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It’s worthwhile examining our dependence on canned goods during a season when the lack of sunshine coincides with a shortage of fresh produce at the market. The days are shorter and colder, and popping open a can of soup is just too easy when you need a quick, hot meal. But the difference between fresh and canned extends far beyond the method of preparation. 
One year ago I was working three jobs. I pulled espresso at a coffee shop and shelved armloads of romance novels at a bookstore. At my favorite job, I’d whip up elaborate breakfasts for sleepy-eyed travelers at a local B&B. We ate well and life was good. 
Why would I make noodles when I can pop into my neighborhood grocery and get them for less than $2 a pound? And that question has a logical answer: Because if I make them, they are fresh, and I know exactly what goes into them. 
I am by no means an expert on sprouting. There are whole webpages dedicated to the task, online forums full of people sharing the outcomes of their home-kitchen experiments – from novice sprouters like me to expert enthusiasts. I was thrilled to find that the sprout community is just as active as that of the bread bakers and cheese makers. More proof that people are taking an active role in their food – and with sprouts, it’s literally seed-to-plate. 
Stopping at a gift shop and grocery in Grant Village, we were surprised to find they offered potatoes, onions, and bananas at a good price, as well as organic grapes and local wines. They even had stickers denoting some locally sourced products. So there is good food in Yellowstone! 
Now that summer is in full-swing, it’s time to take advantage of the season! That means making use of all the seasonal produce we can get our hands on, but it also means making quick and affordable meals that you can take on-the-go. 
Around the time the chicks turned four weeks old, things started to get really hairy … err, feathery around here. They weren’t the fluffy chicks they once were; down had been replaced with real feathers, and the girls had a new set of priorities. Mainly using those new wings to launch themselves to the highest available perch, where they sat and preened their pretty little feathers. 
Egg salad is my ultimate quick lunch. Got eggs? Got bread? Good to go! It takes little more than ten minutes to make enough egg salad for two with leftovers. 
These past few weeks have been a flurry of activity in our little house. As we shake off the shreds of winter to welcome in spring, the birdsong outside our window is echoed by an entirely new sound inside – the nearly constant chirping coming from a box in the corner of our living room. 
About two years ago I started experimenting with making my own sandwich bread. I knew it wasn’t too difficult to put out a nice fluffy loaf of white bread (and I think I might’ve once or twice) but if Wonder Bread is what I really wanted then I wouldn’t be making my own bread in the first place. From the start I knew that this mission was all about incorporating whole grains. I want to bring bread back to the basics: handmade, unrefined (or less so), and healthy. Oh, and I want it to taste good too. |
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