wow, you're sorta crunchy...

the other day, my friend said, 'hey, you're sorta crunchy.' hmmm. he meant it as a compliment...and i took it that way.

i'm not sure when i became so crunchy. okay, so i shop at the farmers market every saturday, year-round. some say that's a little crunch. i reuse as many things as humanly possible...cups, jars, ziploc bags, etc. i don't have cable. i take my dog for hikes in the woods. i have chickens. [hello, crunch and a little odd, i'm told.] and my newest thing...i have a composter. holy crunchy granola goodness. check out gertie the chicken enjoying a compost boo-fay. and check out this great composting news from san francisco.

i'm still learning...but with the web, you can google just about anything! here are a few sites with very helpful basics on composting.

composting 101
how to get started
reducing kitchen waste

and this list is great - i consult it all the time.

between composting and recycling, there is very little in my trash can these days. and that's the way i like it! and...here is a really great stainless countertop compost pail to collect kitchen waste.

last week, i saw the documentary bag it and it really opened my eyes about plastic and waste. i'm now on even more of a mission to minimize my impact on the earth. [geeeez, that sounds so high and mighty and obnoxious.] but i mean it in the best way possible.

last year, a work colleague [age 92] gave me two boxes of gorgeous mason jars with zinc lids. she said they are from the 1940 or 1950s. i did some research and quickly learned that i could not use them  for their original purpose...too old and not safe. buzz killed, thanks. so instead, i'm going to take the suggestion of a friend [thanks, lucien!] and use them instead of plastic containers to store things like leftovers, pasta and baking ingredients. love that idea, don't you?

i love my grocery bags...i take them everywhere [the ladies at talbots gave me some funny looks, but i don't care.] i wish everyone would use them! every time i see someone leaving the grocery store with loaded with plastic bags, it makes me a little sad.

i don't really think i'm crunchy. i just want to do a little better.

get the picture?

one of my favorite parts about the blog is the photography. my friends now know...when the food comes to the table...when you make your plate at thanksgiving...when the pie comes out of the oven...

stop, style, snap...then, EAT!

here are some of my faves...



FOOD IS GOOD!

feast your eyes

last week, my neighbor and facebook pal, elaine, suggested that i submit a few photos for a feature on TODAY.com called feast your eyes. it sounded like a great idea, but i was up to my eyeballs at work and i barely had time for lunch [granola and yogurt] at my desk. i was also having a day where i just couldn't focus. but this seemed like a great opportunity, so i found the photos i liked best, i hit send and got back to what i was doing. thought nothing more.

until today.

i opened my email to a lovely message letting me know that my photo of delicious caprese skewers that i'd made for a friend's july 4th barbeque had been chosen as a featured photo! seriously. very, very exciting in my little world.

what's next...matt lauer eating my food? yes, please!

kitchen MVP

a few months ago, i was on the lookout for a new grating tool and a chef friend of mine recommended a microplane. so, i hit up williams-sonoma at towson town center [and that store is dangerously close to anthropologie...] and got one. I LOVE THIS THING.

i use it to grate cheese, zest lemons, mince garlic, onions, chocolate and more. i only wish i'd been able to get one of the cool new colors - i've seen green, fuchia, purple, blue, yellow...quite cute.

do you have one of these? highly, highly recommend. check out this set...it contains a zester/grater, medium ribbon grater and extra coarse grater.

urban farming, hon

wow, look how little they were back in june...

the girls got their big break on the local news yesterday! i even got the title of 'urban farmer' while on camera. hilarious. and...since getting their two minutes of fame, the chickens have been prancing, strutting...beaks up in the air. i swear i saw dottie smiling - she really liked that mike schuh guy. i hope the piece convinces some city folks who'd been on the fence to jump in and become chicken keepers!

unfortunately, they are also beginning to display some j-lo-esque diva behavior...

clara is demanding cotton candy for bedding instead of pine shavings.

millie would like sauvignon blanc instead of water. she actually could use a drink, so i'm considering it.

dottie? she's all about black truffles. says they need to be from a specific region in italy. i'm googling.

good old gert. she's too polite to ask...but i think she wants something...maybe old bay on her corn cobs?


whether on the actual blog or on facebook, please do share and make comments! i want to know what foods you're growing, cooking, eating and obsessed with - for me, lately, it's watermelon, tomato and feta salads...

charmcitycook turned one year old last month - it's been such a great creative outlet, emotional comfort when needed and it's inspired me to try even more new things all the time. i guess 40 actually is the new 30, because that's when i fell in love with food.

thanks, hon. keep on cooking.

chicKENS!

UPDATE! we finally, finally had the all-important coop inspection, hon. as he came into the house, the nice city animal officer said "well, hello again...how are the chicks?" turns out he was the same inspector who came by last month when someone reported me. he took pics, asked questions and said everything looked fine and that the chickens looked really healthy. next step, he sends a report back to his boss and then...the girls will be full-on legit. bring it on.


the girls...

millie [white] is a nervous little girl and hard to catch.

gertie [black/grey] is sweet and calm. she takes a lot of crap from the other three. love her.

clara [reddish] is full of sauce. large and in charge. do not mess with this one.

dottie [light greyish] is sort of switzerland-esque. just goes with the flow and tries to blend in.

think i know their breeds, but still waiting to see if they are - in fact - girls. will know in a few months. if any turn out to be boys, they will no longer be city chickens. wonder if they'd lose their hampden accent when they go back to the farm? whaddayous think?

oh and...one of my neighbors actually reported me! a knock at the door on a sunday night...very nice animal control officer informs me that someone has anonymously - of course - called to say i had illegal chickens. wowwww. he asked to see them, i said, sure thing...and he took a look in the coop and said with a smile and a slighty raised voice, "clearly, someone has too much time on their hands. your chicks look great and you're fine." thank you, sir.

well, they've been living in a rabbit hutch for the last six weeks or so. [big thanks to joanne!] thankfully, they are now in their new digs. they are doing lots of perching, pecking, chirping, eating and napping. and...they've figured out the whole 'ramp that leads to the coop' thing. sort of. huge thanks to my friends rob and lauren for all of their help with design, supplies and the actual building of the coop and run. i have the best friends. lovely, fresh eggs are coming their way in the fall...


here the chickens head up the ramp for the first time.

they love bananas [and melon rinds, strawberries, potatoes, etc...and of course, chicken feed.]

take a look at how LITTLE they were just six weeks ago...holy cuteness.



the adventure continues...so far, i like this whole city chickens thing.

market faves

what are some of your favorite things at the farmers market?

here are some of mine from waverly...

berries, berries, berries



thomas' peas

broom's bloom ice cream

andy's eggs

rhubarb - for pies and...making rhubarb vodka right now...

one straw farm beets

fiddlehead ferns from the mushroom lady

corn

tomatoes

chesapeake microgreens - love their boston lettuce, too

zeke's coffee - tell tale dark and gunpowder espresso are faves

p.s. my friend [and former babysittee] peter elmore is writing a great blog about farm life at one straw farm, the organic farm run by his aunt and uncle, joan and drew norman. check it out!