Enjoyed a berry nice visit from my mother over the weekend. She arrived early Saturday, and first stop for us was a mixed flat of organic love from the Eugene Saturday Market. The flat carried teeming pints of picture-perfect melt-in-your-mouth blueberries, cherries, blackcap raspberries, and logan berries, again all organic and so sweetly ripe. Not too mention, expertly picked/cleaned as we later found hardly three stems in the whole thing…

Sunday morning, momma made a nice raspberry cream cheese spread for bagels that was perfectly blended to embrace the flavor of the raspberry, yet not too sweet as to overwhelm the cream cheese, a culinary combo surprisingly harder to properly proportion than one might suspect… Bravo! ~

For Sunday dinner, we enjoyed organic carrots, green beans, and delicious tiny new potatoes, also from Saturday Market farmers. For dessert, I crafted a quick parfait of cherry yogurt, dark choco nibs, and crushed cashews that was quite decadent… Yesterday, mom left in the early morning. It was a great visit and I’m excited for her upcoming adventure in Korea. She’ll be enjoying a little more time in the midwest before the big flight.

For me, turns out my weekend berry adventures was only just the beginning, as later yesterday afternoon, a friend made a quick surprise visit, conveniently just in time for dinner, where I’d used a few handfuls of berries mashed through a strainer and reduced, to burst a flavor explosion into another of Ray’s BeerBQ sauced creations… Blueberry Moon Pork Chops.

And also last night, well before the berries had a chance to go bad, I turned the rest of the flat into a double batch of freezer jam, yielding 2 pints and 6 half-pints, all sweetened with brown sugar and honey. I was a little nervous the pectin wasn’t going to set well because it was rather runny going into the jars, and if had been the case, no worries, perfect for a tasty froyo topping, but alas this morning, the jam had gelled, and is perhaps perfect, as good as it gets.

So after my morning french press of coffee and toasted spelt bread with jam, I knocked out a half-hour of chores. While feeding Burp some grain, I spotted several ripe brambles of blackberries on the other side of the pasture. So I re-used one of the berry cartons, and picked my first pint of fresh blackies that grow abundantly all over the property, and are just now starting to ripen. There are gazillions more that should ripen over the next few weeks.

Open to any ideas and suggestions for more BeerBQ berry recipes… =)

So I planted a small garden this year, started a little late, but it has been flourishing. I have two raised bed planters, one with two tomato plants and six bell pepper plants, and the other with seven varieties of spicy peppers. I also have a nice pot of raspberries that are starting to really take off.

Today I decided to clip a bunch of the peppers. So I got 20 green bell peppers, smaller than ones in the grocery store, but infinitely sweeter and completely natural, no pesticides! I also cut 17 spicy peppers, including one Patron Habanero that is absolutely perfect. I got about a half-dozen cayenne peppers that look great, as well as several green chili peppers, I think serrano. There are also three of some rare purple pepper that are amazing looking as they started to turn from purple to this beautiful crimson.

Finally, I clipped two small red tomato and two larger green tomato. The two tomato plants have at least 50-60 more on them. Plus the gallons of basil I’m getting from a friend who is overgrown with it, I will definitely be making all kinds of delicious spaghetti sauce for the winter. What a fun deal. I hope to have a HUGE garden next year. Plus I’m going to talk my landlord into letting me build a little chicken coop in the backyard, give the dogs something to guard and/or chase.

Heading off in a few minutes to the Lane County Fair to volunteer at the Master Recycler booth…

One of my all-time favorite meals is a plate of classic American crispy shell tacos. Since I practically live in Mexico, there are plenty of places to get great, much more authentic Mexican food, but I’m talking straight up Tacos Blancos, bro…. Gringo Ortega cityslicker style… It’s ready to go in less than ten minutes — it would take you more time to drive to Taco Hell. So easy and inexpensive to make!

For four people, simply pan fry 1/2 lb lean ground beef or turkey. Brown it nicely over med-high heat, almost overcooking it. Stir so not to burn. When almost cooked, as an option, finely dice 10+ garlic cloves, and stir into meat. Otherwise, when meat is cooked, add a few spoonfuls of water and a packet of taco seasoning mix. Stir, cover, turn off heat, let sit while you dice a couple roma tomatoes, shred green leaf lettuce, and finely chop plenty of cilantro. Heat up taco shells in the toaster oven. Careful, they go from warm to burnt very quickly. When ready, add the ingredients. I like just a little hot sauce, but many people also like sour cream, white crumbly mexican cheese, shredded cheddar/nacho cheese, bits of avocado, or a variety other toppings.

