Spring Tour

Chickens, juice and vegetables- Saturday was a fascinating day as I toured the farms and local businesses where my local CSA grows and acquires their produce and products.

The tour started at 9:00 at the farm where the vegetable boxes are packed, Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen. When I first chose to receive a weekly vegetable box delivery, I picked this company for a few main reasons:

• Their dedication to growing organic produce
• Their support of other local organic farmers
• Their commitment to be as environmentally friendly as possible
• The ease of participating due to their online shop
• That this business is allowing a young family to do what they love while being available to their children

In addition to their vegetable box delivery scheme, they also own and operate a small organic grocery store for the community.

The store had a wonderful local feel to it. It was at this shop that I saw my first bulk bins in Germany. They had a little bit of all things necessary without being crowded.

Outside the shop, they had so many vegetable plants and flowers for sale. I would love to go back to buy some plants for the balcony.

The shop was really busy with locals from the village picking up their plants and weekly shopping.

Throughout the first half hour, we were free to walk around the shop and farm before setting off in a tour bus at 9:30.

Our first stop was Hof Alpermühle, the farm where my eggs come from.

The eggs from Hof Alpermühle are free range and certified organic. We were taken on a tour of the chicken coops as well as the room where the eggs are sorted, stamped and packaged.

To be certified as an organic, free range chicken farm, the family farm must meet certain regulations (I hope I get everything right, my German is alright but not fluent.)

• Chickens are all-natural, unmodified by breed or body
• Access to organic food and water at all times
• Access to the outside (the barn is closed up over night to protect the chickens from foxes)
• Access to shelter at all times
• Free choice in nesting
• A dry, naturally ventilated, sanitary shelter
• No more than 4 hens per square meter (at this farm, they only have 2 hens per square meter)

One thing I found a bit ironic was the chicken feed. The ingredient list on the hens’ feed is healthier and more natural than probably 85% of food items that we’d find on grocery store shelves.

All feed ingredients were certified organic and recognizable as grains that we’d even eat.

The farm has 2,500 chickens, split into 4 family groups, which each lay one egg per day in the morning hours, usually between 6-10 am.

Although the barn is kept closed over night, the doors are opened bright and early to allow the chickens access to open pastures once they’re awake and active.

We were shown one of the hens up-close. Here, the owner, Mr.Klose, is describing how the beaks of chickens are cut off in caged farms. Every hen on his farm looked like the image of a healthy and happy hen.

This is the nesting room. The hens have free choice to lay eggs wherever they want but they like the dark of this part of the barn. Once the hens lay their eggs, they head outside.

The nests slightly slope back, allowing the eggs to roll and be collected. The size of the eggs depends on the age of the hens. Older hens lay larger eggs than young hens.

I was really impressed with how clean the barn was. The hay on the ground was dry and fresh, keeping the hens’ feet healthy. Since the barn was so sanitary and the hens were so healthy, the eggs came out immaculate.

Once the pallets of eggs are collected, they are taken to be sorted.

The sorting is done by a conveyor belt system which is carefully observed by the employees of the farm.

Some stages are more carefully observed than others, such as the candling stop where the eggs are checked for shell damage and deformities.

I remember candling eggs in kindergarten throughout the process of hatching chickens in a classroom incubator.

Here Mrs. Klose was explaining the difference between egg sizes and colors. She also told us that her dogs, although not trained to do so, protect the hens from hawks and foxes.

Every member of the Klose family, human and hound clearly love the hens they care for.

After the tour, we were treated to coffee, brownies and fresh fruit.

The brownies came from a local bakery that only uses eggs from Hof Alpermühle.

One thing that was really funny was when Mr. Klose opened the barn door. As soon as the hens heard his voice, they came running from all directions to greet him like a pack of loving dogs.

I am so glad to know where my eggs come from. To see the way the hens are cared for makes me completely comfortable consuming a product from this farm.

It was also wonderful to meet the family and get to know their passion for organic farming.

After the chicken farm, the next stop was the local juice press.

