on tools such as calendars & planners, alarms, self-discipline app (Such as Goal attracter, Weekdone, 7-minute workout, Sleep Cycle, Simple Habit, Tide, Classpass) and your social network/accountability from friends.

I hope you are newly inspired to have great goals and new habits for a great 2019. Every lifestyle and stage of life are unique. Most of all, you are the one who can create your best life. Allow yourself to be you. Remember that will invite more people and achievement in your life. I think positive habits is what makes you and your family grow. Feel safe to share your challenges with your family and friends, choose your diet to make you healthy and energized all day, your commitment to work that is meaningful. There are lots of positive habits that you can build by defining what is most important in your life + reflection (collect data about your actions) + implement in your daily life. My email signature is always followed by Love & Flow. I wish your life full of love and flow. Hope you can find great value in this article and I would love to hear your experience. Sending lots of love ~~~

Recommend books to read:

Martha Lasley. Courageous Visions – How to unleash passionate energy in your life and your organization.

Damon Zahariades. The 30-Day Productivity Plan – Volume 2: 30 more bad habits that are sabotaging your time management.

Charles Duhigg. The power of habit

ABOUT SALLEY LEE CHUNG, Life coach & momma

Salley is an adventurer, motivator, and innovative thinker. As certified professional coach and member of ICF, she supports students, professionals, and executives who are interested in navigating a multicultural world. She specializes in working with bicultural clients to improve work-life balance, develop cultural sensitivity, and grow their leadership. Her holistic approach helps clients to flow and take action that reflects their power, creativity and authenticity. She coaches in both Korean and English. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband and two little boys.   

Linkedin:  Salley Lee

Website:  www.SalleyCoach.com

E-mail: salleycoach@gmail.com


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Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup–and life with 4 littles

Welcome to our first guest post of the coming months! So grateful to my lifelong friend Monica for taking time out of her busy life with 4 littles to share this amazing recipe, and some beautiful reflections that all us moms can take to heart.

Congratulations on the entire Pidel family on the beautiful new addition to the family! There is nothing more beautiful than a loving family. I know your newest little angel is going to be so well taken care of by all his siblings!

When I added my fourth child to our tribe this past spring, I received an inspiring piece of advice that, while simple in declaration, has proven to be rather challenging in execution. A nurse at the hospital who was tending to me post-delivery, advised me to be sure to give each one of my children 20 minutes a day of my undivided attention. We could do anything we want during those twenty minutes as long as the focus is entirely on them so that they feel cherished and special. Thinking that was a wonderful idea, I have made that a priority over the past months and at first it seemed an easy enough task to fulfill each day. But then, the days grew shorter, the school year started up again, our schedules became quite hectic, and the baby started becoming more mobile and less content to sit in a bouncy chair or play pen while I tended to his siblings.

I began to notice that my eldest received his 20 minutes of attention fairly easily – he simply demanded it. He never stops talking and will not be silent until he finishes telling me what is on his mind, as well as ever juicy piece of gossip he learned at school that day. He also requires a bit of help with homework on a daily basis, so I always devote some amount of personal time to him in that regard.

My third child, Lucia, is home with me still during the day and I am able to find precious moments here and there to play a game with her, do a craft, or read a book. Lately, she has been enjoying schooling me in Candy Land and I have no idea how she does it because I’m almost completely certain that game is entirely based on luck. But, regardless, she makes it to the magical, sugary Promised Land before me every single time. She easily gets in her 20 minutes of attention.

And baby Daniel, please…he is practically an extra appendage, always hanging off of me similar to a baby orangutan at the zoo. He gets lots of mommy time.

Then there is my second child, Emma. The child who is the most independent, the most dependable, and the most capable of getting all her work done without much fuss or reminding. Emma is very good about entertaining herself, often disappearing to our basement after school to make paper flowers, crowns, or other little creations in solitude. I love her independence, but an unfortunate result of that is she is often the one who gets skipped having special time with me each day.

So, I began inviting Emma to sit at the counter and draw, read, and chat as I make dinner each night. She has never been very enthusiastic about helping me in the kitchen, both Matthew and Lucy are much more willing to lend a hand with cooking, but she has jumped at the opportunity to just be with me as I cook away each and every evening. She is a funny little thing and I so enjoy listening to her perspective on the world – it certainly beats any podcast I would otherwise be tuning into! And she just visibly brightens after having some attention from me and goes to bed at night happier and content. Even though she does not ask for or demand my attention, I have to ensure that I do not skip making some time for her – and all of my children. Even if the dishes are dirty and the laundry is piled high, nothing is more important than being a mother to these precious little ones. I can have a spotless home later in life, but my children are little right now and right now they just want me to be with them.

On that sentimental note, I wish to share with you a recipe for a nourishing, rich, and filling soup, one that soothes the soul while feeding the body. Not everyone loves mushroom, but I have found that even mushroom skeptics – like my husband – think this soup to be delectable. It’s creamy, delicately flavored, and filling while not weighing you down too much. I love the rich mushroom flavor in the broth, the heartiness from the wild rice and the bright finish from the lemon zest. It’s a perfect winter soup, simple enough for weeknight meals but not quite too humble to serve for guests.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

adapted slightly from America’s Test Kitchen

¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed

4 ¼ cups water

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, peeled, plus 4 cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

¼ teaspoons baking soda

1 cup wild rice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick

1 onion, chopped fine

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2/3 cup dry sherry

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup minced chives

¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grind shiitake mushrooms in spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle until finely ground – you should have about 3 tablespoons.

Bring 4 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf, garlic clove, ¾ teaspoon salt, and baking soda to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add rice and return to boil. Cover saucepan, transfer to oven, and bake until rice is tender, 35 to 50 minutes. Strain rice through fine-mesh strainer set in 4-cup liquid measuring cup; discard thyme, bay leaf, and garlic. Add enough water to reserved cooking liquid to measure 3 cups.

Melt butter in Dutch oven over high heat. Add cremini mushrooms, onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and dark fond develops on bottom of pot, 15 minutes. Add sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced and pot is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add ground shiitake mushrooms, reserved rice cooking liquid, broth and soy sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until onion and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in small bowl. Stir cornstarch slurry into soup, return to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked rice, cream, chives, and lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley, and serve!

More about Monica of A Beautiful Mess

Monica is the cook, baker, and primary administrator of the blog A Beautiful Mess. She initially began the blog at the urging of her husband and sister-in-law as a way to share photographs, stories, and recipes with our families. An avid lover of bread in any form, Monica has had to demonstrate major restraint to not post only carbohydrate-centered recipes. She has successfully convinced her husband that a salad can be a sufficient main dish and vegetables are his friends. When she is not blogging or cooking, Monica enjoys chasing after her kiddos, running, pilates, drinking copious amounts of coffee, scrapbooking, and relaxing with a good book while listening to a selection from her collection of vintage vinyl records. However, her absolute favorite pastime is probably poking fun at her husband.

You can find her at her blog: A Beautiful Mess

On Facebook at her page A beautiful Mess

or on Instagram under the username @monica_abeautifulmess