When I’m feeling fancy and don’t mind cleaning up a little more of a mess, I’ll fry the small tortillas myself and make my own crispy shells. Or other times, I’ll melt a little cheese on a small tortilla, and then wrap it on the outside of the crispy shell taco. You get that awesome crunch from the crispy shell, and the cheesy soft shell helps hold it all together. Too easy…

Enjoy!

Yes, you are probably a host… In 1976, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) concluded that 1 out of 6 Americans had some sort of parasite. Today, the number is reported at closer to 7 out of 10 people, while worldwide, the number is nearing 100% infection rates, especially in tropical regions. Symptoms vary greatly, and many people exhibit no symptoms. If you have any type of pet, especially birds or cats, it would be very unlikely that you are not infected.

There are also numerous reports that many of these parasites have mutated to become more chemical-resistant, so these various pyrethrins, etc. will not only be ineffective, but they may actually cause you to become further infected; although these pyrethrins are natural organic compounds made from Chrysanthemum flowers, it’s still toxic to humans, and even a small exposure breaks down your natural immunity systems. Furthermore, with the uncontrolled rampage of all these new bio-engineered bacteria, fungi, and nanobugs, thanks to industrial-agriculture, most likely the military, and even companies like DuPont messing around with heat-resistant bacteria, we’re entering a whole new era of biological warfare.

Ironically, this is one of the few “wars” where it’s not so much humans vs. humans.

There is much speculation on what might turn out to be the larger and longer-term effects of these rampant parasites. The immediate health risks are obvious and great, perhaps greater than we even know, since the whole thing is still rather hush-hush. Since testing for some of these parasites is so difficult, and of course, most doctors do not keep current on journal reading, you are likely to be misdiagnosed, and probably treat the symptoms instead of the causes.

Many people consider these bugs, fungi, bacteria, and whatnot as an epidemic, and certainly deadly. Whatever the case, I think a pro-active and preventive strategy is crucial. Mechanical and more traditional treatment methods like herbs and essential oils are proving effective. I’ve really been having some great results with current cleanse. I’m suspecting it’s the morning supplements that really do the trick.

Here’s the blend: Fenugreek Seed, Gentian Root, Yellow Dock, Peppermint Leaf, Prickly Ash Bark, False Unicorn Extract, Silymarin Extract, Black Walnut Hulls, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Turmeric Root, Clove Bud, Pau D’Arco, Pumpkin Seed, Myrrh Gum, Garlic Bulb, Hyssop Leaf, and Elecampane Plant.

Also eating upwards of a dozen cloves of garlic per day. I’m also taking a high-quality fiber supplement, DE with yogurt, a tiny pinch of Borax sipped throughout the day in a liter of purified water, and of course, evening probiotics. I also have industrial spray bottles filled with pure eucalyptus oil, and another with pure peppermint oil. Both are slightly diluted so as not to burn.

Good luck.

My Saturday Crock-o-pot is simmering and smelling delish… Ten minute prep-time, Organic 17-Bean Barley Chili, might take a little longer to chop veggies, I’m quick with the knife… Simple low-cost veg recipe, at least six portions, great with fresh bread and mixed greens salad…

1) Drain and rinse, then cover with water and boil at least five minutes, a couple handfuls of raw 17-bean mix you soaked overnight. While beans are boiling, add to crock-pot a couple handful of raw pearl barley, rinsed. Add a dozen or so baby carrots, I usually chop them in half the short-way. Add an old beer from the back of the fridge into crockpot, reuse or recycle can or bottle. Add six diced tomatoes, a few chopped celery sticks, maybe half a red onion, a half-dozen diced cloves of garlic, etc. Whatever you like, whatever you got around… stone soup.

2) Add one of those 50-cent chili seasoning packets, or build your own spice mixes from bulk for pennies/year. I’ll also crumple into the mix a couple sun-dried spicy garden peppers to give it some kick. Maybe some fresh rosemary, a smidge of fennel seeds, pre-chopped frozen fresh basil. Cover the crockpot on low, and it’s ready to go in a few hours. Note – I like chunky soup contents, softened but on the heartier side, even slightly undercooked, so adjust times accordingly. Taste test. Since there’s no meat, I don’t have to worry about undercooking. I like to chew soup. Up to you…

3) When I’m ready to finally slurp into it, I ladle a portion into a bowl, then add some fresh chopped cilantro, some finely minced fresh ginger root, then a small handful of frozen peas, and a tiny pinch of gray sea salt and slivered sheet of nori. The peas help cool it off to not burn my mouth, and the peas only need to sit for a minute or two til tender. Don’t stress measurements, it’ll work. Too much liquid, fridge some as veggie juice or freeze some as stock. Not enough liquid, add a little wine, maybe some hot water if really dry.

