Blogs for April, 2013
checkout the archived city farm blog articles to learn about our takes on farm & city life
checkout the archived city farm blog articles to learn about our takes on farm & city life
My nickname at one of my freelance jobs is “Ruby,” given by a friend/colleague in deference to my seemingly Southern girl’s preference for drinking from a big mason jar, and searching for pen and important papers amidst the green foliage overwhelming my desk. Though I did live in the south (Tennessee) for a few, formative years, I’m a Northwestern girl at heart, and grew up Oregonian, taking for granted the overarching evergreens, snow-capped mountains in the distance, and a cherry-plum tree in my backyard.
My office cubicle changes every few months. Decorative baubles are a luxury; like a nomad, I travel light. My desk is a zen space to hold my favorite coffee mug, a collection of pens, laptop, and Lucille and Frank, two of my plants.
You name (and talk to) your plants, too, right? Ahem… right? In Modern Farmer’s Spring 2013 issue (modernfarmer.com), Jeanne Carstensen writes about the history of chatting up our plants. It makes sense to want to communicate with them, she writes, as “without plants, humans and animals could not survive.” The article references new research that plants have a sensual life, and are “acutely aware of the world around them,” as Daniel Chamovitz, author of the book What a Plant Knows, states.
Are you a plant-whisperer? Do your colleagues wonder how you grow such beautiful greens under the harsh fluorescent lights of your office complex? Is your home office a greenhouse? Share your secrets in the comments below: Is your office a jungle? What’s your favorite indoor vegetation? How do you bring the outside in?
Share how you’ve greened your office: tweet photos to @thecityfarm!
Photo credits: Clockwise, from left top:
2. Living Table, by Nothing Design Group, Apartment Therapy
One of the joys of spending the night at The City Farm is going into the kitchen in the morning and finding a basket of just-laid eggs. The taste, texture and color of a perfectly fresh egg is very different from what you buy at the grocery store. The white of a fresh egg is more clear. The yolk of a fresh egg appears firm and plump, and is a vibrant yellow-orange. The taste is different too…rich and buttery.
I lived in England for a year and a half and traveled a great deal in Europe during that time. One of the things that always baffled me was why the scrambled eggs in restaurants in Britain and Europe always tasted so good…and so different from the scrambled eggs I prepared in my own kitchen. The answer…the eggs over there were fresher, and the method of preparation was quite different from my method which was to cook them over high heat so they would be done quickly and I could get on to my next project.
I think I have found the perfect recipe for scrambled eggs. The resulting texture is very creamy, and if prepared with fresh eggs, absolutely heavenly.
PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS
Crack 3-4 fresh eggs into a bowl, add a tablespoon or 2 of cream, and whip for 30 seconds.
Melt 1-2 TAB butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat.
Add eggs and stir constantly, until eggs are thick and creamy.
Enjoy!
Happy Earth Day! Today, more than one billion people in 192 countries are participating in in Earth Day. From London, to New York and around the globe people everywhere are learning how to raise more awareness for the health of our planet.
Keep your Earth Day going until this May, for WorldFest 2013 held at Woodley Park in Lake Balboa. This annual festival is filled with music, environmental and humanitarian speakers, food and fun for all ages! Festival runs from 10:00AM-7:30PM on Sunday, May 19. For more information and to pre-order your tickets, simply log on to worldfestevents.com
We’re embracing Earth Day today by planting a few new Avocado trees up at the ranch. Helping the planet, enriching our crops and bringing more sweet green avocados to you! From our farm, to your home. We hope you enjoy today and take time to do some planting and growing, too.
Mornings are my absolute favorite time of day. Full of renewal and fresh starts, it only seems right I begin mine with some caffeine–espresso in these little darlings sounds right! I found these tumblers when visiting the Maison D’ Objet show in January. I remember walking by the booth and did a double take–were these cups meant to be dented? And in fact they were! Designed to look like a hand gripped this cup a little too tightly these cappuccino tumblers are incredibly fun and unique.
We’re sending them to you in sets of two. Colors come in red, orange, yellow, navy or white. These are just the right size for a quick swig before you head out the door to your next destination, or for sitting and enjoying with breakfast. Cup measures 3.25 inches in diameter and 3.25 inches high. Holds 6.25 oz. Water and Utensil Tumblers pictured in collection sold separately. Enjoy! https://thecityfarm.com/product/cappuccino-crumpled-tumbler-set-white/
For me the very coolest of jobs that I am lucky enough to do involve travel. While most pet owners cringe at the thought of traveling with their pets for many different reasons, I and many of the animal trainers in the entertainment industry, have done this so many times we know the pitfalls and try to prepare well in advance for any event.
