San Pedro Fish Market

APRIL 7 Today we met with friends for a stroll through the San Pedro Fish Market. The fish, whole, packed on ice and neatly lined captured our attention. Not only could one purchase a fresh catch to take home, but many customers had theirs cooked and served right there on the wharf.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea gulls crying.

SEA FEVER by John Masefield

Raw Milk

Early and Primitive societies understood the incredible value of milk products. Butter and cream in particular provide a treasure trove of vitamins, enzymes, and fats that promote healthy bodies and long life. In the days before refrigeration, virtually every society practiced time-honored methods of fermentation to preserve a prepare dairy products for consumption over time.

Modern milk producers routinely pasteurize milk by heating it at high temperatures to destroy undesirable bacteria. This process destroys all of the beneficial organisms in milk, along with all of the enzymes. It also alters vital amino acids, reducing our ability to access the protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals in milk.

Milk producers also "add" powdered milk and synthetic vitamin D2 or toxic D3 to "low-fat" milk to make it thicker. Then they "homogenize" the mixture so fat particles remain in suspension -- making them indigestible in the intestine but highly likely to pass through the intestinal wall, directly into the bloodstream.

Always choose butter over margarine or other "low-fat" spreads." Seek out raw goat's milk or raw cow's milk. It may be difficult, but the search will be worth it.
The Maker's Diet, page 139


Last night I visited an inspiring blog, Inside the White Picket Fence, to watch an interview about RAW MILK. I feel blessed to be the recipient of such truth for the benefit of our health. In all my life I had no thought or question about pasteurized milk. The milk in our refrigerator is supposed to be good for our children and now I feel like it is an inferior thing I pour into their cups.

Organic Pastures Dairy CO. has a store locator on their website for Californians wanting raw milk. There is a Sprout's market very near our home that has raw milk, yeah!

When we move to Idaho and have our own farm land, I want to have a milking goat...

Autumn Seeds and Books

Coriandrum Sativum

Four months ago in May, Julia and James chose an herb of their own to grow in little pots out on our patio front. Julia chose Chocolate Mint and James' choice was Cilantro. We were instructed by the garden lady to not let the Cilantro flower or that would be the end of enjoying its leaves. By mid-summer it got away from us and grew a tall inedible shoot that flowered. James was all right with it as he knew this would not be the end of his plant, recollecting last Autumn when we gathered seed from our Morning Glories.

Last week James informed us that the Cilantro had gone to seed and it was ready for harvest. James' Cilantro seed will soon be planted with his little green thumb in one of our hydroponic containers. His plan is to save some seed, enjoy the cilantro in guacamole, and sell the remaining herb plants to make money.

Garrett recently learned of a trio of spices for grilled chicken and fish that looked and sounded so good he had to purchase them. The three are Fennel, Cumin, and Coriander Seed in their whole raw form. Before using, they are to be toasted in a dry pan and then coarsely crushed. The three glass jars were sitting on our counter right next to James' seed harvest, when Garrett noticed James' seed was identical to the Coriander Seed. Lo and behold! James had in his hand Coriander Seed! I just learned that Cilantro is the Spanish name for Coriander.

And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like CORIANDER SEED, white; and the taste of is was like wafers made with honey. Exodus 16:31

Health effects & medicinal uses from Wikipedia

Coriander, like many spices, contains antioxidants, which can delay or prevent the spoilage of food seasoned with this spice. A study found both the leaves and seed to contain antioxidants, but the leaves were found to have a stronger effect.

Chemicals derived from coriander leaves were found to have antibacterial activity against Salmonella choleraesuis, and this activity was found to be caused in part by these chemicals acting as nonionic surfactants.

Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iran. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic. Coriander seeds are used in traditional Indian medicine as a diuretic by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid. In holistic and traditional medicine, it is used as a carminative and as a digestive aid.

Coriander has been documented as a traditional treatment for diabetes. A study on mice found that coriander extract had both insulin-releasing and insulin-like activity.

Coriander seeds were found in a study on rats to have a significant hypolipidemic effect, resulting in lowering of levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein. This effect appeared to be caused by increasing synthesis of bile by the liver and increasing the breakdown of cholesterol into other compounds.

Coriander juice (mixed with turmeric powder or mint juice) is used as a treatment for acne, applied to the face in the manner of toner.

