Truckin' Along

Well, I've been in paperwork central these past few days. Trying to get all my ducks in a row has been nothing short of time-consuming. I am so happy at the turn of things though, so this is not a complaint. The website looks great. Thank you CF! I also got the thumbs up from our produce supplier which is wonderful news. As soon as the ordering software program is updated, we can get the show on the road. 
There has been lots of learning and going out of my comfort zone. But, it's nice. Change is ok. Just not too much......
The kids are doing good:-) Daisy made the middle school softball team and we are really proud of her for that. Tonight is her first game. Go Pirates!
Adam just got over a nasty cold. And today is Valentine's Day, so I am just finishing up GFDF Brownies and cookies to take in to class for him.
Holly forgot her teacher gift and her folder....that child would forget her head if it wasn't attached!! So, back to the school I go in an hour bearing gifts and baked goods, lol!
Then it's off to mom's to finish cleaning. I went ahead and bought her a vacuum since hers is dead. Happy Valentine's Day mom!
Jason is asleep, no news there. He did get some roses and a nice pillow for me. So thoughtful<3
Well, I am off!

Finally!

Well, it's finally happening. I am starting a buying club/co-op for the residents of Nassau County. These past few weeks I have been playing around with the idea. And, through a series of events, and wonderful friends, the idea is becoming reality. I am so excited at the future of this group. I have some really great people who are interested and some really great friends (you know who you are) who have stepped up to lend a helping hand. I am very thankful for all the support I've received . I am also VERY overwhelmed :-) But, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's prompting me to learn things that are out of my comfort zone. So, they will no longer be out of my comfort zone. What I am saying is that I am/will grow comfortable with these new responsibilities :-)

So the next week or so will be spent doing more paperwork, and more phone calling; trying to mesh it all out. I am confident that we will be going by April (latest). And that my friends, is a GREAT thing! I will try (no promises here) to blog a little bit every day. IF for nothing than for my own sanity. And I look forward to seeing the fruits of my labor pay off with the happiness of the community being my reward.

Yum

Yaaa! I got to go to the farmer's market today. I've been wanting to make a trip for a few months now, but our family has had ball games every Saturday, lasting all day. Suffice to say, I made it happen today. I scored some local raw honey with lavender....I love lavender. I've loved lavender since a good friend of mine turned me onto it 4 years ago. I am very thankful for this. Also, I got some yummy collards, beets, cucumbers and green leaf lettuce from Cabbage Creek Farms. They have great produce. All grown without fertilizers, pesticides, etc... And I appreciate that they grow what they sale. I hate going to our market and finding oranges with Dole stickers on them. You know what I mean :-) I also found a new vendor there who has GF goodies. I spent too much there, but with pre-made goodies like that, it's gonna cost :-/ But her walnut-pesto burgers are soooo good!
On another note, I scored big-time at a local neighborhood garage sale yesterday. I walked away with a water distiller for $3!!!! I came home, cleaned it up, and it's making it's first batch now. This is so good for emergency preparedness.(I took pictures with my phone, but I don't feel like looking for the USB cord now, so maybe I'll post later.)
For dinner tonight I'm roasting the beets from today. OOhhh!!! Plus, we'll have rice, fresh corn and ground turkey to round out the meal.
I've been skimming the cream off the milk lately. At first I made butter. Now that it's gone, I don't know if I want to make more, or if I want to make ice cream. Aghh, decisions, decisions.
And right now, in my cabinet, I've got some water kefir grains coming to life. Just down the counter top a ways I'm making my mother culture batch of yogurt from Culture's for Health. So many great concoctions from my kitchen. Don't you feel the love and excitement brewing? I do!!

Jumping back on the wagon

So, I am currently still chugging along. We're still menu-planning and shopping organically and with a whole-food mentality when possible. I am currently trying to cut our food budget from the 800/month mark, down to 600/month. With gas prices rising, it's almost a necessity. I would like to think that by doing that that we would be saving money in the bank. But, in reality, it's just going to break even because of the stupid fuel prices.

Also, we are going to cut cable. It's something that we went years without, and we survived. But, like everything else, we've become spoiled. However, thanks to netflix, I don't think our withdrawals will be so bad. All I have to do now is pay what we owe.

