Autumn: It's Official

It's officially Autumn.  I used to hate fall.  As a kid, it just meant summer was over, school was starting, and winter was near.  That was then.

But not this year; I'm in love.

Here's some things to love about the fall:

1. The leaves are bright and beautiful (which lend to dramatically improved drives and bike rides).

2. It is now OK to rock your flannel.

3. Apples are everywhere!

To usher in the fall, we decided to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon apple-picking.  A little bird told me that Indian Ladder Farms had the best cider donuts, so it was our destination for the day.  Of course, we took the scenic route.

Erin and I are a little short for apple-picking...

Everyone seemed to have the same idea, because it was very crowded.  But we were still able to pick a bountiful bag of apples.  In fact, we had to take turns carrying it!

This hefty sack set us back $14, which seemed steep, but let me tell you, there's a lot of apples in there.

After picking, you can head further down the road for the donuts and market.  The market sold everything apples -

Pretty!  But it's about $3 cheaper to pick your own.

- as well as various local products, such as fruit, veggies, and Palatine cheese.

And of course, donuts.

So close, yet so far.

The donuts are made fresh, but you can only get them if you wait in line for the take-out window.  And on a day like Sunday, the line is very, very, very long.  Unfortunately, we did not wait :(

This was very disappointing.  So unfortunately, I cannot safely vouch that these are indeed the best cider donuts.  But if you're wondering, you can find out here.

Anyway, get out there and enjoy fall.  Apple recipes to come!

Local Harvest Food Festival

There's something about slanted sunshine, crisp air, and bright leaves, that make people want to get outside, get together, and eat. Yay for Fall!

Sunday was neither sunny nor crisp, but fortunately, people still came together in Washington Park in Albany for the Honest Weight's Local Harvest Food Festival.  I was suffering from my first cold of the school year (it didn't take me long...), but it was a welcome break from my schedule of tea and napping.

Check out some pics from the afternoon:

Lovely lavender, bunches and soap (and cake, to taste!)

A bicycle covered in garlic is my kind of bike.

I bought a pair in white (her nature-inspired artwork was amazing, too).

We shared a red-velvet, and I'm now addicted.

You know it's fall when the gourds come out!

Delicious Greek treats!  (Although the dolmades were still not as good as my Dad's, even with the pine nuts).

Overall, I really enjoyed myself. The festival wasn't as big as I'd expected, but it's only their second year, so hopefully it will continue to grow.  And it was still a lot of fun. I wasn't really feeling in the fall spirit, but the Fall Festival got me there.  And, it inspired me to head over to the Co-Op, where I haven't been in a while, to experiment with some new ingredients (which will soon follow, hopefully).  

Happy Fall :)

Teaching "Green"

Look what's coming to Albany! According to AllOverAlbany.com, a center is being built with the purpose of educating the urban and suburban population on how they can live more sustainably with the resources at hand.  Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pelligrew, founders of a similar community center in Texas, have now moved to Albany and are starting up The Radix Center.  They will begin with a greenhouse, and hopefully add a chicken coop, goats, and fish, as well as begin workshops to educate the public.

I hope that they will be able to present topics in a way that will excite the community, and not feel overwhelming.  I can be just as guilty of feeling limited by my surroundings; I don't even own a home, much less enough farmland to feed myself.  But again, I don't think it's a Go Big Or Go Home kind of situation: every little bit we can do helps, both in terms of our own health, and that of our community.  And lots of little bits can certainly add up to a big bit.

Anyway, I'm excited to see where this goes!

Check out the article on AOA here.

Strawberries!

It's strawberry season!! It's actually been strawberry season for a while now; this is the end, sadly.  And I haven't even gone picking yet..

