Learning about Low-Carbs

We hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween tonight … it’s really hard to believe that it’s November already! I know many students are now transitioning from fall to winter sports: Even if you aren’t a member of an organized team, there are many ways to stay active and fit during the cold months of the year. 

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 market.  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.

Below, my colleague Martha Spiegel recounts her recent visit to her parents, who live in sunny Arizona.

***

My parents have been on a low-carbohydrate diet for several months. They are doing well with it now, and have even figured out what they can order at their favorite restaurants and still stay on track. At first it was difficult, however, for a couple of reasons. First, they didn’t realize how many of their favorite non-starchy foods were actually full of carbs. My dad has always had a glass of orange juice and a banana with his breakfast. He had stopped eating cereal, potatoes, bread, etc., but still was not losing weight. He mentioned this to his doctor, who told him that the juice and bananas were very carb-heavy. Dad made the switch to coffee and eggs for breakfast and has begun to lose some pounds.

The second difficulty they had was boredom. They quickly tired of plain meat and plain vegetables for dinner. Mom got busy researching in various cookbooks and online and found that low-carb did not have to mean low-taste. One evening while I was visiting, Mom and I made Transylvanian Goulash (very similar to this recipe). It was very flavorful and stayed well within the guidelines of their diet plan.

For dessert, Mom ran some frozen strawberries and blueberries through a food processor until it was the consistency of a sorbet. It was very tasty and refreshing! (You can do the same thing with frozen bananas for a low-cal but not low-carb treat.)

Other foods that they enjoy are spaghetti squash with a variety of sauces, riced cauliflower—by itself or in combination with other chopped veggies—and fajitas (minus the tortillas, of course). Another recipe that I didn’t get to try while I was there, but intend to is an Italian Cabbage Stir-Fry. 

Now that they have found ways to eat food that they enjoy without feeling deprived, they are making good progress toward their goal weights, as recommended by their doctors. It is important to remember that weight loss should be steady but gradual, and done in consultation with your health care provider, especially if you have other health concerns.

Until next time, eat and be well!

Martha (and Lori)

Soccer Seasons

We hope that everyone will visit our next tasty Pathfinder Produce market at the Pathfinder Village Commons, this Thursday, October 26, from 1 to 5 p.m.  We’re working hard with our suppliers to bring the very best market produce to our customers, plus we’re offering our tempting and oh-so-fresh Hoop House items. 

***

Last night as I was leaving work, the youth soccer players were practicing at Grant’s Field.  It does my heart good to see youngsters nearly every evening, kicking the ball around, running and enjoying time with their team mates.  The addition of Grant’s Field here at the Village five years ago has opened a window for activity and laughter, fitness and sportsmanship for youth players in our region.

Tonight at home at 3:30 p.m., the girls’ varsity team at my son’s school, Unadilla Valley, will be facing Elmira-Notre Dame in their Round 3 Sectionals Game (MAC League).  Of course, everyone is cheering on the Storm, and many of us remember that it wasn’t too long ago that these gifted players were “little ones” cutting their teeth in community soccer leagues.

Soccer is a great activity for kids, as it gets them unplugged, gets them outside in the fresh air, gets them moving, and has so many benefits for growing bodies.  Livestrong adds that it also helps build social skills and helps kids’ build positive self-images. 

According to the website of healthfitnessrevolution.com and other websites, soccer specifically helps growing bodies by:

·       Increasing Aerobic Capacity

·       Improving Cardiovascular Health

·       Improving Pulmonary Health

·       Lowering Body Fat

·       Improving Muscle Tone and Strength

·       Increasing Bone Strength

·       Improving Coordination

·       Increasing Brain Function

It’s no wonder that soccer is the most popular sport around the world.  It can be played in nearly any flat, open, non-littered area, with a minimal of equipment.  You don’t have to be huge to excel either – arguably the world’s most gifted player, Lionel Mesi is 5’7” and weighs about 160 lbs. and suffered from growth hormone deficiencies as a boy. Just look up some of his highlight films on Youtube.  (My soccer-playing nephew, Dan, who is actually very good, is also small in stature – he absolutely worships “The Flea”).

Until next time, keep moving, enjoy the remaining days of soccer, and eat well!

Lori

Stay Healthy This Autumn!

We hope everyone will come down to Pathfinder Village this Thursday, October 19, to get in on the freshest, tastiest fruit and veggies around.  Pathfinder Produce is open from 1 to 5 p.m., and with such a friendly staff and well-stocked market, who could ask for anything more? 

This week, I apologize for taking a veggie blog break as I’m a little under the weather.  As I was all set to get my annual flu shot this week, of course Murphy’s Law would have it that I got a humdinger of a cold last week.  But we’re on the mend, with lots of fluids, bed rest, and TLC!

