Progressive Pioneer

Steps Toward Simplicity

Recently a sweet reader emailed me about time management and simplicty, hoping "to be able to benefit from [my] habits and structure."  Ummm...  about that...  You see, I'm trying to simplify and pare down and find more time just like everyone else!  She talked about struggling to find a balance in her life as a new mom and looking for fulfillment and greater peace (me too!).  For her, the answer was greater simplicity, she just wasn't sure how to go about making it happen.  I wish I had the answer.  Like so many things, I don't think there is one answer or a quick fix, but rather many small changes that gradually amount to something greater.  
And so, in honor of baby steps, and for this reader and so many others (including, and especially, myself!), I am resolving to implement small changes each week that will bring me closer to my own goal of a life lived more simply, more streamlined, more focused on the important and less on the "static," toward a life more marked by simplicity.  I hope you'll join me and share your own small steps, ideas, and progress along the way.
Simplicity comes in myriad forms and can touch all aspects of our lives.  There's a difference too, between simplicty and convenience.  For me, saving time by prepping for several meals at once brings me a feeling of greater simplicity, while picking up dinner at a drive-through does not, even though it may save time.  I'm looking for ways to cut out time-wasters while increasing the time I spend on important things like my kiddos.  I'm also looking for simplicity in areas such as what I put into my body (homemade bread, for example, though a bit more time-consuming, still counts because it's a simpler food (less ingredients) and has traveled fewer miles to get to my table), how I travel, what I consume, etc.

I'll try and cover a variety of areas: food, time management, kids, consumer goods, daily living and homemaking.  I'm excited; I'm feeling more zen already!  Do you have any ideas about good steps to take toward simplicity?  Or areas you're trying to de-crazy and bring a little more peace and balance to?

PS Speaking of simple foods, Margot over at Old School posted my almond milk tutorial.  Go have a look if you missed it here!

                     

Island Living

Sarah, of Sweet Thing Designs, sent over some wonderful posts about life on her island.  She and her family live off the coast of Toronto in what can seem like a pretty idyllic little town.  Below is a post about how her son's school raised money to buy cargo bikes to serve as a school bus in their car-free community.  Check out her blog for a wonderful post about how to go grocery shopping when living on an island, and wonderful description of island community life (I love this post).

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Asa's school has 2 new bus bikes:  

Many of you know that the Island we live on is a car-free community (about 700 people in 250 houses on one end of Toronto Island- a skinny 6 km piece of mostly parkland, a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto) 

Service vehicles are allowed, including schoolbuses, but Asa's school recently gave up their little bus.  Last year the one teacher who had a bus license left the school, and instead of getting another licensed teacher, the whole school walked everyday to and from school.  it is a 30+ minute walk from the ferry docks to the school- great exercise for the older kids but a bit hard for little 2 year old legs twice a day- and sometimes in heavy rain, wind, or snow.  

Through grants, donations, and fundraisers- like selling t-shirts and lemonade

and bike-a-thons

the school raised enough money to buy the cargo bike and bicycle cart (built by an Islander with a custom bike cart company).

These bikes and the commitment of the school to car-free living make me so happy!

Edible Wasatch

There's this amazing family of magazines all about local and sustainable food, published all over the country.  Because the focus is local, there's not one national magazine, but rather a family of magazines under the same name, but run locally.  Above are just a few examples of some of them.

The exciting news is that we now have an edible Magazine here in Utah!  I met with one of the editors a couple months ago and she explained the project and her vision.  She's so passionate about it, and just dug right in, working so hard up until the very last minute to make this publication a reality here in Utah.  And the first issue of edible Wasaatch is just hitting newsstands!!
It's chock full of wonderful stories, interviews and resources.  There are listings of local festivals happening this summer, and a directory of farmers' markets and CSAs, and a wonderful article about disappearing fruit orchards and the people who are trying to preserve them.
One of my favorite things about the magazine is that the editors have really focused on trying to accurately represent all the aspects of Utah food culture.  So, there's the article about the family fruit orchards, followed by an essay about the Word of Wisdom written by a local high school senior, then an article about my favorite Asian market, followed by a story about local breweries.  Representing all of Utah culture, not just the foodie, Whole Foods shopper set, is a high priority for the editors, and I think that's one of the things that really makes this magazine important.
Above is the article I wrote.  It's about incorporating the littlest members into caring for the family garden.  Clay did the illustrations.  I love it when we're able to collaborate like this; it's so fun seeing our creative work side by side. 

