Sweet Carrots!

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Well, today I experienced a special moment at Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm.  I pulled out my own carrots fresh from the snow covered soil.  These simple little new life experiences make me happy. 🙂

I am LOVING my winter share experience at Tangerini’s farm. Pick up is every other week and I leave with a boat load of farm produce.

Here’s my son Brennan with his freshly dug up carrots.

Here I am using a pitch fork to gently loosen the soil so I can pick my own carrots too!

Look at these beauts.

Really, how cool is that. Could I look any happier?

And then, there is Russ.  He may look scary but really he is one of the nicest people I know! HA!

Cold weather makes the sugar content go up in the carrots and these are the best carrots I have ever tasted. Sweet & crunchy…nature’s candy.

YUM!

We left the farm with potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, brussels sprouts, carrots (lots of them), parsnips, and kale.  (Wow…FODMAPers…many of the items in my share are low FODMAP!)

After picking up our farm share Russ, Brennan and I headed into Boston to scope out some of Boston Magazine 2012 ‘Best’ foodie spots.  We sampled some fabulous clam chowder at Ned Devines and sampled some amazing chocolates at Beacon Hill Chocolates.

We did a little holiday shopping at Quincy Market too.

Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

Tomorrow I will be whipping up some carrot-y goodness.  Do you love carrots too? If so, here’s a few tasty recipes I have posted in the past…Carrot Cake Parfait {FODMAPers use Green Valley Vanilla yogurt or other lactose free or 1/2 cup Greek if tolerated} Carrot Cake Pancakes and Mini Carrot Walnut Muffins

Take care my friends and I hope you try some new life experiences too.  “Enjoying what you know is fine, but it’ll never hurt to explore. Try taking a step outside your comfort zone. See what the world has to offer” ~anonymous

 

 

 

6 replies on “Sweet Carrots!“

  • Ank

    The color of your coat matches the carrots.
    Great recipes!
    I always wonder where you find the time and energy to work on your website.
    I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it.

    Thanks for doing this!

  • Christina

    Hello!

    Your site is wonderful! I was wondering if you could please help me with a few questions:
    1) How does one know if they need to go low fodmap/free fodmap please?
    2) I do think I have IBS plus diverticulosis and anxiety that also causes stomach upset. I was thinking of trying this out, but what concerns me is all the hype now about PALEO, GAPS, etc. diets that exclude the nuts, seeds, grains, gluten, dairy, etc. What is your position on this please? It makes sense because they say there are lectins and other toxins that are contained in all the above foods…
    3) Also, with autoimmune illnesses, have you heard anything about limiting nightshades, nuts, eggs, dairy, gluten?
    It is SO confusing on what to do! I was consuming alot of avocado and coconut to gain weight back. Now I don’t need to gain anymore, but got into that habit.
    4) Is the IBS for dummies your book and up to date with information? I did buy also Free at Last from IBS and wondered if you ever read that and how it compares to your book.
    I know this is alot. I am so desperate for reflief from foggy brain, fatigue, gas (embarrassing), incontinence, frequency, urgency, different bowel movements, abdominal distension and pain, etc. Thank you for any ideas with this. Blessings to you,
    Chris

    • katescarlata

      Lots of great questions! The low FODMAP diet is effective in managing symptoms for 74% of those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. So if you have IBS and suffer from gas, bloating and constipation/diarrhea and pain it is the first line diet I would try. It sounds like perhaps you have some additional issues with symptoms outside of the bowel and in that case, I would encourage you to follow up with a dietitian and an integrative doctor that can evaluate you for other conditions such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, leaky gut, non-celiac gluten sensitivity etc.. Nuts and seeds can be an issue for some individuals with gastrointestinal issues–most of my clients do not have issues with nuts and many nuts are allowed in small portion on the low FODMAP diet. The notion of the Paleo diet makes sense to me in many ways. Overconsumption of processed foods and grains is likely poor for our health and our gut bacteria. But the Paleo diet is not enough for some with IBS and, on the other hand, may be too restrictive for some folks. There are numerous factors into choosing what might diet might suit your body and your lifestyle so consulting with a dietitian that specializes in digestive health is a good step. Sometimes I have to combine diets to find the right mix for my clients health. As for the GAPs diet, I am aware of the basics of this diet but have not read scientific literature supporting it’s use.

      My book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide is a very basic book on IBS. If you are interested in trying the low FODMAP diet, Patsy’s book along with the resources on this blog should be a good start for you.

      Best to you!!

      Kate

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