Let us eat more CILANTRO and CORIANDER SEED :)

This book, Seed Babies is on my want list

BOOKS

I am so excited for the book finds we purchased today! This beautiful set of five books by Annie Fellows Johnston was published in 1912, copyright in 1903, and at $4 each were truly treasures found.

CHAPTER 1

Off to Boarding-School

Something unusual was happening at Locust. Although it was early in September, and the heat and dust of a Kentucky summer still lingered in every corner of Lloydsboro Valley, the great house with its vine-covered pillars was being hastily put in order for winter closing......

Volume VI

TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES 1921

INTRODUCTION

The interesting accounts of the Early Explorers tell us these moving stories. Most of the men who took hazards mentioned in the book had the fortitude of old Orellana. "Having eaten our boots and saddles boiled with a few wild herbs, we set out to reach the kingdom of gold." These men answered that fierce question which his frightened mate asked of Admiral Columbus, "What shall we do when hope is gone?" as he answered it:

"The words came like a leaping sword: Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!"

by WILLIAM BYRON FORBUSH

What a beautiful GEOGRAPHY book this is! Just open and see....

O HANA SAN OF JAPAN

by Edna Walker

"PAD" -- "pad" -- "pad," followed by the sounds of crackling paper and firewood, come faintly through the thin paper walls of the room where O Hana San is drowsily waking into new day, and she knows that the maidservants have just slipped out of their room, which is next to the kitchen, and are kindling the fire.

It is only half-past four, but they are never late; granny, or, as they call her, inkyosama ("the retired lady"), sees to that. Granny's room is close to the maid's apartment, and she takes care that the clock is right; an ancient clock it is, too, where the face goes round and the hands stand still, for the retired lady does not approve of new-fangled European clocks with their fixed faces and moving hands.

Suddenly O Hana San becomes wide awake, for the sliding shutters on the outside of the veranda are opened for the day, and not only make a considerable noise, but let in a flood of bright morning light which heralds a beautiful Japanese day of blue sky and sunshine.

The name of "O Hana San" really means the "Honorable Miss Blossom," for little girls in Japan are nearly always called after something beautiful--trees, or flowers, or other lovely things, like sunshine or rainbow.......

The pink book on the right is Leaves from a Journal 1855, Queen Victoria

THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN AND H.R.H. THE PRINCE CONSORT TO THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH

Saturday, August 18th, 1855

Could not sleep for a long time for the heat, though the yacht is most comfortable. At five we got under way. From the rapidity with which the yacht goes, there is a great deal of vibration; and they were noisy on deck. After seven we got up: the day quite splendid, the sea deep blue, and quite smooth....

The scene was very brilliant. On the shore was the Emperor, surrounded by his officers, including the Marechal Baraguay d'Hilliers, who commands the troops there, Lord Cowley, a regiment of Lancers, many horses, many people, the brilliant carriages, the troops covering the Falaise and constantly firing (musketry fire)....

Summer Days

Almost ready...

Summer Days
WITH FRIENDS

Dear friends



Friends...

That are now far away


Miles separate

Their hugs

But not their LOVE

We miss you dear friends and cannot wait to see you again!

Homemade bread

With fresh garlic, kosher salt, olive oil, and garden rosemary drizzled on top right before baking...

The mortar and pestle below was used for the topping which

helped bring out the flavors by pressing and grinding the ingredients together.

The best bread yet!

Next to the Mortar and Pestle are good book finds for only $3.00!
Beautiful vintage books:

CHILDREN OF OTHER LANDS by Watty Piper, illustrated by Holling C. Holling

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S WORLD by Genevieve Foster

Miss Julia making banana pancakes for the family
A wonderful breakfast she made...

Enjoying Auntie's pool

The sun illuminates only the eye of the man,

but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gum Grove Wildflowers

Last week was just beautiful at Gum Grove with the wildflowers in bloom.




The rope swing...

A treasure found...

Eucalyptus tree, fallen after the rain. Cut.

New life growing from its side.

The sea of yellow Black Mustard was so beautifully abundant and had grown as tall as can be after the rainy season we had this year. Last year the children stuffed their little bug jars full of the mustard flowers and crushed and mashed making their own 'mustard'; this year they did the same. I just did a little research to learn if black mustard is indeed edible and it is! The mustard greens are edible (of course I have heard of mustard greens) as are the seeds. How and when to harvest the seeds? The answer is on the link above. I must go back soon for our black mustard seeds!

This House Finch couple is enjoying the black mustard.

Brother and Sister...

Picking wild flowers for Mama...