Note – All foods organic, which is becoming the norm… though the beer and some of the spices often are not. This batch was a bottle of Heineken, so I’m naming this batch “Skunk Stew” – hopefully the skunkiness of the beer doesn’t carry through. Hope you try something like this. The whole tasty deal took less than ten minutes total time, including boiling the beans, making a quick prep after breakfast, three hours or so in the crockpot. Lunch is served whenever you’re hungry. Ding, that was easy. Enjoy.

Progressive, fun Southwestern theme based around the huge wood-fired brick oven of the spotless open kitchen. Warm comfortable dining room with pleasing lighting, as well as patio seating. Upbeat, sophisticated, dressy-casual crowd. Attractive, friendly, and seriously capable service staff were impressive. Delicious wine menu, good selection of premium beers. Since peak hours pack the house, we caught the tail-end of happy hour and enjoyed several half-price appetizers — thinking of their calamari and bruschetta still makes my mouth water. For main course, wood-fired pizza was cooked perfectly, full of fresh ingredients and topped with home-made mozzarella. Zona 78 is certainly incredible dining, an elegant yet affordable pizza joint, and truly a beautiful restaurant experience from start to finish.

bon appetit – rb

Expert Advice for Camping in Arizona, or anywhere

Remember these 10 tips and camping will become easier and a lot more fun for you. These will get you started but are by no means, a complete camping guide. As with everything, camping improves with practice and experience.

1. Make a List, Check it Twice—Coming up with your own gear checklist usually takes at least four or five camping trips to get it right. Make two copies. Use one for packing before the trip and the other for immediately after while unpacking. Add any gear you forgot and cross off the extra junk. Keep in mind that although you decide the hair curlers can be left home next trip, certain items you might not have used the last time (like bug spray) should still be included.
2. Keep Your Cooler Cool— Instead of ice cubes, fill plastic soft drink bottles with water and freeze. When the ice inside melts, you have wash water or backup drinking water plus your sandwiches never get soggy. After you get home from the trip, immediately refill and freeze the bottles for next time.
3. Bring a First Aid Kit—You never know when you will need it, and you will be pretty darn happy you brought it. Make sure you include tweezers because Arizona has more than its fair share of thorns and cactus spines.
4. Baby Wipes Work Wonders— Disposable baby wipes are lightweight hand, face, and body cleaners. Hot showers aren’t always the case on most camping trips and water might be scarce.
5. Eight More Essentials for Every Trip

• 20+ feet of clothesline rope
• Duct tape
• Disposable lighters
• Toilet paper (and Ziploc bags to pack it out) stored in an empty coffee can
• Multi-purpose tool
• Heavy duty aluminum foil
• Large, heavy-duty garbage bags
• Flashlight with spare batteries

6. Pitching a Tent—Playing with poles and trying to find which piece goes where is an awkward way to start your trip. Practice at home so you are an expert when you get to the campground. The tent should be set up and waterproofed before the big trip.
7. Easy Fire Starters—One Duraflame® log cut into smaller blocks makes great fire starters. If your firewood and kindling is damp and uncooperative, try an emergency road flare. Steel wool also works well. Keep a bucket of sand or water nearby in case the fire gets out of control and be sure to completely extinguish the fire and coals before departure. Use existing fire rings whenever possible.
8. Good Wood—Campgrounds often have the tidiest forest floors because previous visitors picked up all the firewood. Mesquite, oak, and juniper woods work well for cooking fires. Pine works in a pinch, but gives food a burnt, sappy taste. Please do not damage live trees because not only does green wood not burn well, it also makes food taste smoky and bitter. And of course, you are damaging the tree. Burn downed, dry wood only.
9. Sleep Naked—Sleeping bags work by trapping warm air inside, thus providing a loose blanket of body heat. Having too small of a bag never allows the down or high-tech materials to work. Likewise, if you wear excessive clothing, you might sweat; trapped moisture gets cold quick. Buy the best sleeping bag you can afford that fits you and fits the temperatures when you will camp. Sleep naked or with minimal clothing to stay the most comfortable.
10. Clean Your Canteens—After every trip, I add a spoonful of baking soda and refill my water jugs and canteens. They sit overnight, get rinsed out, and are stored open until next trip to ensure fresh tasting water every time.

HAPPY CAMPING!
rb