{whole food} :: the rubber meets the road

Wow! What a whirlwind of a month was February?! Lots and lots has been going on around this place, and I am bound and determined to give you the highlights, without getting into the nitty gritty of the goings on in my head, the past few weeks...that's later. For now, I want to highlight the season we are in, right now...the grunt work it takes to realize a dream...

A year ago, we watched Food, Inc.

It changed the course of our lives, forever.

We watch lots of documentaries. We always get something from them. However, it's often something that touches us with some valuable information, and then we move on, change a couple of practices, and things look very much the same. But, this time...it stuck with us. It changed us at a cellular level. Suddenly, many things about our previous lifestyle were simply unacceptable...unthinkable. We would never be the same. I have documented our quest for real food, and in some ways...we ended up back where we started. But, in the most important ways...we are in another world.

We are at that point where the rubber meets the road. It's time to put up, or shut up. It's time to...well, you know. In short, we plant food, get animals, or we just get busy dyin' faster.

We opt for the former...howeeeevvverrrr...

Let me just say...all the daydreams about working the soil, and feeling the sun on my neck...so wonderful and peaceful...well, CRAP!

*Caveat Alert!!*

Turns out, I've been a city girl for 33 years, and for some reason, my poor back...timid after years of beatings by a pair of bully giganto-boobs...is not so chipper about joining the real food movement. It's one thing to get all passionate about growing food, and type about it all day...it's quite another to, you know...DO IT! Sheesh!!

Hoeing rows and planting food hurts. Shoveling compost...hurts. My husband and I both feel like we were the junk cars in a monster truck rally. If this were a workout program, I'd be waving my bloodied kerchief, dialing the chiro and figuring out how to let everyone in on the fact that all my talk is, once again, not going to materialize.

But...

...I have him...and he does most of the work...

...and we have about 300 square feet of plant-able space for food...

...and so we planted 1/3 of that this past weekend...

...and I got one of the most valuable manicures of my life...

...and we have food...REAL. FOOD...in the ground...

...and my son loves this life...

...and a homestead is born. Our homestead.

So...the difference here is this...for us, this is a matter of life and death.

Back be darned...I'm doing this.

I'm gritting my teeth and barreling through.

My back will catch up to my resolve.

My resolve will not be shaken.

{whole home}::customizing your home

There are several facets involved in changing your lifestyle. Sometimes, the most overwhelming issues are the logistics...i.e. I don't have room for that, I don't have the equipment necessary, there's no place...etc. Oftentimes, successful changes are about having the proper tools.

When our homes have a rhythm, and we upset the apple cart with a need for change, the status quo can be very difficult to break. That is equal parts good and bad, in my mind. Especially as women, it's our job to create that rhythm and heartbeat in our home. That's part of our calling. So, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be met with resistance (even from ourselves), when we want to start marching on the upbeats. (my inner band nerd is leaking out...I apologize).

When we started looking toward an urban homesteading lifestyle, I got overwhelmed with all that I was going to need to be successful. First and foremost on my mind...room to work and storage. Ironically, when we really started picking up speed on our mental plans...we didn't even have a home...ha! In order to grow and make your own food, make your own cleaning supplies, reclaim and upcycle, store food for the winter, buy in bulk...you have to have a space to grow food...a place to can...a place to store. We were blessed enough to be able to rent a home, with a sizeable back yard, a supportive landlord, and a few bonus neighbors who are like-minded...yay!! (Thank You for that little nod of confirmation, God:) One other helpful thing...a breakfast area in the kitchen AND a separate dining area.

I'm learning to think outside the box with things. Generally, I'm the kind of person who likes everything to go where it belongs...i.e. breakfast area in kitchen = a place to put a table for casual dining. However, in my quest to tailor-fit my life to what makes sense for US...not the builder's intentions...I decided to extend my kitchen work area into the "breakfast area". It doesn't yet have all the storage and workspace that it will eventually have...but, we are about half way there. This is what it looks like:

{another view}

My hope is to have everything we need to prepare all of our own food products in our home, in a way that makes the job more convenient.

I absolutely love the concept of design and beauty. What's changing for me, is what I consider beautiful. If I listen to my most authentic self...I realize that what grabs my attention, isn't what would be considered aesthetically pleasing to the masses. I love seeing evidence of life. I think it's beautiful to be able to see that real people live real life. I love color and texture...a little bit utilitarian...a little bit rustic...alot eclectic. So, though my little kitchen work area may not be featured in Better Homes and Gardens...

it's a better home for us, than I could have possibly imagined. As for the gardens...