We also placed an ad for Ivory Bill in the first issue, which I really love.  Clay designed the ad and used a photo taken by our good friend Steve.  See anyone familiar in the picture?

If you're local (or anywhere from the Southern Idaho border down to St. George, really), keep your eyes out for an issue.  You can find them at Whole Foods, Harmons and farmers' markets across the state,as well as many locally owned shops.  And if you're not local, I bet your city has an edible magazine too!  Check out the website and see if your state is represented.  If not, maybe you just ought to start one...

Swap Tree (or How to Score Free Books)

I'm so in love with this new website my girlfriend recommended.  You input all the titles of books you own, but would be happy to trade, and then create a wish list of all the books you'd like and the computer gets to work matching you up with people to trade books with!  We've been getting a steady stream of new books in the mail ever since I signed up; Sam thinks it's his birthday every day! There's something so satisfying about connecting with other people for a mutually beneficial endeavor.  I somehow feel like I'm pulling one over on life, getting great stuff for free.  I once attended this really fabulous conference on teaching economics and they did a wonderful activity that demonstrated how free trade increases wealth, which can be a hard concept to grasp since the amount of actual stuff doesn't change, only its value changes (am I boring you?  Sorry, I think economics is really fascinating!).  I just keep thinking about that principle when I'm trading books I don't really value for books that have a lot of value to me and then, all of a sudden, we're all richer!  I own more goodies that are worth more to me, and so does the person who got my books.  It's brilliant! And if grooving on economic principles in action doesn't turn you on, how about just getting random surprises in the mail?  Everyone loves getting treats in the mail.  I've gotten a few books for myself and quite a few picture books for Sam.  There are a few books that I repeatedly check out of the library, but have been too stingy to just go out and buy, but I've been able to get them on Swap Tree.  Check it out; I think you'll love it!

Toddler Thank You Cards

I saw this idea somewhere, though now I can't remember where, but someone deserves credit for the idea of turning your toddler's artwork into thank you cards.  I trimmed off the bottoms of his paintings (that's really the only part with paint anyway, as he can't reach much higher on the easel!) and we wrote thank you letters for his birthday presents. 
It was a lot of fun to involve him in the process.  He decorated the backs of the envelopes and I asked him questions and wrote his answers in the letters.  Most of the letters followed the same format.  I wrote a thank you and told what Sam liked about the present, as if it were coming straight from him.  Then I added "I also want to tell you..." and put the direct quotes there.  Sometimes they were about the present or the person we were writing to, sometimes they were more along the lines of "I found a bug!" or "I like cupcakes!"  But I like that he's learning about writing letters and I'm sure people will enjoy hearing what he wanted to share with them, no matter what it is. Today we'll take a field trip to the post office and pick up some stamps, which I'll probably let Sam put on and drop in the mail slot.  It will likely be a highlight of his day:)

Homemade Wet Wipes

I'd been meaning to make some wet wipes for quite some time, and just hadn't gotten around to it.  We've had simple, homemade cloth wipes since Sam was born (flannel squares that I just zig-zagged the edges of), but we've always just gotten them wet in the sink, which can be kind of a pain.  When I came across this simple recipe for making your own wet wipes, I decided to finally give it a go.  It was so easy that I've been whipping up a batch every few days.

Here's what they recommend:

• 3 cups warm water
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil (or scent of your choice)
• 2 drops Tea Tree Oil
• 2 T baby wash

The first time I made some we were out of that unscented baby Dr. Bronner's, so I just swished some natural bar soap around in the mix.  But then I whizzed it all up in the vitamix, which made quite a frothy mess!  The later batches with Dr. Bronner's (which is non-sudsing) were much more successful.  I mixed it in the blender so the oil would emulsify and not just end up on the top wipes.