As we are moving into flu season, I really hope everyone avoids getting sick.  Here’s a brief write-up from the CDC on ways to keep you and your family flu-free during the weeks ahead.  If you’d like to revisit some of the topics that Maura, Martha and I have covered in our prior posts, please visit our veggie blog site at http://pathfinderproduce.blogspot.com.

Until next time, eat and be well!

Lori

Pumpkin Picking!

We are sailing through autumn, and enjoying all the great flavors of the season.  We hope you can make it out to our next delicious Pathfinder Produce fresh fruits and veggie market at the Village Commons this Thursday, between 1 and 5 p.m.  We’ve got some great New York State grown produce, including our Pathfinder Hoop House items, that you may share with your family.

At this time of year, many folks visit our area apple orchards and pumpkin farms as fun outings.  These excursions build lots of great memories for the kids when they are older, and it’s a great way to enjoy time outside.  In her blog entry below, Maura Iorio, our Senior Director of Education at Pathfinder School, recalls a fun day her class spent on the farm.

***

Last week, Mrs. Iorio's and Mrs. Moffitt's class went on a pumpkin picking adventure! Although it's always sad to say so long to summer, there's no denying the magic of fall. Colorful leaves, crisp and cool weather, and of course--pumpkins galore! 

The great thing about having Hoop Houses on campus, where we grow our very own organic produce, is that our students can practice important skills before heading out into the community. Our class harvested pumpkins from our Pathfinder pumpkin patch and delivered them to our Enrichment Department to be used as decorations around the Village! 

Once we got the hang of finding and picking the best pumpkins, we headed to Cullen Pumpkin Farm in nearby Richfield Springs. We hiked through the “U-Pick” fields to find pumpkins that were perfect for carving, painting, and pies! As a bonus we got to explore the corn maze and enjoy the interactive play area. It was the perfect autumn outing! 

Our class can't wait to work on fine motor skills while carving, engaging in sensory play while scooping out the gooey seeds, and trying some new and healthy pumpkin treats made from the pumpkins we picked! 

Happy October! 

Maura (and Lori)

Hot Wires and Cool Storage

We hope everyone will join us this Thursday, October 5, at Pathfinder Produce for all the great fresh tastes of autumn. Although some of our available items may change because of the hurricane's impact on growing areas in the south, our market staff is dedicated to bringing a rich variety of produce items to our customers. Plus, with our Pathfinder Hoop House Harvest in full swing, there are many locally grown tastes to try … and it doesn't get any fresher!

***

Last weekend, the power went out at our house as a vehicle had hit an electrical pole. Our ever-vigilant local crews -- emergency and electrical – came to the scene to handle the downed wires, and power was restored quickly. But for the few hours we were out, it made us think about what life was like before electricity was available at every rural home.

In some areas of New York State, some areas are served by municipal power, and many villages had their own hydro-power stations in the early 1900s.  It took outlying areas longer to get power, and under FDR's 1930s rural electrification programs, these areas were served through the establishment of electrical cooperatives – membership-based organizations that are still active today.  In New York, there are four cooperatives – Otsego, Oneida-Madison, Delaware, and Steuben.  To learn more about municipal power and cooperatives, visit the New York Association of Public Power website. 

I remember my grandparents’ stories about living in days before electricity at their Sullivan County farm. They would use kerosene lamps at night, and would preserve food by canning or using a root cellar for storage. I think it was a high cause for celebration when my grandmother got her first chest freezer in the 1950s, as it meant an easier time of preserving the vegetables and meat they raised at their “Happy Angus Farm.”  (You can learn more about Clarence Birdseye and the advent of frozen food at the Living History Farm website).

Anyhow, I digress – back to root cellars.  Typically, it was at this time of year that root cellars would be thoroughly cleaned, white-washed, and then packed full of just-harvested root vegetables that were raised by rural families to last through the year.  Dusty Old Thing shares some great pictures and root cellar facts, and indicates how essential they were even up through WWII.

Most homes these days don't have root cellars, of course, but there are people who still store root crops using this traditional method.  This write-up from Morningchores.com shares a number of ways to develop cool, dry storage for your garden produce. Some are built into an existing cellar and use modern insulation; others are dug into hillsides or rely on tires and earth bags to create earth mounds.  Root cellars rely on the premise that below the frost line, ground temperatures remain relatively constant at 45 or 50-degrees F.  (Refrigerators are just slightly cooler than that, at about 35 F).

Until next time, enjoy the freshness of the harvest, and be well!

Lori

Weathering the Storms

Hello, everyone.  We hope you are enjoying this wonderful weather and that everyone will join us for the freshest flavors at our weekly Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons this Thursday, from 1 to 5 p.m.  Our fresh fruit and veggie offerings include lots of New York state grown items … YUM!