Looking ahead, it seems like Seaworld and Aquatica are looking like a great place to vacation. With the added in water parks at Disney, I'm thinking we're going to have a great time. I cannot wait for school to be out!

Here's to cutting costs and having fun.

Good Day

So, yesterday we all went to a good friend's for a Halloween Party. That's the first time I've dressed up since I was a kid. It was fun, I'll admit. The kids and the adults really enjoyed themselves, and I'm thankful for being able to go and just relax.
Today is Fl/Ga and we've got some plans to go to another friends' house and I'm looking forward to that for sure. The kids are certainly cranky today because they were up late last night. All that sugar didn't help to equal peaceful little people, lol. However, I did make some yummo GFDF pancakes for breakfast. So, they did get some nutrition this am.
I hope that we are able to keep up with the demands of this weekend. Holly's birthday is Halloween, to top it off. But, we're going to do some celebrating another day. We've just got too much going on everyday of this weekend. I know that Monday morning is going to be rough. I'm hopeful that all the teachers will be sympathetic towards the students and the fact that they've all probably ate too much junk, and slept too little.
Today marks the hunny's last day off work. I'm going to miss his company tomorrow. Hopefully he'll be back home before I know it!

A Bit of This and That

I went to my spin class this morning. Feels real good to start my day off sweating:-) I then had to go to the dentist for what ended up being a 2-hour-long consult....I was famished by the time I left there.
Got home, and the kids hadn't eaten since breakfast(4.5 hrs earlier). So, my day has pretty consistently revolved around food since I've been home. They had tuna and crackers for lunch. I made some salsa, and snacked on that. Then, I got some granola going and made pumpkin fluff bowls topped with graham cracker crumbles. That was their after-lunch snack.
Dinner is going to be brown sugar Meatloaf for them. I'll probably chop up some avocados to mix with my salsa. I'll munch on that at the table with them. Oh yeah, and some steamed green beans.I'm trying to stick to high-raw with focus on whole foods. Seafood and meats are not the centerpiece of my meals, however, they are consumed when I feel I need the gravity shifted :-)
I have recently come across long-term raw vegans who are now consuming high quality meats with grass-fed butter and free range eggs. That makes me feel so much better. I don't know why I feel I need validation from testimonials like theirs, but I just have more peace about the matter of eating those types of foods knowing others feel the same way I have felt over the past 5 years. I have yearned to go one way or the other, not every really knowing which way the ideal way is. I believe in the teachings of Weston Price. I've been an advocate since 2005 for his teachings. But, upon crossing paths with the raw foods lifestyle, I've also felt strongly pulled in that direction. Being so vastly different ways of eating, the enigma of wanting both beliefs systems incorporated into my life has plagued me. But, knowing others who've gone on before me have comfort of yo-yoing both, I feel much more peaceful myself.
So, off to make meatloaf...and salsa...and green beans....a little of this and a little of that.

Just keep swimming...

Well, I'm still here. It's so easy for me to get caught up with my day-to-day life, that I don't sit down and blog. But, reading others' blogs counts, right? Because I definitely read my blogs I love frequently. 

I am leaning more towards raw foods as of late. Another phase :-) I've cut out most meat and only eat some seafood. Salads have been my standard with the occasional vegetarian meal.I've been getting some new yummy recipes for experimenting with and I'm excited! I'm going to try to incorporate more fats into my day. Yummo fats like coconuts, avocados, and almonds.

 The kids are back in school and that has brought with it all the prepackaged  yuck foods that they tend to want in their lunch boxes. I hate that. I am trying to encourage veggie snacks with dip and some fruits as their sides. Some turkey and some type of chip complete the meal. But there are days when they want to buy lunch. Ewww. I don't want to limit them so much that they resent me and the healthy food choices. So, it's a tricky balance. 

Jason is working so much as usual. I feel strongly that he needs to cleanse. Maybe a juice fast/feast. But, getting him on board is tricksie :o The garden Diet talked about an OJ fast a few years ago. That's on my mind for him. Seems like smthg he'd find doable.

Football is over. Third year for my buddy. He did so good this year. He's come so far and I'm uber proud! I cannot say that I will miss the major Drama that occurred this season. I can't wait to be back with some familiar faces next year. People whom we missed this season that he will once again reunite with next year.

So, with the fall weather in the air, I'm looking forward to downtime with the family. And to great health and happiness.