 

I first tried reusing this container, but the cloth wipes are too thick to pull through easily.  Now we just use a Pyrex container with a lid. I've tried a few different essential oils.  I really like including tea tree oil; I feel like it keeps them fresher longer.  Another fantastic trick I discovered is putting a few drops of antiseptic essential oils (tea tree, lemon, clove, mint etc.) on a dry wipe and dropping it in the bottom of the empty diaper pail.  Then when I go to wash the diapers they're way less stinky; it's amazing!  And give the wipes a try; they're so handy to have around and it only takes a few minutes to whip up a whole bunch.

Swimming in a (Free!) Sea of Pink

Clayton came home from Idaho with the trunk full of treasures from his cousin; bags and boxes full of baby girl clothes!  I didn't realize that I like pink as much as I do, but I kind of swooned at the floral explosion and pink and purple preciousness. 

I've only purchased a handful of clothing items new for Sam; a couple pairs of shoes, a jacket, maybe a few other things.  We received so many great hand-me-downs and the thrift stores are just chock full of practically new stuff that I couldn't see any good reason to buy new stuff except for the pure entertainment value of shopping.  But, that entertainment factor can definitely be found in thrift store shopping as well.  I love the high of finding a true treasure for mere pennies!

Besides being light on the wallet, using previously-used stuff is kinder to Mother Nature.  We produce so much STUFF that it seems silly not to pass it around, rather than throw it out and create more.  I'm certainly not into dressing my kids in ugly stuff (luckily Clay's cousin has great taste; I loved everything and it was all in immaculate condition!).  When I peruse the thrift racks I've got my eyes out for good brands and quality materials. 

 

It really was delightful to to be knee deep in tiny frilly things.  It made me so excited for our little girl to arrive!  

What are some of your favorite second-hand sources or best thrifting success stories?

Ten Beauty Products in Your Kitchen (at Simple Organic)

I was invited to contribute to Simple Organic, part of the Simple Living family.  Such an honor to write among so many talented, inspiring voices!  You can read my post today about replacing some of your beauty products with simple ingredients you probably have in your kitchen- a good follow up to yesterday's post!

Home Brewed Vinegar

With all those apple peels left over from the apple grunt, I decided to finally try my hand at making vinegar.  I've been itching to do this for awhile and finally emptied the enormous bottle of rice wine vinegar we had, so I had the perfect container for it.

I combined the instructions from Wild Fermentation and The Herbal Home Remedy Book.  This meant that I put the peels, water and evaporated cane juice in the jar and added a bit of Bragg's apple cider vinegar (with "the mother") to get things started right.  And that was really all there was to it!  Now we wait...

It's been about a week and there's some definite bubbly action going on.  It also smelled initially like sweet cider, but is now smelling more like a sweet wine with some acidic notes.  I'm exactly sure how I'll know it's done, I suppose when it smells like vinegar and not like wine.  At some point I'll strain out the juice and removed the peels, then let the liquid continue to vinegar-ize until it's nice and zippy.  I can't wait to have our own home-brewed vinegar.  We've also got a fresh pineapple sitting on the counter that may be destined for a batch of pineapple vinegar!

Hometown Seeds

I got the coolest thing in the mail last week from Hometown Seeds; a sealed package of non-hybrid, emergency survival seeds that keep for up to five years (ten if frozen)!  Talk about some brilliant food storage!  The whole package is only thirty-odd dollars (on sale from $50) and you can plant 3/4 of an acre worth of food with it.  And, of course, all the seeds are non-hybrid, non-GMO so you can save the seeds and continue the whole storage/preparedness/self-sufficiency thing.  But I just love that someone else figured out which are the best varieties and put it all together in a little kit (I love kits!) that you can simply tuck in the back of your freezer for a few years for some peace of mind. 

I, of course, opened ours right away because a) the curiosity was killing me, and b) we're going to plant a lot of them this year anyway and then save the seeds.  I wish we had room for corn though... maybe we'll give those seeds to Clay's brother and sister-in-law. So, here's what spilled out of the shiny, silver package; Golden Bantam Sweet Corn, Lincoln Peas, Champion Radishes, Spanish Onions, Beets, Tomatoes, Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach, Golden Acre Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Paris Island Lettuce, Scarlet Nantes Carrots, Peppers, Butternut Squash, Cucumbers, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans, and Black Beauty Zucchini!!  That's a whole garden's worth!