Below, my colleague Martha Spiegel provides an update on what to expect for produce availability in the weeks ahead. 

***

As the growing season in the north comes to a close, we depend more on our neighbors to the south for our fresh produce. As we have seen in the news over the past weeks, the hurricane season has hit that region harshly, especially Florida and southern Georgia, and this will have an effect on the prices and selection at Pathfinder Produce. Our market partners have sent us updates on what to expect going forward.

Some of the effects of the storms on crop production remain to be seen. Many mature crops in Georgia have survived, but the yield could be less than normal. The next month or so will be unpredictable. In the longer term, there are likely to be shortages, and thus higher prices, on crops that are typically started in plant houses and then transplanted in the fields, since many of these growing structures were damaged or destroyed.

At Pathfinder Produce, we do our best to bring you the best selection at the best prices. We ask your patience over the next several months as some items may see price increases, and some items may not be available in the usual quantities. Please consult our price lists every week for the most current information in order to plan your purchase.

The good news is that our Hoop Houses are still producing wonderful veggies that come to you fresh-picked! These items include eggplant, garlic, green beans, lettuce, sweet peppers, Swiss chard, and several varieties of tomatoes and herbs. Be sure to check these out—they are displayed with a “PV Grown” sign in the market. We are so grateful to the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, the American Heart Association-Greater Utica Division, and the Otis Thompson Foundation, as their generous grants enabled Pathfinder Village to open two new hoop houses in the last year and increase our home-grown selection at Pathfinder Produce.

Until next time, eat well and be well,

Martha (and Lori)

How Do You Like Those Apples?

Hello and I hope your busy fall season is going well!  Lately I feel like I’ve

 been living on the road, with numerous trips to soccer practices, tournaments and other goings-on.  That’s why I love Pathfinder Produce … it’s convenient, well-stocked, and the prices are great.  Plus, right now the Pathfinder Hoop House grown produce is at its peak, offering even better values and tremendous tastes.

We hope you’ll come down this week to see what’s “in store” at our friendly Pathfinder Produce market.  We’re open each week at the Village Commons, Edmeston on Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m.  Check it out!

***

  

As I was driving along Route 8 last week, I noticed that there are lots of wild apple trees heavily laden with fruit.  I also saw one of my neighbors gathering the drops, which got me to thinking about apples.  Once you get thinking about apples you have to buy some, and so I did -- New York grown Cortlands.  Some nights after getting home late, and we’re just raiding the fridge for dinner, it’s nice to enjoy a crisp, sweet apple with our quick meals.

I’ve noticed there are several wild apple trees that are also bearing fruit just down the road and across the way from our house (not far from the eagle’s nesting spot).  I think because we had a fairly wet spring in our region without any late freezes, our apple crops are doing well. According to our friends at the New York Apple Association, they expect a 2017 harvest of 28.0 million cartons – or 1.1 billion pounds – of commercially grown apples over the coming weeks.

“New York state grows more apples than any other state east of the Mississippi River, our state is made for growing apples,” said NYAA President Cynthia Haskins. “There is no reason for New Yorkers and other East Coast buyers to look any further than their own back yard for great tasting apples and apple cider.”  She goes on to say that with our climate, New York has helped develop classic varieties, like the McIntosh, Empire and Cortland.  Apparently they’re still creating new types at Cornell University, including the recently introduced Ruby Frost and Snap Dragon.

New York’s output is slightly up from 2016, while other states have been affected by climate … according to the USDA production will be down by 27% for the Northern Central States, which had a cold snap in May. Predictions from Washington vary, but are pegged as being down slightly according to growing industry sources. It’s hard to say how the ongoing wild fires out west will affect next year’s crop.

Most commercial apples are hybrids, created through careful grafting and tree-care.  If you have time and want to use wild apples, there are plenty of web sources on how to select, wash, sort, and go through wild fruit.  Home to many historic orchards, the Hudson Valley, is even experiencing a new awareness of how wild apples may be used to create ciders that are similar to historic varieties. Many of our forbearers used the wild fruits to make cider and apple butter (mmmmmmm, apple butter), which would keep through the winter months and add variety in their diets. Henry David Thoreau was a fan of wild apples and wrote an essay on them in November 1862.

Although I know I don’t have time to collect or use the wild apples near me, I ventured to see if they are palatable.  Carefully peeling back the skin, and cutting the apple in half to make sure it hadn’t been invaded by worms (yuck), I took a taste.  The small green apple was very similar to a Granny Smith … tart, firm, and they would probably work great for applesauce, cider, or other recipes.

Until next time, eat well, be well, and enjoy the fall!

Lori