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Recenting I was enjoying a chili, cheese dog at Gibney’s Pub during my lunch break while reading Michael Pollan’s book “Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Not a good idea... I couldn’t stop thinking about all the corn, antibotics, steroids, hormones—and we wonder why our daughters are getting their periods and developing breasts at 10 years of age—and often meat byproducts fed to cattle in the beef industry (did I mention that it was a beef hotdog, smothered in beef chili?) Sickening. To make beef seem even more unappetitizing is the thought of all the run-off fertilizer and manure polluting the Mississippi River and traveling all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Industrial corn farmers use more fertilizer than the corn can take up and what’s left gets washed away when it rains, right into the water supply. So begins my journey to not, not eat beef, but to not eat corn-fed beef. I start with an internet search for grass-fed, organic, humane cattle farmers in Georgia. Where do they sell their beef? Should we invest in a chest freezer and buy 1/2 a cow? How much more/less will it cost us to buy only grass-fed beef?
There are several grass-fed cattle farms within a two hours or less drive from Atlanta, many of whom also sell pasture-raised pork, free range chickens and eggs, and organic vegetables. I think for Mr. Man and I the best way to go is to purchase a small chest freezer and then buy 1/2 a cow, perhaps splitting this with another family. Growing up, my mom and grandmother split 1/2 a cow a few times, and I remember going out to the utility room to open the freezer and gaze upon all that packaged meat.Focusing on farms that have websites, our choices include:Ford Farm in Cohutta Georgia, which offers 1/2 and whole beef that meets all my criteria (grass-fed, organic—no antibotics, no hormomes, no steroids—humanely raised), for $2.75/lb for 1/2 a cow. With take home weights averaging between 125-190 lbs we can estimate spending around $262.00 per family. That seems like a fair price for a year’s worth of beef. Their beef will be ready for sale in mid to late summer, so I’ve put us on the waitlist.Nature’s Harmony Farm in Elberton, GA offers grass-fed beef, but doesn’t seem to sell 1/2 or whole, only cuts of beet and they are currently sold out. Too bad because I really like that they are a young couple who left the rat race for a simplier lifestyle.White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA is a 5 generation, family-owned farm that sells their grass-fed beef at Publix and Whole Foods in Atlanta. So, until we can buy 1/2 a cow, we’ll be able to eat beef without contributing to industrial farming. But this is more expensive so not a long-term solution.
Yesterday I started a project of stripping this old Martha Washington sewing table I found at Scott’s Antique Market. I coated it with CitriStrip and after about 2 hours removed it with a combination of scraping and wiping with an old, damp towel. It was really messy, but as you can see the results are pretty good. 
There are a couple of sweat rings which will definitely need some sanding—hopefully these will come out. The legs came out pretty good, but there are a few crevises that I’m having a hard time with. Once I’ve given it a light sanding, I intend to follow this with a rub with some linseed oil and a 4X steel wool, a trick told to me by my brother-in-law.
The second of each month is antique mecca for Atlantan’s and those living close by. This is when Scott’s Antique Market has their Atlanta show. Two huge buildings spanning both sides I-285—yes, I do go outside-the-perimeter (OTP) on occasion—where you can find just about anything you can think of, or want. From rugs to amoires, to prints and glassware, to jewerly and buttons, there’s something for everyone. This event is worth the visit for the people watching alone; both vendors and customers offer an eclectic mix of personalities. This month I went with a couple friends, as I’m on the look out for a couple of things for the guest
bedroom and am always looking for a deal. I wound up buying an old Martha Washington Sewing Table that needs a little work; the knobs have to be replaced, there’s a broken hinge, and it’s been painted, but for $45 I can do a little paint stripping. On close inspection, there only seems to be one coat of paint and no primer. The legs look like they'll pose the most challenge, getting the paint out of all those grooves.
In my quest to be eco-friendly, I did a little research on the safest, “greenest” way to strip paint and found a couple of good options. Soy gel, which is 100% biodegradable (yeah baby), non-caustic and non-hazardous; and CitriStrip, which you can use indoors and leave on for up to 24 hours. After a trip to our local Lowe’s we wound up with the CitriStrip by default—they didn’t have any soy gel. I’ve applied a coat and am waiting a couple hours before attempting to scrape.More tomorrow...