The seeds came with a whole packet of information about the seeds; they were chosen because they do well in short season climates (and thus would be fine in long season ones too), are easy to grow and are adaptible for most regions.  They quote a study that says that with $30 worth of seeds you can grow $600 worth of vegetables; that's a way better return on your money than playing the stock market!  The packet gives tips abot soil modification, moisture, planting times, harvesting and saving the seeds and even nutritional info about each of the veggies. And it's all really simple and basic, no frills, nothing fancy, just good, honest seeds.  I love it and I can't wait to plant some!

Herbs 101

I went to a fantastic class on using herbs for health this past weekend.  The class was free (though you could pay extra if you wanted some materials) because the woman teaching it is all about empowering moms to care for their families naturally.  I really do feel so empowered when I learn about simple things I can do to keep us healthy.  I feel like there can often be a lot of fear in our culture about taking your health into your own hands, but who else knows your body better than you?  Or understands the subtleties of your children's health better than their own mama?

She talked about whole health (the mind, body spirit connection), the benefits of herbs and how to incorporate them into your regular health care.  She gave us a whole list of "substitutions" for common over the counter medications, things she uses in place of pain killers, cough syrups, allergy meds etc.  I can't wait to start growing more medicinal herbs this summer.  I get so excited about this kind of stuff!  And I love thinking about how our bodies and the natural world are designed so brilliantly and work together so well.

There's a class at the end of the month about making herbal remedies.  The class is free, but you can purchase all kinds of fun stuff like salve kits, encapsulation machines, tincture supplies etc.  I'm can't wait!  Maybe I'll see you there:)

All images from Mountain Rose Herbs, a great source for all sorts of raw ingredients.

 

Reusable Cloth Ziplocs

I've had the idea and the supplies for this project for several weeks and I finally had the time last weekend to sit down and put the two together!  The lovely Betz White of this week's MamaView posted about green lunch kits and linked to these two tutorials. 

I glanced over the tutorials and then just winged it!  One of those plastic table cloths and some cloth napkins found at the thrift store made the perfect material.  The fuzzy side of the table cloth made it stick to the napkin nicelyso they didn't slide around while sewing them.  I cut squares of the tablecloth to the same size as the napkins and then sewed them together; one side cloth, the other side waterproof for the inside of the bag.

Then I stitched velcro to two opposite sides on the tablecloth side.  DO NOT use that sticky-backed kind!  It is such a pain to use and you don't need it to be sticky if you're going to be sewing it on anyway.

Then stick those velcro pieces together and sew up the sides.  You're going to have raw hems on the outside because you don't want them folded in or they'll get all in the food on the inside of the bag. You want the inside nice and clean.

Then to solve the raw edge problem, pin on some pretty binding and sew it up!

These are really addicting to make so you might find yourself with a whole set before you know it!  They sew up so quickly, it's a satisfying project.

We put them to use right away and packed some snacks for a car ride to Sam's cousin's.  And since then they've been in high demand.  Sam and I use them to pack snacks and Clay's been carrying various parts of his lunch to work in them.  I think I'd better make some more...

Honey Harvest

The honey making season is drawing to a close.  We see fewer bees swooping in and out of our yard and they're beginning their work day later and later, following the sun's lead.

We've been finding quite a few bees on their last legs (or worse) in the grass.  Apparently the queen kicks the drones out for the winter.  Too many mouths to feed and there's no baby-bee-making in the cold winter months. 

Aaron and Annette came over and collected the last of the summer's honey, leaving two boxes for the bees to eat over the winter.  They used their smoker, cleaned up the tray underneath that catches some sort of moth, I think, and pulled out trays and trays of dripping honey comb.

It's been such a treat hosting the hive and being able to observe how to care for it.  Hansen Hives is thinking about offering bee keeping classes and hive maintenance services and I'm really excited about both ideas.  I'm totally taking the class if they offer it and depending on whether or not I'm ready to add yet another project/hobby to my life I may consider the hive maintenance.  Considering how much honey we use in cooking, tea and just eating off spoons, it would probably be worth it.

