De-stress this Season!

We hope that everyone will come down to Pathfinder Produce, our tasteful, festive market, this week, now at two locations --  Edmeston, at Pathfinder Village’s Commons Building, on Thursdays, from 1 to 5 p.m., and in Morris at the United Methodist Church Hall, 17 Church Street, Morris, on Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m.

I have a few dates to share of upcoming Pathfinder events that you may also enjoy: The Sidney Community Band will perform a free concert at Pathfinder Gym this Sunday, December 4, at 3:30 p.m..  And the Resident Holiday Show and Tree Lighting – our annual tradition -- is set for Thursday, December 8, starting at the Pathfinder Gym at 7 p.m.  All are welcome to these fun and festive gatherings!

And as a special holiday treat, Chef Matt Grady of Stagecoach Coffee, Cooperstown, will be cooking up some great veggie & fruit powered treats at the Morris Market on Friday, December 16.  We can’t wait to see what Matt has in store for us!  We hope to share more about some of Matt’s recipes next week.

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As the old Johnny Mathis song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” with decorating, shopping, coordinating deliveries, family visits, and community events. Although the holidays are a special time of year, it’s also a time when your stress levels may go up.  Here are a few ways to lower your anxiety levels, so that you may enjoy the holidays to the fullest:

Yoga:  The other week I took my first-ever yoga class, and absolutely loved it.  It was a low-stress workout that focused on gentle stretching, working different muscles, and deep breathing.  After I was done, I felt refreshed, and it wasn’t that difficult physically.  Not everyone can get to a scheduled yoga class easily, but there are lots of great YouTube videos on beginning yoga that can show you how to breathe properly and run through a simple series of positions that will help you feel more relaxed.  

Turn off Facebook: As much as I’m addicted to Facebook, and love to reconnect with friends and loved ones, I need to “put down the phone” at night and give it a break. Articles on sleep indicate that you shouldn’t use a screen for at least 30 minutes before you try to nod off (the blue light emitted by LED screens affects your circadian clock by waking you up at the wrong time); I’d add that if there are posters or groups that get under your skin, unfollow them for a while.  Also, accentuate the positive, as negative thoughts tend to snowball and lead to more negative thoughts and behaviors.

Play Outside:  Try to get outside for some fresh air every day. I recently enjoyed a staycation, and took opportunities to go for walks every day in my woods (except for when we got 18” of snow).  It was great!  I could go at my own pace, and got to enjoy things that I normally don’t get to see … red squirrels, blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, Red-tailed hawks and a decent sized Barred Owl in flight.

Pick up a book:  Many of us get out of the habit of reading for pleasure, especially as we have such busy lives. But research from the University of Sussex, UK (2009) indicates that reading, even for as little as six minutes a day, can reduce your stress levels by about two-thirds, resulting in lowered heart rates and relaxed muscles. Researchers contend that people need to concentrate while reading, and the intentional distraction of the literary world is enough to set aside daily cares and worries enough to help your muscles and heart. Of course, you need to select something you enjoy and will not add to stress -- no news digests!

Focus on eating well:  Try to get your five a day in the fruits and veggie department, and limit quantities of those luscious holiday sweets and tempting dishes. Avoid as many sugary drinks as possible, and try to imbibe non-alcoholic beverages, like seltzers, to cut back on unnecessary calories when attending gatherings.  This list of healthy foods can also help your stress levels.

Until next time, relax, eat and be well!

Lori

Thanksgiving Memories

Although we will not have our regular markets this week, we wanted to send out Thanksgiving greetings to all our loyal Pathfinder Produce patrons everywhere.  It’s hard to believe that we’re at the start of another holiday season.  We hope that as you and yours gather in the weeks ahead that you are able to enjoy good, nutritious foods, lovingly prepared.  We hope that the comforts of home and family are all-enveloping.  We hope the happy moments of this season add to your stores of treasured memories.

Our Pathfinder Produce markets will be back next Thursday and Friday,
December 1 & 2, in Edmeston and Morris, to help you serve scrumptious, fresh items to your family.  Below, we share a special blog from Director of Education Maura Iorio, which we know you’ll enjoy.

Best wishes to all, and Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Pathfinder Produce!

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Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Growing up it meant a house full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; it meant that living room furniture would all have to be rearranged to make room for the folding tables and chairs so that we could all sit together at one long table. When my cousins and I were teenagers, it meant that cellphones had to be kept securely in our pockets or we risked being on the receiving end of a stern look from my grandfather who believed it was more important to spend quality time with family on Thanksgiving than to spend the day texting friends.