I once received a mystery-free bottle of Weber apple juice in my vegetable box. It was the best apple juice I have ever drank, 100% pure fruit juice, pressed in a family press not far from my home.

The tour of Weber Fruchtsaftkelterei started in the apple orchards.

Mr. Weber took us around his apple orchard while explaining the varieties, pollination of the trees and recent weather conditions.

The orchards host bees, local grazing animals like cows and sheep, birds and even small children.

The blossoms have just fallen off of the apple trees.

Weber buys apples, pears, rhubarb, cherries and an assortment of other fruit from local farmers, but 10% of the apples used in their products were grown in the Weber family’s own orchards.

They also import some exotic fruit such as mangoes and bananas for a few of their juice varieties.

Although some fruit which can not be grown in this area is imported, they are committed to using local fruit for all else.

Seeing that it’s spring, the presses were not running but we were invited to return in the fall when the apples are harvested and to see the press in action.

I have no idea what Mr. Weber was talking about in the large room full of huge metal vats. The technical language mixed with the loud echoing kids’ voices= I didn’t catch a single thing.

The room was pretty impressive none the less.

After the big jugs room, we saw the assembly line where the bottles are cleaned, filled, sealed and labeled.

Weber reuses its bottles like most other beverage companies in Germany. I love the pfand system here. When you buy most drinks, you pay a pfand for the bottles. Pfands are usually between 8-20 cents, depending on the size and material of the bottle. When you’re done with the contents, you bring the bottle back to the store and get your money back. This economic incentive results in bottles being reused rather than going to garbage dumps or incinerators.

The whole process, from apple branch to bottling takes place on the family-owned property.

After the tour, we were invited to a juice tasting.

Apple mango, pear, apple, apple cherry, apple black currant, and apple elderberry juice were served.

Mr. and Mrs. Weber even brought out their apple sparkling wine for us to taste.

My favorite juices were the plain apple and apple mango. I bought a bottle of both from their little shop.

I also bought a bottle of rhubarb nectar which I brought to a going-away BBQ Saturday evening. We mixed the rhubarb nectar with champagne- so so so delicious!

After our visit at Weber, we went back to Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen for a yummy fresh lunch before continuing the tour of the gardens and box-packing facilities.

Lunch was white asparagus soup and a salad. Both asparagus and the red lettuce were in my box this week.

The local organic bakery where the delivery scheme buys its bread was also at the farm for us to taste and buy some of their new products. Although almost all of their products are vegan, when eggs are used, DLS whole-grain mill bakery only uses eggs from Hof Alpermühle.

Here is the DLS Bakery promise, copied and translated from their website.

Our products contain
NO preservatives
NO dyes
NO emulsifiers
NO cling materials
NO acidity regulators
NO anti-mold agent
No industrial bakery
NO pre-mixes

NO Animal products (with the exception of two bread recipes.)

All grains are grown under the highest organic standards in and around Hennef. The grains are slowly ground daily on natural stone.

I bought two wild garlic baguettes to bring to the Saturday night BBQ and a wild garlic and tomato quiche which I ate for breakfast on Sunday.

After lunch, we were shown the box-packing facilities.

All 1,100 weekly organic produce boxes are packed by hand.

We were shown how the produce is weighed, wrapped and organized for each and every individual box. One thing is for sure, every employee really seems to love and believe in the value of their job.

Next up, the tractor wagon was uncovered and those of us who were interested in touring the Hüsgen family farm hopped on to the hay bale seats and went on a ride to the greenhouses.

Several of the organic farms in the area operate through a partnership. Each farm grows the vegetables that they grow best, then they share the harvest.

Although the Hüsgen farm grows more than what we saw in these greenhouses, what we saw here was the main part of their partnership crop.

Tomatoes

Peppers

More tomatoes

Cucumbers

Rhubarb

While looking at the rhubarb patch, one little girl cried out, “Mommy, we had that in our box this week!”

To which the mother replied, “Yes, and here is where it came from.”

How cool is that?

Salads, dark leafy greens and herbs.