We tasted our first jar of backyard honey and it was mind blowing!  I kid you not, it was the best honey I've ever tasted!  And it made the Costco honey in my cupboard taste like corn syrup (actually, now I'm kind of worried that's what it is...).  I'm excited to see if Clay's allergies are better in the spring if he's eating local honey.  I've heard it helps.  Sam has developed quite the honey addiction.  Every time I open the cupboard and he sees the jar he says, " 'unny, spoon! 'unny, spoon!"  And if I'm feeling indulgent he gets a nice, sticky spoonful of honey.

Thompsons on Utah Stories

There's this great little publication here in Salt Lake called Utah Stories that focuses on local, relevant news.  We were recently interviewed for their "Rage Against Conformity" series (the poster family for abnormality- that's us!)  When they came over to film they saw some of Clay's art and asked him to do the cover illustration.  I'm so proud of him, I think it turned out awesome!  Recognize anyone familiar?

You can watch the video on Utah Stories, here.  It's pretty weird seeing yourself recorded, but I'm trying not to be too self-conscious about it.  I really like how he put all the clips together, he shot a lot of video and I think he did a great job whittling it down and telling a story.

Mighty Vinegar

I’d heard about using vinegar for cleaning (and, of course, in your hair!), but for some reason had never really tried it out.  However, recently our dishwasher got possessed and decided to start coating all my dishes in some sort of film.  Turns out the city turns on some extra wells in the summer and they're chalk full of minerals.  And for the life of me, I could not get that film off no matter how hard I scrubbed!  Then the idea of using vinegar popped into my head (domestic inspiration?), and would you believe that film wiped right off?  I was amazed!  And so happy to see my silverware and glasses gleaming again.  I’ve been meaning to try making my own cleaning products.  I have a bunch of green products that I’m just waiting to use up before I try making some.  Cleaning isn’t one of my favorite things though, so it might be awhile before they run out…  But when they do, I’m all about the vinegar!  I bet it would great cleaning mirrors.  Does anyone have any homemade cleaners they use and love?

Here they are all clean and sparkly again!

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

We haven't spent much time at the farmers' market this summer as we've been growing so much of our own produce.  But it was so nice to wander around the stalls this past weekend and see what everyone else has been up to.  And there is definitely a lot more than just produce at the farmers' market! 

It's amazing what people are producing right in our neighborhood, so many beautiful crafts, delicious cheeses and a whole rainbow of fruits and vegetables.  

Sam became an expert at eating samples off toothpicks and was open to everything I offered him. 

We decided on some edam cheese from Rockhill Creamery.  It's so amazing what a little friendly bacteria can do.  The ingredients in this cheese are whole raw milk and... nothing!  Okay, olive oil and salt for the rind, but seriously, is that not a magical alchemy?  It's aged for a whole year and has that delicious melt-in-your-mouth quality.  I really, really want to take a cheese making class one of these days. 

I love getting to know the people who make my food.  Isn't that the way it should be?  Shouldn't we be on a first name basis with the people who milk the goats and make the cheese that goes into our omelet in the morning?  Really, it's quite strange not to have a relationship with our food and its producers.  It's only a relatively new phenomenon, for most of history you either raised, grew and made your own food or traded it with your neighbor.  I had a nice chat with a guy from Drake's Farm where we've started getting goat milk and also enjoyed chatting with the woman from Rockhill Creamery and reading her charming blog.

I love the flower stands!The prices are unbeatable and the arrangements are so much lovelier and more interesting than anything you'd find in a store.

 

We got a half dozen organic peaches.  They're the #1 worst fruit to buy conventionally grown in terms of pesticide residue and yet, it's often so hard to find local, organic peaches.  These are delicious!

 

We loved listening to the banjo pickers and guitar players scattered throughout the market and browsing through the booths full of handmade goodness.

 

One of my favorite artsy things we saw was this fantastic fairy house!  It was so completely magical.

And how charming is this little critter?

I also ran across this booth with native plant seeds!  I've been looking for some pretty flowering desert plants to replace the water hogs currently growing in the backyard. 

