Organic Farming Could Help Countries Meet Climate Goals, Study Says

I've been catching up on my ag news and came across a series of articles about a new report from Britain's Soil Association.

According to their 18-month study, if all UK farmland went organic, the carbon savings would be equivalent to taking nearly one million cars off the road.

A Reuters report on the study notes that, on average, organic farming produces 28 percent higher levels of soil carbon compared with non-organic farming in northern Europe.

"The widespread adoption of organic farming practices in the UK would offset 23 percent of UK agricultural emissions through soil carbon sequestration alone, more than doubling the UK government's pathetically low target of a 6-11 percent reduction by 2020," the Soil Association said.

"A worldwide switch to organic farming could offset 11 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions," the organic group added.

These are interesting stats, but they don't take into account the benefits of efficiency and the maximized yield from modern, large-scale farming.

To keep up with food demands, we'd have to have a lot more farms. And one expert in the Reuters story noted that any carbon benefit we may see from going fully organic could be offset by having to plow up more land in other areas.

Read the full report from the Soil Association here.

Yay. I Didn't Burn the Turkey

What a day. A really fantastic day.

I was so worried about whether I'd be able to pull off a turkey. I'm not a huge fan of turkey actually, so I really wanted to make one that I liked. Here's what I learned...I really like butter and sage rubbed turkey.

I pretty much followed the Bon Appetit recipe, though I did stuff the bird with onions and
some herbs from my garden. I think that helped to infuse the meat with flavor. It also helped to salt the turkey the night before. Much easier than brining.

The other big worry was whether I'd be able to serve 18 people a relatively formal meal on time, and still piping hot.

Mission accomplished.

That's not to say it all went smoothly. The dressing was a little disappointing. It needed a shallower dish.

And we still had to work out switching from the soup course to the main course. Passing around three tables turned out to be overly complicated.

But all the food was ready on time and the turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes were still steaming by the time we all held hands around the table to say grace.

I thought the table looked OK how I set it. But it got a huge Martha Stewart-ish boost when my sister-in-law arrived.

The iFarmer's Twin superbly executed this vague idea I had about writing messages of thanks on ribbons to help dress the table.

All 18 of us got a ribbon with our name on it, plus a message like blessed and grateful.

Mine was exactly how I felt today: Contented.

I was content because I didn't burn or dry out the turkey and because I got to spend so much time in the kitchen with my family.

You may notice from the pix that several of us have on new aprons.

These were a surprise from Playful Spirit Potter, who made holiday aprons for me, the iFarmer and the kids. Love them.

There's nothing like an apron to put me in a cooking state of mind.

Today's Menu

We'll see if we can pull this off.

Notice any common underlying flavors?

Butter & Sage Rubbed Turkey

Cider Gravy

Sourdough dressing w/sausage and apples

Butternut squash and apple soup

Spinach, apple and goat cheese salad

Brussels sprouts slaw w/maple-glazed pecans

Sweet potato mash with walnuts

Green bean casserole (from The Farm)

Mashed potatoes (from The Farm)

Cranberry marmalade sauce

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Made fresh today yeast rolls

Pumpkin roll

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Hoosier sugar cream pie

Pumpkin mousse individual trifles

Date pudding

Aunt Sara's fudge

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Spiced cider (w/Calvados for the adults)

Plus veggies, cheeses, shrimp, etc. etc.

New Rule: Kitchen is Off Limits For Non-Thanksgiving Fare

I'm not sure my feet could hurt any more than they do right now.

I sat down exactly twice today: when I drove to and from the grocery and when I scarfed down a quick lunch.

The rest of the day I was on my feet in front of the stove, sink or broom in hand.

Of course, the high points were in the kitchen. I was able to finish the cranberry marmalade sauce, butternut squash/apple soup and a not-so-pretty, but very tasty Hoosier sugar cream pie.

After work, the iFarmer got busy making his mashed sweet potatoes.

Our fridge is filling up so fast I dragged out the extra large cooler for overflow.

Thankfully the weather finally got seasonable, so I could cool hot dishes outside too.

By the end of the day, I'd implemented a new rule: no more cooking in the kitchen unless the dish is in furtherance of our Thanksgiving feast. From now on...it's carryout and paper plates.

More cooking tomorrow...though I imagine most of the day will involve me trying to keep the kids from destroying the house.

Lots To Be Thankful For

Two major stressors are down: my son's 2-year cardiology appointment (went great) and the relaunch of my publication's website (it's beautiful).

So now I can let myself really get into the Thanksgiving Holiday spirit.

Tomorrow, it's all about shopping. And it looks like I may get to do that solo or at least sans kids, which always makes my Costco runs more productive and enjoyable.

I'm also prepared to knock a few other household to-do items off my list...like getting the guest room ready and doing some initial cleanup.

