Why the name Golden Bantam ... it is the brand of corn that used to be farmed on the land where my neighborhood now sits.
I recently heard stories about golden bantam from a long-time resident who planted and harvested heirloom golden bantam (before it was genetically modified) on rich soil with no chemicals and no pesticides. Organic matter was simply cow manure. The ears and kernels were small but it didn't matter as they could eat all they wanted and sometimes it was all they would have for dinner! After hearing his stories I decided to change the name of my blog from Vittles and Committals to Golden Bantam because it reflects the way we eat.
For My Family
When my daughter was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease, FSGS, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, our way of eating changed drastically and I learned to cook simple no- and low-sodium fresh organic meals. Switching to organic food seemed to be the right thing to do since her kidneys had to process everything she ate I wanted to avoid chemicals in food. Not only did we switch to organic food but we were also very careful about chemicals in beauty and cleaning products. I wish I had started my blog back then to share and document our trials, tribulations, and triumphs but I'm here now sharing fresh food ideas and hope to inspire others.
Salt and chemicals: To reduce the chemical load on my daughter's kidneys we eat organic and local food as much as possible from farmers I know and avoid foods with GMOs. Because of her kidney disease, I use no to very little salt when cooking. Any jarred or canned foods I use are organic, no-salt or low-sodium so I can control the sodium level. With the chance of BPA exposure, we keep canned foods to a minimum.
When my daughter was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease, FSGS, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, our way of eating changed drastically and I learned to cook simple no- and low-sodium fresh organic meals. Switching to organic food seemed to be the right thing to do since her kidneys had to process everything she ate I wanted to avoid chemicals in food. Not only did we switch to organic food but we were also very careful about chemicals in beauty and cleaning products. I wish I had started my blog back then to share and document our trials, tribulations, and triumphs but I'm here now sharing fresh food ideas and hope to inspire others.
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The Annual Hingham, MA, NephCure Walk in October |
Salt and chemicals: To reduce the chemical load on my daughter's kidneys we eat organic and local food as much as possible from farmers I know and avoid foods with GMOs. Because of her kidney disease, I use no to very little salt when cooking. Any jarred or canned foods I use are organic, no-salt or low-sodium so I can control the sodium level. With the chance of BPA exposure, we keep canned foods to a minimum.
I'm a mom and artist. I graduated from law school but the right side of my brain dominated the left and I came to realize that my place in this world is in the arts. I'm creative and have taught art privately to children in grades one through five. I sew costumes for small local theatre sometimes and continue to create oil and acrylic paintings when time permits. As for writing, well it doesn't come easy to me so I apologize in advance for any typos, grammatical errors, and poor proofreading!
Mostly Ideas, Less Recipes
I post some recipes of my own and provide links to recipes I've adapted or that inspired me. Often, I don't post exact recipes because when I'm busy creating a meal or snack of my own I'm sort of in a frenzy and stopping to measure portions stifles my creativity. Also, so much of what I make can easily be found on the web or in cookbooks. My stovetop, oven, pots and pans are different from yours so a recipe can work for me but not you. Lastly, cooking with fresh ingredients, keeping meals basic and simple, eliminates the need for complicated recipes. We cook at home more often if it's easy. And fresh food tastes great! If you have a question about something I've made, just ask in a comment or email me and I'll do my best to explain further.
Local Sources
Buying local keeps us connected to our community and supports local farmers and small businesses. We don't eat local food exclusively but do our best to buy local and are very conscious of the foods we eat. Here are some of our local food sources:
Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts
Food Sources
Pat's Pastured, beef, poultry
Food Sources
Pat's Pastured, beef, poultry
Aquidneck Farms, beef
J.H. Beaulieu Livestock & Produce, beef
Narragansett Creamery, cheese (which also sells the lowest sodium feta cheese I can find at 180 mg/oz)
Cabot Cheese (from Vermont but available in RI)
Cabot Cheese (from Vermont but available in RI)
Poblano Farms, pasta sauce and salsas
North Attleboro farmers' market
North Attleboro farmers' market
Oakdale Farms, certified organic vegetables, eggs
Munroe Dairy,
milk, other local food, and local meats from Blackbird Farm and others from NEFF (Northeast
Family Farms)
The Local Catch, seafood
Franklin Farm
Bucket Brewery, beer
Other farms we purchase from are listed in the Farm Fresh RI website
C'est La Bee honey
Products
C'est La Bee, natural skin care
New Hampshire
Meadowstone Farm, Bethlehem, pork, poultry, goat cheese
The Purple Tomato, Lincoln, produce, dairy, meat, fish
Littleton Food Co-op, Littleton
Local Works Farmers Market, Bethlehem
Fadden's General Store, North Woodstock, maple syrup
North Woodstock Brewery, beer, root beer
Worcester, Massachusetts
My daughter is in college now and here are two great places for organic and local food in Worcester that we often visit:
Living Earth Market
EVO Dining
milk, other local food, and local meats from Blackbird Farm and others from NEFF (Northeast
Family Farms)
The Local Catch, seafood
Franklin Farm
Bucket Brewery, beer
Other farms we purchase from are listed in the Farm Fresh RI website
C'est La Bee honey
Products
C'est La Bee, natural skin care
New Hampshire
Meadowstone Farm, Bethlehem, pork, poultry, goat cheese
The Purple Tomato, Lincoln, produce, dairy, meat, fish
Littleton Food Co-op, Littleton
Local Works Farmers Market, Bethlehem
Fadden's General Store, North Woodstock, maple syrup
North Woodstock Brewery, beer, root beer
Worcester, Massachusetts
My daughter is in college now and here are two great places for organic and local food in Worcester that we often visit:
Living Earth Market
EVO Dining
Note On Dairy
I'm lactose intolerant (and probably sensitive to milk protein) so when I mention milk and butter in my recipes, I'm often using organic non-dairy substitutes.
I'm lactose intolerant (and probably sensitive to milk protein) so when I mention milk and butter in my recipes, I'm often using organic non-dairy substitutes.
Other
~My blog is a hobby.
~Any products, services, or places I feature are shared because I love them.
No compensation is received.
~I don't accept advertisements.
~I don't participate in blog awards.
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