It of course, also meant really delicious food! As a child, it always seemed magical how everything would just come together: the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, yams, pies…the ultimate comfort food feast! My father, who isn’t very particular about many things, HAS to have certain foods on Thanksgiving. One year, my cousin experimented with the yams and made a pecan-crumble topping for them. My father was almost inconsolable. The following year, everyone brought a different kind of yam dish (including my dad’s traditional candied yams) and it wound up being one of the funniest and most delicious Thanks-givings to date!

This year, it is my living room furniture that will be rearranged to fit the folding tables and chairs, and me who will be telling the kiddos to put their iPods and Nintendo 3DSs away, so that our family can spend quality time together. Our home will be filled with grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who we consider family.

As long as I don’t burn the turkey, Thanksgiving this year will be filled with great food, big laughs, and lots of love—and we hope yours is, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maura (and Lori)

Changing Seasons, Changing Activities

We invite everyone to stop by our Pathfinder Produce markets this week; we’re here to help you stock up for your Thanksgiving celebrations next week.  We have such a great array of fresh and tasty produce, plus a friendly and helpful staff.  We hope to see you this Thursday, November 17 at the Edmeston market at the Village Commons at Pathfinder, from 1 to 5 p.m., or this Friday, November 18, at the Morris market at the UMC, 17 Church Street, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Both markets will be CLOSED NEXT WEEK so that our staff members may celebrate the holiday with their families.  We look forward to seeing you at our December 1^st & 2^nd markets.

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Although the weather this past weekend was beautiful, we all know that we’ll soon have the onset of colder weather.  That means many of us who enjoy outdoor pursuits will need to bundle up to go outside, or add indoor exercise regimens to stay physically and mentally sharp.

If you like to walk or jog outdoors, please remember that hunting season and the turning back of the clocks both impact safety.  DRESS TO BE SEEN: If you are walking in rural areas, wear orange safety vests, hats, and other high visibility gear.  If your pets walk with you, make sure they can be seen too. (Please note the Pathfinder Village Community Trail is closed during hunting season).

No matter where you walk or jog, if you walk after dark, wear clothing that helps motorists identify you.  White clothes, headband flashlights, and special bands of reflective materials help; a jogger in dark clothing is next to impossible for drivers to see on dark roads. 

To help our friends and neighbors stay active, Pathfinder offers a series of low-cost fitness classes – they’re fun, affordable, a good way to start a fitness regimen, and keeps you connected with friends and neighbors. On Monday nights at 6 p.m., Linda Foote offers Hula Hoop Fitness Dance sessions at the Pathfinder Gym … it’s such a blast.  Classes are $5 per session, hoops are provided; the workout focuses on using hula hoops to help tone and stretch muscles.

On Wednesday nights at the Gym, starting at 7 p.m., Licensed Instructor Zoe Curtis offers ZUMBA sessions for $5 per class.  ZUMBA combines uplifting beats with a cardio workout, and is a great way to get fit, especially as you can take it at your own pace.  Zoe offers a lot of encouragement.  She always says there’s no mistakes in ZUMBA … it’s all about movement, and a great way to beat the winter blahs.

Until next time, stay active, eat and be well!

Lori

Flavor it Up!

We hope everyone is hale and hearty on this bright and sunny Election Day 2016.  No matter how local, state and national elections turn out, we’re thankful for the right of making our voices heard.

November is the season for gratitude, and this Thursday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m., we will be hosting our second annual THANKS FOR GIVING gathering at Pathfinder Gym.  This get-together is open to everyone and offers a chance to visit with friends and neighbors. It also benefits local food bank and toy drives that are conducted by other local organizations. There’s no admission charged, but we request that folks bring non-perishable food items or a new/gently used toy to share with others this holiday season.

And of course, Thursday is our regular Pathfinder Produce market day at the Village Commons, starting at 1 p.m.  Our crew will be at the Morris UMC as well, on Friday, November 11, from 1 to 4 p.m.  Veteran’s Day is also on Friday, and we honor the service of our vets on that day, a day  originally celebrated to mark the end of the First World War back in 1918 (the 11^th hour, of the 11^th day, of the 11^th month).

Following, my colleague Martha Spiegel offers some alternatives to adding flavors to beverages, to both avoid added sugars and to get enough liquids each day. Enjoy!

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Flavor it Up!

One of the tenets of our local 5210 committees is to consume “zero sugary drinks.” But that can be easier said than done, especially if you don’t care for plain water.  Here are some suggestions of how to flavor or sweeten your beverage, without using sugar or artificial sweeteners.

I like adding a little cinnamon to my coffee. I put a little shake on the grounds before I brew them, and that results in a nice flavor.  This works best if you have a drip coffee pot, pour-over brewer or French press. If you brew with a Keurig-type machine, you can add some cinnamon to the bottom of your cup (note: it does not dissolve) or stir a stick of cinnamon in the hot coffee until you achieve just the right flavor. I add a little skim milk and I find I like it as well as other flavor additives that I’ve tried but which have a lot of sugar and can be expensive.