Mr. Hüsgen honestly discussed farming methods, costs, and difficulties in operating an organic farm. He expressed his dislike for the plastic-covered greenhouses but explained that they work well, are durable and more affordable than glass greenhouses. I respect him for his honesty and willingness to share his triumphs and struggles with us.

I am so happy that I am able to support this farm and all the other local businesses associated through them.

I truly trust in the health and wholesomeness of the products I consume from all farmers I saw on Saturday and all those who I didn’t see but know are trusted by the Hüsgen family.

If you live in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia, the photo above outlines the organic produce box suppliers in this area of the state.

If you live anywhere else in Germany and are interested in finding a Community Supported Agriculture scheme near you, please visit oekokiste.de.

For only 13 Euros per week, I am spending less money on food than ever before while eating healthy, local, organic produce and supporting businesses that I believe in.

Choosing to receive a weekly fruit and vegetable box is one of the best changes I’ve made in my life here. Seeing exactly where that food comes from has made my choice even more satisfying.

A big, warmhearted thank you goes out to everyone who participated in the Spring Tour this past Saturday (not that any of the farmers even know about this blog.)

I especially thank Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen for allowing me to see, for free I might add, exactly who I’m supporting with my measly 13 Euros.

Thank YOU for reading along about this awesome day in my life!

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Easy Earring Organizer

When I first moved to Germany almost 3 years ago, I came with 4 manageable pairs of dangly earrings.

Before you ask, yes, I now only have 3.5 of those original sets and also, yes, that is the top of a red pencil eraser which is used to back the earring in the bottom left corner.

Well, over the past almost 3 years, my dangly earring collection has grown to a messy pile of tangled hoops, beads and jewels.

Not anymore!

In about 5 minutes today, I solved that dangling disaster by repurposing a few unused items which were already hanging around the apartment. (Get it? Hanging around.)

To make this chicken wire earring organizing frame, you will simply need:

• 1 picture frame with cardboard backing
• chicken wire
• feline assistant, optional

Please allow me to be sidetracked for a moment to share a funny story about that picture frame.

3 Christmases ago, Sebastian and I left the cats to the care of a helpful lady in our apartment named Barbara. We were so thankful for her and her willingness to care for the cats while we were away in Berlin. Nice, lonely, bored, thoughtful lady.

We returned 2 weeks later to find that our apartment had been entirely reorganized and decorated in our absence.

She moved every single pantry item, book, pillow, and pan to where she though it was better suited. There was not one item, big or small, that was in the same place as we had left it.

I had spent 5 months refusing to put a nail into the walls only to return and find 1 clock, 2 calendars, 1 pack of post-it notes, and 4 pictures hanging by nails in my previously unpenetrated walls.

The Cat on a Clothesline cut out from a newspaper picture above is one of the remaining pieces of art which Barbara thought was so well suited for us.

Anyways, back to the project at hand, you need an unused frame.

1. First up, disassemble the frame, removing the glass completely.
2. Flip the kitty picture over to reveal a white piece of paper against the cardboard backing.
3. Wrap the chicken wire around the cardboard and place back into the frame.
4. Push down the tabs to hold the backing in place and there you have it.
5. Hang up your dangly earrings.

If you really care about symmetry, just take more care in straightening out the chicken wire. I didn’t bother as it will always be covered anyways.

 A simple solution to tangled trouble.

Although this earring organizer is pretty awesome, it doesn’t come near the wonderful gift I received from one of my students this week.

Every time I open this jewelry box, I think my heart might just melt a little.

I love you, too.

In other news, today was a beautiful day in Bonn.

To take advantage of the warmer weather and sunshine, Sebastian suggested going on a walk today.

We walked down to one of my favorite places, Muffendorf.

I didn’t take very many photos today, but here are a few of the small details we stumbled on.

Once back, I made fresh juice and a late lunch/ early dinner.

2 old clementines, an orange, beet, ginger and 3 carrots.

The makeshift mid-day double meal was a grilled cheese with lamb’s lettuce and smoked cheese.