However, I got myself some local strawberries at the Honest Weight Co-Op today, and they're delicious.  There's something about fresh strawberries (like the real ones, not the supermarket ones).  They're tiny and weird-shaped, and bursting with sweetness. My goal is still to pick some berries before the season ends, around July 4th.  If you're interested in getting out there yourself (or if not this time around, then for one of the other fruit seasons), check out this website discovered by my friend, Andrea: Albany Kid.  It's pretty neat.  This should lead you right to the Pick-Your-Own-Fruit article and website, but be sure to explore the rest of the site: it has lots of information about fun, kid-friendly things to do around our area.  And get out there and pick some fruit while the pickin's good!

P.S. Right now in the co-op.. local strawberries, cherries, rhubarb, squash, and portobellos (from PA).

Honest Weight

I seem to be on a co-op tour this week. Next stop: Honest Weight Food Co-Op on Central Avenue in Albany, a little closer to home (this time "home" meaning my apartment in Albany, just to be clear). It is a different experience: Honest Weight is the foil to Community. I can't say that it has the low prices of the Mohawk Valley, but it far exceeds the Community's selection of goods. The outside wouldn't suggest anything special; in fact, I wouldn't go to this neighborhood alone at night. However, once inside, I was amazed by how big it was... room after room of local, organic, and specialty products. Oh, the beautiful cheeses! The lovely pies! The wall of dried fruits! Yesterday was actually my third or fourth visit, and I didn't need anything in particular, but it's fun to look, and I always find something new to try.

Here at Honest Weight, the dry goods (fruits, nuts, grains, etc.) are in self-serve bins, with a scale and baggies nearby. Keep in mind that you are charged for the bags ($0.02-$0.05); however, on the same token, you are credited a nickel for bringing your own reusable shopping bag.

My staple purchase has become the half-pound bag of baby spinach. At a $1.99, it's at least fifty cents cheaper than Price Chopper's spinach on sale. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the natural peanut butter; I'm not good at math, but it's either the same price or a bit more expensive than my Natural Smuckers and Jiffy. At least, however, it's local, so I can feel that my extra fifty cents or a dollar supported a local business. And might I add, it is delicious-- better than the chain brands. Meats and cheeses here are also very expensive, but of top quality. I haven't purchased either yet (due to my frugality), but I did have a sample of some cheese and it was one of the best I'd ever had-- and I know my cheese. My splurge this trip was a dozen natural, local, "farm-fresh" eggs, which I haven't yet tried, but look delish (and they should be, at $3.25!)

Also not to miss:

Choice brand organic teas (my favorite is the Toasted Brown Rice Green Tea)

BWC organic aromatherapy Rosemary Mint Tea Tree Shampoo

One really nice touch is that Honest Weight clearly marks all local goods with a sticker so they're easy to find and identify.

If you can spare no expense, you can do all of your shopping here, it really has almost everything (or the materials to make it if you can't find it). For me, Honest Weight is a good supplement to grocery store shopping. I will buy many items from the co-op, due to it's lower price or better quality, but there a few things still, like my meats, that I won't buy there, unless I'm in the mood for a splurge. Now that I'm thinking about it, I do need to find a good place to buy meat...

Hello!

Hi there. My name is Danielle, and I'm a "twenty-something" living in Albany, NY. Over the past year or so since I've moved here, I've become very interested in trying to live healthily and more environmentally savvy. Though it is rarely cheap or easy (there is much more cooking involved), so far I've found it to be a very satisfying choice... my meals are much more interesting as well as healthier (I often use this as my excuse to exercise less), and overall, I've felt much better about my lifestyle. I've already changed quite a bit, from my breakfast food to the cat litter I use. However, I know that getting started is the hardest part. The "Natural Foods" section of the grocery store is expensive and overwhelming, which can easily become a deterrence, but I've found in my travels that there are many "hidden" treasures of homegrown natural goodness locally that make earth- and body-friendly choices cheaper and much more fun-- you just need to know where to look. So I'm here to share my adventures in local and "green" as I explore what the Capital Region (and beyond) has to offer. Along the way I may veer off the trail to share a recipe or mention an other-than-food discovery, but what's a good road trip if you don't stop to smell the flowers every so often?