If you are a tea drinker, there are a lot of choices out there. There are black, herbal, green, and white teas sweetened with fruit, cinnamon, herbs, and edible flowers. One of my favorite ingredients is hibiscus! These blends are naturally sweet, but have no added sweeteners, and are delicious hot or cold. In fact, while some tea bags are marketed as “cold brew”—meaning you don’t need boiling water—I have found that almost any tea bag will brew in any temperature water. I usually bring a large reusable bottle of water with me to work and pop a fruity, herbal tea bag in it. Within about 10 minutes or so I have a very tasty beverage!

That brings me to flavoring water. There are lots of ways to naturally sweeten water without adding calories (or perhaps just a few). I find that a squeeze of lemon or lime (or both) makes a plain glass of water more refreshing. If a tart taste is to your liking as well, you can try a bit of cider vinegar (add it just a drop at a time until you see what intensity you prefer). Sweeter fruits such as crushed berries or oranges, work well, and I’ve heard that cucumber water is very pleasant. You can drop the fruit right into your water, or use an infuser bottle which will keep the fruit in the water but not clog the opening.

The possibilities for flavoring your water are quite numerous. Here is a list of blends that I found on the Reader's Digest website. Some of these sound quite interesting!  So experiment with different fruits, herbs and spices, and see what you come up with. Remember to use a reusable water bottle, and drink up!

Eat, drink and be well!

Martha (and Lori)

Better Burgers

We hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween on Monday night … it’s really hard to believe that it’s November, which promises to be as fun and busy!   Also, we’d like to share that our Morris Market location is up and running, and was well-received during its first week of operations.  

We hope to see all our friends and neighbors at Pathfinder Produce this week; please help us spread the word about our well-stocked and competitively-priced markets.  If you know of others who would like to get onto our regular weekly produce price email list, please just let me know at lgrace@pathfindervillage.org.
As usual, our Edmeston market will be open on Thursday afternoons, at Pathfinder’s Village Commons, from 1 to 5 p.m.; the Friday market is at the United Methodist Church, 17 Church Street, Morris, and goes from 1 to 4 p.m.

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Like everyone else, I get some crazy stuff in my Facebook newsfeed.  Now that we are in the last week before the general election, I expect some of this will go away.  But one recent item I saw was quite remarkable and relevant to those of us who would like to increase the amount of plant-based foods we eat.

One of the Impossible Food burgers, from their website.

NPR put out a story about a new veggie burger that has been developed by Impossible Foods of the Silicon Valley.  Although it’s 100% vegetable-derived, it looks, smells, feels, tastes and even oozes like a beef burger as its being cooked, according to stories.  After years of research, the company’s product was well received during restaurant tests over the summer.

The CEO and founder of Impossible Foods, Patrick Brown, a former biochemist at Stanford, wanted to develop a more eco-friendly way to satisfy our nation’s love of burgers. Growing livestock for consumption is land and water intensive, and given forecasts for our climate and groundwater resources, not sustainable for the long-term.  A 2003 paper by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Researchers David and Marcia Pimmentel states, “The meat-based food system requires more energy, land, and water resources than the lactoovovegetarian diet (milk, eggs and plants). In this limited sense, the lactoovovegetarian diet is more sustainable than the average American meat-based diet.”

Brown’s team started their work to develop a better burger by studying heme, an iron-containing compound which carries oxygen in the bloodstreams of animals (think hemoglobin).  However, heme is also produced by plants; Brown’s team used bioengineering to adapt yeast to churn out large quantities of a soybean version of heme. They also determined another part of the ‘burger experience’ is the fat content; so they mixed in coconut oil into the ground meat (pea, wheat and potato proteins) to replicate the sizzle of beef fat.

Another company searching for the holy grail of veggie burgers, Beyond Meat, is starting stampede’s in Whole Foods stores in the Boulder, Colorado area.  On their website, they offer four key points on why they are developing plant-based meats: To improve human health; positively impact climate change; address global resource constraints; and improve animal welfare.

This all relates to the impact that livestock has on our environment: According to a 2006 UN report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, livestock production is among “the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”  Although the meat industry has questioned that study’s methodology, subsequent articles have also implicated livestock as a major contributor to rising CO2 and methane levels, deforestation, and the draining of our aquifers. 

As one would expect, these plant-based burgers are expensive, but as these companies increase production, expand facilities, and grow their markets, these products could one day compete with regularly priced burgers.  And, who knows, maybe if we all cut back on meat consumption, we can improve our own health and that of the planet at the same time.

Eat and be well!

Lori