Time to Carb Load!

Local Food Lady, along with 34,012 of my closest friends, participated in the 2012 Broad Street Run.  I really enjoy this race, as it takes you from Olney in North Philadelphia, around City Hall, through the gates of the Navy Yard, with a finish next to the big ships. 

You may have heard about runners "carb loading" before big races, as there is a widely held belief that by eating carbs before a long-distance running event, you loading up your muscles with glycogen.  I regularly run, but I don't regularly carb load before a race. I just had to this past Saturday, especially after my recent buys at the Farmer's Market.

I decided to make one of my favorite pasta dishes--penne carbonara--the night before the race. It combines carbs, fats, savory flavors, and proteins.  Great dish and simple to make!

To make:

• 1 lb penne pasta (fresh, if possible)
• 2 eggs scrambled (I got mine from Jack's Farm)
• olive oil
• fresh basil
• pecorino romano cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the water and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. I used all of the whole wheat penne I bought from Vera Pasta. While the pasta is cooking, crack and scramble your eggs, add some cheese to the scrambled egg mixture.  Drain the pasta well, and return to pot. Pour egg/cheese mixture over the pasta and turn the heat onto low. Slowly mix the pasta with the egg/cheese mixture, until egg begins to get more solid. Top with fresh basil and extra cheese.

Farmers Market Report!

Saturday, May 5th, was opening day for the Phoenixville Farmer's Market. We've been lucky to have markets throughout the winter on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, but the first Saturday in May opens the full season!  From now, through the end of November, the market will be open every Saturday from 9a to 1pm.

Each year, we are lucky to get a few new vendors to the market. This year is no different. I try not to miss a market, even in the winter months or in inclement weather.

This past weekend, I had a chance to see several new vendors at our market and picked up a bunch of great items.  Of course, I had to stop by my tried and true favorites, like FreshaPeel Hummus and Jenny and Frank's Artisan Gelato. Take a look at some of the great items I picked up:

Chocolate Supreme Gelato

Lemon Kale hummus

And some new products from new vendors: Naughty Nutty Love, Vera Pasta and our pickle vendor (I didn't catch the name on his stand, but those dill pickles were great!).  I am sure that I will be picking up many new items this season, as the market grows more and more each year. 

From the NY Times: Is it ethical to eat meat?

Michael Pollan is one of my favorite authors and I follow him on Facebook. His writing is excellent, and when I watch him in interviews, I find his tone to be approachable and never condescending. His advice is simple and I believe his book, "In Defense of Food" radically changed my food choices.  

He is a regular contributor to the New York Times and today, posted the following on Facebook: 

Winner of NYTimes "ethics of meat-eating" essay contest announced. V. controversial. http://t.co/OOUIEzyj

The NY Times article discusses the more than 3,000 responses to a simple question they posed last week, "Is it ethical to eat meat?"  Very interesting and Pollan is correct, very controversial. 

Image from NY Times. Russell Bell.

I have friends who are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, omnivores, and carnivores. Most of my meals are vegetarian, and I never hesitate to accommodate the food choices of guests who come to my home. I believe that food choices are personal, and the reasons for these choices vary greatly.  

So, readers, what do you think of the NY Times question?  

Organic grocery coupons -- Yes, they do exist!

I found this great article on Mother Nature Network's website. A direct link to the story will follow at the bottom.  I do need to buy some grocery staples, like cereal and pasta, since they cannot be found at my farmer's market.

Online grocery coupons for April 2012

Some of the best coupons for natural and organic products to be found online.

Monday, April 2, 2012 - Coupon websites change their coupons throughout the month, but most of them make major changes at the beginning of each month. With that in mind, here’s a list of printable coupons for April 2012 that I think you’ll be interested in.

From Coupons.com

• Newman’s Own Skillet Meal $1/1
• Cascadian Farm $.75/1
• Kashi Steam Meal $1/1
• Schick Xtreme 3 Eco $2/1
• Larabar $1/4
• McCann’s Oatmeal $1/1

From Mambo Sprouts

• Nature’s Path Granola Bar or Cereal $1/1
• Clif Crunch Granola Bar $1/1
• Florida Crystals $.65/1
• Earth Balance Soymilk $.75/1
• Country Choice Organic $1/1

From SmartSource.com

• Green Mountain Naturals Apple Cider K-Cup $1/1
• Florida Crystals $.55/1
• Florida Crystals Organic Agave $.65/1

From Upromise You need to have a Upromise account, and you need to register your shopper card so the coupon will be embedded in the card. No paper coupon will print.

• Diamond Sea Salt  $.35/1
• Diamond Kosher Salt  $.40/1

From Whole Foods (must be used at Whole Foods stores)

• Annie’s Organic Rising Crust Pizza $2/1
• Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread $1/1
• Organic Valley Cottage Cheese $.50/1
• Cascadian Farms Cereal or Granola Bars $1/2
• EnviroKids Organic Cereal or Crispy Rice Bars $1.50/2
• Many other coupons that might be of interest

From manufacturer websites

All of these coupons are ready to print. You don’t need to sign up for any newsletters, provide personal information, or jump through any other hoops.

• Organic Valley - Various coupons a several Organic Valley products
• Seeds of Change - $1 off any Seeds of Change Certified Organic product
• Simply Organic – 8 different coupons for spices, dip mixes and more

For more manufacturers that offer online coupons, but make you jump through a couple of hoops for them, check out Where to find coupons for natural and organic products.

Direct link to article:Online grocery coupons for April 2012 | MNN - Mother Nature Network