Left-over creamy avocado sauce on the side for dipping.

I was still feeling hungry so cut a couple slices of French farmer’s baguette and topped it with the final bit of avocado spread and fresh tomatoes.

Fresh and satisfying.

My plans for tonight involve watching How I Met Your Mother and sipping tea.

There is a chance that popcorn and hot chocolate may be included at some point as well.

To all you in the US, have fun at your Super bowl parties today.

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Food for Thought

It’s that time of year that all teachers dread.

The time of year where my words can either make it or break it for the kids I teach.

It’s the time of year where I have to think about my colleagues who will teach my students next.

I have to think about the schools these kids will attend.

I must think about the futures, both right around the corner and down the road.

It’s the awful time of year where only one thing is on my mind-

reports

I was trying to explain to Sebastian the pressure behind writing reports but he got it before I even finished and said,

“You have to write each report like it’s the first and the last.”

Perfectly said. Yes, even though I’m writing 13 reports, they will each be read independently by one family effecting the future of one child.

Serious business needs serious food.

Let’s hope I had the right food for thought today!

Afternoon Breakfast

When I went to bed last night, my head hurt so bad that I knew I’d still be in pain the next morning. It’s a good thing we had today off otherwise I would have had to call in sick. I woke up at 9 with a terrible migraine. My teeth and eyes even hurt. I took two Excedrin Migraine pills and went back to sleep until 1 pm. When I woke up, the pain had reduced to a slight headache, thank God. Needless to say, breakfast was had around 2pm.

3 mini rolls with smoked cheese, peanut butter and blueberry jam, and nutella and cottage cheese.

Break time Snack

I took a little break after about 2 hours and made some fresh juice. One of the best combinations to date.

2 oranges, 2 carrots, 1 apple, 1 beat, 1 inch nub of ginger

I worked for a few more hours then took another break.

Sugar and Protein Fix

One of my mother’s best treats- peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Trust me, my students will benefit from this unhealthy mess.

I then extended my break by forcing encouraging Sebastian to go on a walk with me.

While walking, we organized a bet. Whoever lost was responsible for organizing a date night next week. It must be something new, interesting and exciting for both parties involved. Sebastian bet I wouldn’t be able to meet my goal of completing 8 reports before midnight.

Once back, I continued to work until 9 then took another break for dinner.

Dinner time

Brown rice, grilled asparagus and Asian marinated grilled salmon

I was hungry for rice-a-roni so improvised and added some vegetable bouillon soup mix to the rice. Although it wasn’t the San Francisco treat, it beat plain brown rice.

Asian Seafood Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 thin slices of ginger, 1/2 inch diameter
• juice and zest of one lime
• 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 salmon fillet

Method

1. Combine garlic, ginger, lime and soy sauce. Pour over salmon in a tight-fitting container.
2. Marinate for a minimum of half an hour.
3. Grill fish as desired.

It’s now 11:47 and I’m ready to call it a night.

Remember that bet I mentioned earlier? Well drum roll, please!

I’ve completed 9 reports! I can’t wait to find out what Sebastian has planned! I love surprises!

Tomorrow I have a staff in-service. We’re discussing EAL (English as an additional language.) The kids won’t be at school but the teachers will be. Hopefully I’ll finish the remaining reports tomorrow afternoon.

Have a nice night, all!

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Die Moderne Hausfrau

Die Moderne Hausfrau is a mail-order catalog selling a wide range of products used by The Modern House Wife.

For the past 3 hours, I’ve felt like that hausfrau. I’m really lucky because Sebastian usually takes full responsibility for the house work, but on the off chance that I plug in the vacuum, I go to town. After meeting Sebastian in Bonn to reorder a broken blender piece and enjoy a bagel sandwich, we parted ways; Sebastian went to watch football with his friends, and I came home and kicked the little dust bunnie’s bottoms.

I do believe the hard work deserves a reward, so as I write, I’m sipping a light White Russian.

• 1 part kahlua
• 3 parts skim milk
• ice

Let’s go back to breakfast though, shall we?

Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1-2 Tbsp. raisins
• 1/4 cup milk
• cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• brown sugar or maple syrup to taste

Mix and heat all ingredients in the microwave until hot. Enjoy!

I ate a pear during morning fruit break but didn’t get to snap a photo of it.

I did, however, photograph lunch.

Quinoa Tabouli and a smoked tofu veggie burger sprinkled with feta cheese.

Before meeting Sebatian, I came home and juiced 4 carrots, 1 apple, 1 orange, and a nub of ginger.

Yum, juice!

Have a good night, this hausefrau needs her white Russian.

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Spring Green Cleaning Part 3

Welcome back! Today we’re moving out to the balcony to learn some simple tricks to create a healthy balcony vegetable garden. Using scraps from the kitchen, you can give your veggies the extra nutrients they crave without sacrificing your organic standards.

Before beginning a balcony garden, observe your balcony’s sunlight. My balcony faces west allowing some areas to have full sun while other areas only receive partial sunlight. Research which plants will grow best on your balcony. Plan where to place your containers taking into consideration the sunlight and space needed for growth.

When planning my garden last year, I found it helpful to organize all the information I found about sprouting, growing, and harvesting my vegetables in one place. I created a document which included the name, genus and species, best potting methods, sunlight, water, days to germination, days from seed to harvest, and other tips or tricks.

I also found a helpful chart online.

When germinating seeds, I find it best to begin in a small, damp, well-lit space. Paper egg cartons and bread bags make the perfect mini greenhouses.

The moisture is then trapped and recirculated in the bag. You won’t even need to water the seeds until after they’ve germinated. After about a week… you will begin to find this:

Once the plants are about this big, they are ready for their new home. Be sure that it is warm enough for your plants to survive outdoors at night before planting. Most seed packets will say the minimum temperature requirements. Carefully scoop out the tiny egg forms with a kitchen spoon and gently place the sprouts in the soil.

Again, check back to your original planning to see how many plants can fit in each container. Make sure the container is the right size and placed in the proper sunlight. Keep watering and watch your garden grow!

Now,  a green tip for cleaning used containers.

When reusing old pots, be sure to clean out any crusty mineral deposits and fungus.

• 1 part bleach
• 10 parts water

1. Mix the bleach and water in a container big enough to cover the dirty pot. You may need to use your bathtub for large pots.
2. Vacuum out any solid debris. Place the pots in the tub and allow them to soak for 20 minutes.
3. Remove sterilized pots, rinse again with clean water and set to dry in the sunlight.

A few more easy tips!

When planting tomatoes, add crushed egg shells to the soil.

For acid-loving plants, mix in a little used coffee grounds.

Now, on to some of today’s eats!

Breakfast

Frozen banana, frozen strawberries, rice milk, chocolate protein powder, maca powder and chia seeds.

Lunch

Rucula, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese, soy “nuggets,” balsamic glaze

After-school Snack

Apple, carrot, beet, celery, and ginger juice.

After an exhausting day of school, I refueled with the juice then took off with Sebastian for a walk through the forest and a trip to the garden center. We didn’t buy any plants, just walked around looking at everything. We then went to our favorite Arabic restaurant for falafel and the fixins. Dinner was followed by ice cream and another walk through the park. The plan for tonight is to watch a movie and hopefully get to bed early. I have big plans for an IKEA trip tomorrow!

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Haiku for Food

You may recall an earlier poetry post. This week, my students are learning how to write Haikus. A haiku follows a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. In true teacher fashion, I present to you my Food Haikus.

Breakfast

Peanut butter toast

Layered German whole grain bread

Strawberry jam drips

Mother Nature’s juice

grapefruit, orange, apple

carrot, ginger too

Lunch

Glorious lettuce

A bed for veggies and fruit

Summer’s nearly here

After School Snack

A slice of plain bread

Sliced gouda cheese quickly tops

No time for photos

Snack #2

My mom’s special treat

Peanut butter chocolate

Unhealthy but good

Dinner

Potatoes baked soft

Creamy tuna salad stuffs

Baked beans like frosting

A small side salad

No dressing, only veggies

Too full to eat all

I hope you all have a poetic day!