This morning I woke up and my first thought was “Obama becomes President today.” It was while listening to NPR that the butterflies began to flutter in my stomach. People were beginning to file into the mall, thousands and thousands of people, bundled in their coats, scarfs and hats against the bitter cold, which could not deter them from being part of this historic event. I literally couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. My excitement increased over the course of the morning. At work, I immediately pulled up CNN on the computer and streamed the events live. Working was no match for the magic of watching the Obamas arrive at the White House for coffee with the Bushes, Michelle looking beautiful and sophicated in her yellow dress.
At 11:30am I joined Mr. Man at his office to watch the inauguration on two large screens in the Macro conference room. There must have been 75 people gathered to watch Mr. Obama take the oath of office. There was a lot of chatter though the arrival of the Bushes, “oh’s and ah’s” when Milia and Sasha joined their parents on the walk to the stage, laughter at Rev. Lowery’s prayer closing...
“Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right.”
...and silence as Mr. Obama stood to place his hand on Lincoln’s bible and swore to protect and defend the Constitution—that tattered and torn document that George Bush and Dick Cheney so willingly stepped on— this was, of course, followed by lots of cheers and whistles, and a few tears. He had our full attention as he gave his speech, with people nodding their heads and clapping their hands. Rapt as we listened with hope and trust to this man in whom we believe. A new day is dawning for America and I am glad to be alive to witness it.
Mr. Man and I had dinner at Tin Lizzy’s this past Friday night. We’ve been watching for a couple of months for this new restaurant to open up in the space previously occupied by Six Feet Under. They had a good crowd, and from the looks of things, largely Park residents and locals. Everyone from the host/hostess, to the waiter, to the manager were eager to make sure all were having a good time and enjoying their meal. We started out with margaritas (the house for Mr. Man and the Texas for me). They are served in short glasses and were seriously strong. Maybe we’re just lightweights, but we had to ask for another glass of mixer to be able to drink them. Once we balanced out the Tequila, they were excellent!
We had high hopes for this restaurant as we welcome any new establishment in the GP area. We were offered a free order of chips and salsa as this was our first visit—maybe it’s just me, but I think all Mexican restaurants should give you free chips and salsa—and we ordered some queso to go along with it. The queso was bland and needs spicing up; nothing a few jalapeños wouldn’t cure. The salsa verde got mixed reviews; Mr. Man liked it, but I found it a little too vinegary. The chips were great; light and fresh.
For dinner Mr. Man had the black bean soup and half salad with carne asada. The black bean soup is pureed (a turn off for both of us) and lacked flavor. We tend to like our black bean soup with beans and spice. Mr. Man ordered a bowl but was served a cup, and when our waiter tried to correct it, Mr. Man chose to just keep the cup and then wound up not eating it. He did enjoy his salad though.
I had the Santa Fe Steak Taco, which was delicious, and a side of the veggie rice, again no flavor! I also ordered salsa fresa as I didn’t like the salsa verde. A major disappointment. It basically tasted like tomato juice with a few diced tomatoes thrown in. Where was the cilantro, onions & jalapeños? As the restaurant has only been open a little over a week, you expect them to need a little time to get things right.
Happy New Year! I’m so looking forward to this year and the many possibilities it holds. With a change in administration just 18 days away, we move towards becoming a better America; an America we can be proud of. And, while I know there won’t be any tangible changes for a while, there will be an immediate move towards integrity and ethical behavior. A far cry from George W. Bush’s administration of corruption, greed, lies, secrecy, nepotism, and criminality.
As we start the New Year I find myself reflecting on the past year (or eight) and thinking about what I’d like to accomplish in the coming year. So far my list consists of living greener, learning Spanish, practicing yoga, taking a photography class, writing more (or at least better), raising a couple chickens, and planting an organic veggie garden. Yes, you read that right, Mr. Man and I are seriously researching raising chickens for eggs. If you’ve ever eaten fresh eggs you’ll understand why we want to do this (you will never want to eat store bought eggs again), plus they provide manure for the compost and free pest control for the garden. Luckily, we can have chickens in the city of Atlanta. We are currently reading up on the subject so that we know exactly what we’re in for before we go through the trouble and cost of building a coop and purchasing chicks. We have a friend in Decatur who is raising chickens and neighbors one block over who have a couple in their front yard. We’ll be taking a class in Febuary and hopefully by March we’ll be ready to raise our chicks—I’ll keep you posted on this adventure.
Wishing you all the best in 2009!
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