And then when we'd just about had our fill of fresh peaches, artisan cheeses, and homemade jams, when our eyes were swimming with the colors and our ears full of the sounds of the market, it started to drizzle.  Just a little bit.  Not eneough to make me quicken my pace as we headed in the general direction of the car.  Just enough to cool the air a bit and remind me that it was about time for Sam's nap.

Gone Fishing

Clay and his dad spent hours on the lake together.  They'd get up early in the morning and sometimes be back before Sam and I were even awake.  I think it was a real treat for them to spend some one-on-one time together.  They caught so many fish (five or six altogether, I think) that the whole lot of us were able to have a fish feast one night!  The next day we mixed up the leftovers with mayo and dill and ate it on toast triangles.

Sam and I joined them on an afternoon trip.  I cast out a line a few times, but (thankfully!) didn’t get a bite.  Most of the time I was trying to keep Sam in the boat!  Eventually he fell asleep with the help of a little milk and the gentle rocking of the boat.

 I really appreciated the opportunity to see the whole cycle of dinner from the source to the plate.

I went with Clay to watch while he gutted the fish, although I did have to avert my eyes on the boat when he clubbed it.  I know it was the most humane way to end its life, but it was still sad. 

The whole thing made me think about people who settled the west and who had to go through this whole process every time they wanted fish for dinner.  It must have been a much more precious commodity!  Instead of just a quick trip to Whole Foods, it would have meant time in a boat or by the river, cleaning and preparing the fish, several hours of work altogether, plus the emotional element of having to kill it yourself.  When you think about that, it seems like meat ought to be a lot more expensive than it is.  And if we were all responsible for procuring our own meat, we’d likely eat it much less often, and appreciate it much more. 

We definitely all appreciated our delicious trout dinner.  It was so fresh and tasty, a much more earthy flavor than the ocean fish I’m used to.  I swear you could taste the mountains and the trees...   

Pioneer Papa: A Table for All Seasons: Part II

This is a glimpse at how one goes about turning a pile of discarded wood with peeling paint into something useful. 

Here is the step-by-step taken without the usual eloquence of my wife’s artfully composed shots.  These were taken in the “first person” so you may plug yourself in as the one building it.  For any unfamiliar terms (like the endless incarnations of mortise and tenon joints for example) there’s always Wikipedia!  I offer this for the interested, more of an FYI than a How-to.  For the short attention-spanned skip the text, just look at the pictures!

Before getting started I chose several posts that were relatively the same size; all of them roughly 3 1/2 inches squared ( a few of them had to have a side ripped down to make them more or less square. ) There were two posts that measured closer to 4 1/2 inches, which I used for the top rails of the base.

ONE- With my original sketch as a guide, I drew the design life-sized on the garage floor.

TWO- Determining the angle of the posts.  I transferred the angle from the floor and traced it directly onto one of the four posts.  I then hoisted the post onto the miter saw and moved the bevel until the blade lined up with my mark.  It turned out to be exactly five degrees, which was lucky.  I used that same 5 degree bevel many different times during the process.  I cut both the top and bottom of each of the four posts at 5 degrees so that they were parallel, causing them to taper in towards each other when sitting flat on the floor.

THREE- In order to lock-in the center panel between the two posts,  I chose to use a mortise and tenon joint.  Here is the top rail getting ready to be mortised.

FOUR- The center panel with a tenon on either end to fit snugly in the mortises.  I cut the tenons on the table saw, sending the piece through upright (I made a jig to hold it vertically and to keep it safe.)

FIVE- Using a jig like the one in the previous step, only this time at 5 degrees from vertical, I cut slots in the top rail.  This joint is also a form of mortise and tenon, but it has an open mortise.  It is also called a “corner bridle joint” for all those who are practicing their useless game show trivia terms.

SIX- Cleaning out the open mortise using the age old method of hacking away at it with a chisel.  I also used a coping saw to keep my trusty five degree angle precise.

SEVEN- And then, in order to fit the posts into the rail, the inverse shape had to be cut, also using the table saw, into the posts.  Here is the top of one of the posts (the tenon) ready to be glued...