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Home is where your pets are

I was going to title this post “Home is where you plant your seeds,” but decided that it could be taken the wrong way.

I struggle with where to call home. Is my home where I was brought up, where my family is, or is home where I live now? I’ve decided to call both home because frankly, both feel like home to me. Now that I’m back in my German home, it’s back to normalcy.

Within my German home, normal things happen, but this life feels so extraordinary to me!

Here is a recap of a few simple things that have brought me great pleasure over the last 2 days.

Birds eating human food.

Glass of fresh juice- carrots, apples, orange, celery, and lemon

Fresh and delicious tofu tacos

Sisterly love (it’s hard to tell, but one cat has her arm around the other)

Happiness is kitty photo shoots

Planting seeds- encouraging life!

After a less than overwhelming yield last year, we decided to start the seeds indoor this gardening season. Here are our mini egg-carton green houses, planted with the hope of future life!

Alex approves. It’s like she already knows that the blue pot contains cat grass seeds!

Whole wheat pasta with broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, garlic, pine kernels, and parmesan.

It’s the simple things in life!

In addition to the above mentioned simple yet wonderful things which I’ve experienced in the last two days of being home, I’ve also enjoyed busting it out at the gym, and cuddling on the couch watching tv. It’s great to be home!

Pay it forward: When I grabbed my gym bag today, I forgot to stick my wallet inside. Just as luck would have it, on the way back home, there was a ticket controller on the bus. Once I saw the man, I knew I was in trouble. If you are caught on a bus without a ticket, it’s a €40 fine. All I had was one Euro. Luckily, a nice man heard me talking to the bus driver about getting home on a euro, and he paid for my ticket. Talk about a life saver! I can’t wait to pay it forward! Hopefully I’ll also run into the same man again and be able to pay him back. As one of my favorite professors used to say, “Always remember that nice matters.”

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Juice Junky

Yesterday’s riveting tale of mistaken identity would have gripped  Shakespeare’s interest.

He is certainly known for things or people not being as they seem. Well, my juicer was not what I expected, but after the great let down, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new juicer to calm my mind and infuse my body with vitamins.

Unfortunately, I had to call the juice party off yesterday and reschedule for today. Due to busy end-of-term schedules, my party for 6 turned into a party for 2. We still had a good time, sipping the juice of carrots, apples, and ginger. Even while we were talking, my mind was back in the kitchen thinking up my next juice.

I think I’m going to become a juice junky.

Although I didn’t capture the first juice. Here’s the second. Not quite the baby’s first breath, but it will do.

Parsley, celery, lemon, cucumber, apple and lamb’s lettuce

Greens galore!

So, now that I have that off my chest, let’s see what else I ate today! It takes a really special person to find interest in what someone else ate. We’re weird, I know.

Breakfast

Apple oatmeal

Lunch

Lamb’s lettuce, cucumber, tomato, mushrooms, vegetarian schnitzel, balsamic glaze

After School Snack

Leftover pimped out frozen pizza from dinner yesterday. Similar to the pizza here, but this time with tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives, goat’s cheese, and tons of Italian seasoning.

Dinner

Dinner was had on the run between another dentist’s appointment (my TMJ night guard is nearly ready) and my school’s annual general meeting. I went to the best falafel place I know and quickly enjoyed the best thing €2.50 can buy. Sadly, I didn’t have my camera.

What did I do beside eat today, you may ask… well…. I organized the taxi to take me to the airport, packed my bags, cleaned the apartment, and did laundry. This was all after work, but before my appointment and the meeting back at school. I’m absolutely wiped out. I’ll be thankful for the 13 hours of traveling.

One more day of school, then I’m off to the USA to see my family and friends! Can you tell I’m a little excited? I can’t wait!

If you don’t hear from me for a few days, don’t worry, I’m just living it up with the one’s I love!

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