Unfortunately, it's impossible (with my children) to clean the house early. Every room I clean, they regard as an open invitation to somehow make worse than when I started.

But I'm thankful for both of them...and a few other things today:

For Future Farmgirl, who in a fit of younger sister rage, knocked her brother to the floor today, finally busting out his first loose tooth. They were so proud of their team effort!

For talented Web developers and people who are willing to work on Saturdays, despite family obligations, to help build a community online.

For Future Farmboy's bravery and calm during his doctor visit today. We're told that if you didn't know he'd once had open heart surgery (the scar's a dead giveaway), you'd never know from his heart echo and EKG. Huge relief.

Finally, though, I'm thankful today for his cardiologist, whose residents are starting to retire, but keeps on practicing her magic.

Operation Turkey Day: Phase One

I'm trying to figure out how it could possibly be so complicated to host one meal for my family.

For some reason, though, it is. Seating 17 people for a formal afternoon dinner is a challenge, even with this much time to prepare.

I'm not even expecting the day to be perfect.

My family gathering food follies are some of my favorite memories...like the year my mother-in-law's turkey turned green. Yes. Green. Or the year we had a turkey mishap at The Farm and opted for lasagna instead.

And while I'm not striving for perfection, I would like to have everything ready, if not on time, at least at the same time next Thursday.

I'd like to have an elegant table setting for each guest, even though I haven't purchased my linens yet and my butter knives are literally falling apart. And I'd like to come up with place cards for each person...even though my handwriting is atrocious.

Those pieces of the puzzle can wait until Sunday, when I'll have a few minutes to shop and practice my penmanship.

For now, I'm prepping where I'm most comfortable...in front of my stove.

Thanks to a planning recommendation I read who knows where this week, I bought some turkey wings and threw those in a pot with some root veggies, celery and a few savories from my garden. The stock will be the foundation for soup, gravy and dressing next week.

So by the end of the evening, I'll have one to-do item crossed off my very long Thanksgiving Day list.

That's something to be thankful for.

Round About Round Rock

We're just getting settled back in from our trip to Austin, College Station and San Antonio. It was a whirlwind trip...lots of sights and family.

I'll try to catch up on the highlights here, at least when it comes to the food.

A definite high point: Round Rock Donuts, an Austin-area favorite since 1926.

These orangish rings of fried dough are best had when hot, but plenty tasty as they start to cool.

Our brother-in-law surprised us with a Texas-sized donut, just for show. But it looked like to could easily feed a brunch crowd.

And speaking of Round Rock, we had a chance to see the real thing....a roundish rock mid-stream used by Native Americans and early settlers to judge the depth of the creek before forging ahead with animals and livestock.

The area was so well traveled that you can still see the wagon ruts worn through the rocky creek bed.

Date Night Mid-Week

The last time the iFarmer and I were at the Park West in Chicago, it was a different world. We were pre-children and it was pre-9/11.

My how time flies and how things have changed. But the Park West remains a lovely venue to see a small band up close and personal.

Last time we were there, probably 2001, we were enchanted by Gillian Welch. This time it was Alison Sudol and her really tight band, A Fine Frenzy.

It was a solid performance. I hate to say that a highlight was when Sudol let loose and sang Heart of Glass by Blondie. I wish she could have as much fun with her own music.

That's probably easier said than done with such heavy, somber melodies. Her voice is both sweet and haunting. And so long as she was performing, we were having a good time. That said, her transitions and audience engagement can only be described as, well, weird. Her casual observations about the sunset and birds were awkward and left me wondering if she was ditsy or just high.

But she's young. Maybe she'll figure out a way to be onstage with a self-esteem to match her talent.

We and a large group of what I suspect were parents who also needed to get back to relieve their teenage babysitters left right after she sang my favorite of her songs, Rangers (YouTube). I think my new favorite, after tonight though is Happier (Lala pop up audio).

I had a few other favs from the evening too, some of them from her opening act, one-time Oak Parker Landon Pigg, who you might recognize from an AT&T commercial..."I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you..." [Here he is on YouTube.]

The No. 1 highlight of the evening was getting to go on a date with my husband mid-week. Just this small break from our regular routine felt like a vacation.

My Son the Weaver

I try not to give in to every one of my children's whims or latest interests, especially when those fleeting passions cost money.

But there are pretty clear exceptions: when there's a strong educational component and when there's a chance to engage them in the arts.

So when my 7-year-old son started talking non-stop about how much he loved his weaving segment in art class, I agreed to buy him a weaving board.

I made the decision after I showed him a blanket my uncle had made for the iFarmer and me when we were first married and his eyes lit up.

It's a beautiful blanket that took an patient, skilled hand to craft.

I don't expect that's what I'll get for Christmas from Future Farmboy. But I did make him a deal that I would get him some weaving materials if he'd make something for me.

He agreed...so long as I don't watch him make it.