EIGHT-...and persuaded into the open mortise in the top rail.

NINE-  The center panel is tapped into the top and bottom rails, the posts are tapped into the rails, and all of the joints are clamped.  The final step is to drill two holes per joint in order to hammer in oak pegs (O.K.  I did have to buy SOME wood, but two 50-cent oak dowels hardly count) which lock the joints together and keep them from moving.  This is one of two bases. 

Stay tuned for the finished product, Monday, in part 3!

DIY Sustainable Lunch Set

I did a guest post over at Make and Takes about how to make your own back-to-school lunch set. It was a really fun and easy project.  For the full how-to check out the post over there!

Living Off the Land Report #1

Lemon cukes, early wonder beets and chioggias, a chinese cuke, yellow pear cherry tomatoes, and two half slug-eaten red bell peppers.  Not a bad haul.  We've been able to stick to our plan of eating only from the garden and what's in my pantry, and we've been able to eat really well in the process!

I steamed beets for lunch several times last week.  I really can't get enough beets, they're like candy to me!  Although I do end up with a TON of greens, most of which find their way into smoothies and those that don't I steam and add to a bowl of grains, beans and veggies.

Most of our dinners are some variation of a meal in a bowl.  A grain base, usually with beets, beans, and often tomatoes.  This one had a sliced hard boiled egg, too.  Usually we just sprinkle it with salt and the delicious flavors of food straight out of the ground come through and are plenty tasty.  Occassionally we'll dress it with a little olive oil and vinegar. 

I've been using up some tortillas we had left over from the store, but as soon as they run out I'm going to try making my own- whole wheat, of course!

This salad, or some variation on the theme, has found it's way into almost every meal.  It requires absolutely no dressing, just a little sprinkle of sea salt to really make the flavors sing.  And it's so amazingly delicious.  These same ingredients from the grocery store in the dead of winter would produce such a drastically different result though.  You just can't replicate the rich, bursting-with-flavor taste of fresh, heirloom tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tangy-sweet tomatillos and herbs straight from the garden.

Overall it's been great and I've still only purchased a dozen eggs (anything else is coming from our freezer or pantry).  Hopefully I'll still feel this great about it by the end of the month; I have a feeling I will.  It's so rewarding eating food you've grown and made with your own hands.  And it tastes worlds better than anything I could buy.  I really think simple, real food is the tastiest there is.

 

Salt Lake's Gone Local

You can imagine how excited I was to see a local market open where a once-favorite burrito place used to be.  Every time I drove by what used to be Rico's I lamented the loss, but now, *hurray!* there are signs advertising fresh goat milk, local produce, artisan cheeses!

I picked up some goat's milk yogurt and have been making the most delicious lassis with it.  Plain with honey and walnuts is also divine.  Drake Family Farms is rad, they're part of the slow food movement and are all about quality and humane treatment of their goats.  All of which have names, according to their yogurt lid.  If you go to their farm you can buy raw goat milk directly from them.  I'm thinking about trying my hand at yogurt making...

Everything sold at Rico Locals is made in Utah.  They've only been open a month and are still accepting vendors, so if you're local and you make something cool, think about selling it here!  And if you're local and you like goat's milk (try it, you'll love it!); grass-fed beef; artisinal, award winning cheese; authentic empanadas or fancy, pretty soaps, then get on over there!  They need your support to be successful!

I don't know what this Aztec Power food is, but I'm really curious...  I think I might have to try it out.

Did you know that studies have shown that a dollar spent at a local business recirculates within that local economy up to six times?!  And a dollar spent at Wal-mart or some other such place is whisked right out of that local economy?  It doesn't benefit the schools, pave the roads, beautify the parks or help to keep all those small, locally-owned business open.  Plus, locally-made goods are often so much better.  They just have that regional twist that makes them extra special.  And when you're dealing with people face to face who you know you're more likely to produce a quality product for them.  And that Beehive Cheese?  I've tasted it.  Those awards are no joke; it's amazing!

PS If you're not in Salt Lake, you can find local co-ops and CSAs, search by location on etsy to support local makers and read about the benefits of shopping local and find your local living economy network!