I am lucky to say that in nearly 19 years of traveling I have never had any kind of incident that has negatively impacted the animal I was traveling with. You can check out my Training Post on “Flying with your Dog” (which will be posted here in the next couple of months) for tips on traveling safely.
This job for a spaghetti sauce involved flying down to Santiago, Chile. I had never been before so was very excited. I had Echo as seen above and we stayed at the very dog friendly hotel The Ritz Carlton. And let me just say that whenever you can stay The Ritz Carlton – do so. They LOVE dogs! This was Echo – checking in.
Okay, so the bed they provided was a little small – but Echo didn’t seem to mind. My room had a dog bed, dog bowls and some dog bones waiting for us once we’d checked in.
The city itself was very dog friendly. Its the first time I was able to take my dog into a Starbucks! I LOVE it! And when we left our dogs at the hotel and ventured out to do some exploring it wasn’t long before we found some local dogs. This local stray (rather well fed I might add) had three legs and some enterprising person stuck a coat on him to make him more appealing? As soon as you sat down at this outdoor cafe he would stroll up (? hop up?) and lay down at your feet – how can you not feed that dog! I suspect that this is years of careful planning and it appears that he is very successful in his attempts at subtle begging.
The dogs (below) seem a little more concerned with us standing in a road than we do – here I am with Tracy Kelly, fantabulous trainer with her little dog Finn. I have to say, the airport staff upon checking the dogs in, were more courteous and caring for the dogs than at Los Angeles airport, I did not expect that. But then I guess if you live in a city where you can take your dog into a Starbucks then that says a lot about the people.
It might be our April newsletter than just went out, but I’ve got shopping on the mind. My taste both city and farm, I have to highlight one of our newest products in addition to the three April features, the ‘Keep Calm and Carry Chocolate’ sign. Not too long ago I was designing T-shirts with some friends with the same ‘Keep Calm’ slogan. Phrases and literary bits of joy are the little things that can completely change the course of a day from bad to good. I think this sign should be hung on every wall, of every room, in every home. Maybe not every room but it certainly has a place in mine.
In addition, carrying chocolate is also very relevant to me and everyone at The City Farm. In the words of Patty herself, “We love..I mean love chocolate at The City Farm”. She’s right, between making Avocado Chocolate pudding and taking sweet little cupcakes on photo shoots, I may slowly turn into a piece of chocolate.
This sign is certainly an affordable piece at only $14 that is necessary for your home and any chocolate lovers you know. Click the ‘Buy Now’ button and consider it yours, gift wrap included! Enjoy the weekend, happy shopping!
When I am visiting the San Francisco area, I always have breakfast at Rick and Ann’s in Berkeley at least once. Why go all the way across the Bay Bridge for breakfast when there are so many great restaurants in San Francisco? Because Rick and Ann’s is just soooooo good. Their pancakes…buttermilk, cornmeal, whole grain, and orange-rice flour are out of this world. The scrambled eggs with lox and green onions is always a winner. But the real reason I get up early, buck the traffic, hope for a parking space and wait for a table is the Red Flannel Hash.
Red Flannel Hash is one of those things where the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It is composed of sweet potatoes, new potatoes, bacon, red onion, and fresh beets. For those of you who have just said “yuck’ to the beets, let me tell you a story. For my entire life I have hated beets. When I was a child, not only would I not eat beets, if a beet touched anything else on my plate I would not eat that item either. This hatred of beets continued into adulthood..until the day my husband and I went to Rick and Ann’s. My husband ordered the Red Flannel Hash and it smelled so good, I actually asked for a bite…even thought I still HATED beets. Well…in that moment I was converted. I had never tasted anything so good. I always order it when we go to Rick and Ann’s and I always ask for a side order of sour cream to go with it. All I can say is…even for people who say they don’t like beets…just try it. It’s fantastic!
The restaurant is across from The Claremont Hotel. Here is their info:
Rick and Ann’s Restaurant
2922 Domingo Ave
Berkeley, CA
510. 649.8538