{a sneak peek at our very first preparations}:)

Some Food for Thought

I keep getting asked the question "Why whole food?" That question is so loaded...and the answer is even heavier. So, I've decided that I'm going to begin with presenting everyone with the same thing that got me interested...information from outside sources...people who have been doing this a long time, and are more adept at bringing the information down to a concise and efficient form. I will be exploring my answer further...but, until then, I will be posting as much educational material as I can, so that all of you can have access to what I'm seeing.

One Last Thing!...

I am now a full-fledged member of Slow Food USA. This is the best organization in the world for the Real Food Effort...heck! They STARTED it!

The Incredible Edible Egg?

{photo credit: mother earth news}

OK...so, I'm sure, by now, you've all heard about the recall of 228 million eggs! Well, if you needed another reason to begin to buy locally, from people you meet in person, whose farm you can go and visit...you've got it. When you have a large scale salmonella outbreak like this, it's easy to speculate that a) they've known about it for a while, and are just now getting around to the recall, and b) they are finding more efficient ways of getting the salmonella into our livestock. In order for there to be salmonella in eggs...it's not an environmental issue in the egg factory...it is the CHICKEN! The chicken is, in fact, contaminated with salmonella, and then passing it out through the egg. Awesome. Does that make you feel any better about buying some pretty boneless, skinless chicken breasts from your nearest grocer? Never mind that they can't stand up under the weight of the greed...now, they are dying as a result of it, as well. We caught on to the cows...I guess they figured they should start on the chickens. Frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if the government is actually subsidizing salmonella and E. Coli...like corn and soy are just code for "death and disease." But, what do I know? I'm no scientist...I'm no Big Food Industry bureaucrat...I haven't passed my opinions across the desk of anyone at the FDA. I suppose that means I don't know what I'm talking about....

If you'd like to form your own opinion...you should read here.

Update: As I stated above...they DID know. There were several cases back in June and July. Oh! and by the way...the count is now up to 380 million! I think I'll be heading to my nearest farm, today:)

Real Food Wednesday: Local Resources

Well, as I hinted at Monday, I have a treasure trove of resources for you, today!

I always love getting the free copy of Edible magazine when I go to the Farmer's Market. This magazine is distributed regionally, all throughout the U.S. Inside is a wealth of resources for eating whole foods, guides to farmer's markets, and custom sourcing for restaurants, food programs, and other Real Food events in your area. They have even compiled a cookbook, that I don't yet have, but I'm jonesin' for it in the worst way!

If you are in the DFW area, there is a cafe that I am so excited about! Potager in Arlington is owned and operated by people who are passionate about real & local food, and their tagline is Think Globally, Eat Locally...love it! They get all of their food from local sources, including Gnismer Farms on Bowen Rd., CSA's, & pastured beef, chicken and egg sources. Not only that, but they are actually delegates for this year's Slow Food International Terra Madre conference in Italy. That's a HUGE honor! If you haven't, yet, please go eat at Potager, located at 315 W. Mesquite Street, Arlington, TX 76010. It's really important that we vote with our food dollars and support establishments that are going the extra mile to support farmers, provide real nourishment, and are active in the Real Food community!

If you are looking for a restaurant closer to Dallas, you will find that you have a few more choices. Restaurants like Bolsa, Parigi, and Smoke are committed to local, quality ingredients, and any check paid, at these restaurants, is money into the local food economy that will NOT be wasted on Big Food. Want dessert? Think it can't really get into the local food game? Not if you go to Dude, Sweet in the Bishop Arts District! I LOVE that this list is growing:)

Something fun to do on the weekend is to take the family to the farmers market. We have frequented the Dallas Farmers Market on several occasions, but we are looking forward to checking out several more. There are several local farmers markets in great towns like Historic Downtown McKinney, Keller, Coppell, and one in Fort Worth on Beach Street. There are so many options in the metroplex, that it's hard NOT to shop local! Not only that, but seasonal food, picked ripe...the sensory experience is absolute heaven!

If you are looking for a farm or CSA (community supported agriculture) program near you, the best resource on the web is LocalHarvest.org. However, you can go straight to a few sources at Eden Creek Farm, Your Health Source Co-op, or Eden's Organic Garden Center.

If you have been reading for a while, you know that I have been lamenting the sparse nature of local food resources in this part of the country. Well, this weekend I was greatly encouraged! The flames of this fire are being fanned, and I can't wait to help! I count it an honor to be a part of this movement toward the reclamation of our food, in this country. There is much more to come...but, until then I will entice you with a snapshot of just a little of our beautiful bounty from this past weekend...


Salsa, anyone?