{whole food} :: new life

I posted about our little backyard farm a couple of months ago, and I've taken pictures time and again, with the intent to show the progress as we went. For a while, that was an extremely boring endeavor. But, we kept at it, and with a little help from some rain and temperature pops...WHAMMO...something new happens every day.

It turns out this little farming thing goes way deeper than growing your own food.

I believe that God gave us the duty to work the land with our hands, and to try to be self-sufficient. But, as with every child, the older I get, the more I realize that His instructions to me are not simply face value. As it turns out...this works out heavily in the realm of cultivation. I realize a new metaphor every single day as we do this. In order to bear fruit, we have to be vigilant, consistent, patient, gentle, caring, nurturing...we have to do the physical act of all that it takes to cultivate a spirit, a relationship, a child...a healthy body. We sweat, we ache some, we talk about what's best, we pray, we thank God...it encompasses all the effort it takes to make a life full and real.

I want the best tasting food, from the best possible source, in the best possible way. That takes work...

WORK WORTH DOING.

So, I give you the food...soon to be nourishment to our bodies...currently, the unexpected nourishment for our souls.

{our flamboyant squash blossom}

{the undercover San Marzanos}

{herbs}

{unruly lettuce}

{banana peppers!}

{random prodigal spinach}

{our first color...I can't wait!}

{more tomatoes}

{more lettuces and carrot rows}

{the view from the end}

Thanks, Lord...what will You show me today?

{whole me} :: facing the giants

I just need to share this. I need to share, because this moved me to tears...not just because of the subject matter, but because what she's doing is what I aspire to do. I don't have the confidence or the credentials...but, this is what it's all about. This is the life in my head. It's such an important path...and this reminded me that I have the power. Little housewife, mommy me...

...I have the power.

{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 food}::dirty work

This is the part of the Real Food movement that I don't like...the part that requires me to get the eye of the tiger, when I just want to dance in the fields...the part that has me pacing our family library, with my blood boiling, when I really just want to sit down and write wholesome, fun posts about our little family's journey.

This part is the fight.

It is worth noting that I am so. not. a. fighter. I hate fighting. I bob and weave at every turn. I don't want to do it...except when it has to do with my family, my child...or our food supply. What I've learned in the past year or so has awakened a whole other part of me. Where I would normally feel powerless, wishing I could be more courageous and be willing to go into battle...even if I'm the only one fighting...I am now always at the ready.

I still feel small, but my jaw is set, my eyes are glaring at the horizon...and, if I'm bloodied in battle...I count it an honor. I almost constantly feel the rumble of a far-off drum beat under my feet. I can feel the vigilant masses gathering under home-made banners, with whatever ammunition they could fashion out of their household wares...the heat that is gathering at my back. This...this is full on Braveheart-style, fist-clenching, you-better-believe-we'll-give'em-hell kind of stuff. In short...I'm pissed.

So, what is it that has me all riled up? Big Food. Monsanto. GMO's...particularly the newly greenlit Roundup Ready Alfalfa. Our. Government...past and present...Clarence Thomas...2 decades worth of FDA and USDA officials, presidents, Supreme Court Justices....all those that have paved the way for the murderous hoards to come in an claim what is God's, that he entrusted to us...and to pervert it into the death of the entire world's food, in the name of greed and profit. This is no ordinary case of money-grubbing. This is pure. EVIL.

I will just rant on and on, if I don't stop myself. So, I'm going to re-direct you to a wonderful piece, written by a decidedly more self-controlled blogger @ Homestead Revival.

Let me just say this. I know that God is still in control. But, I also know that we aren't supposed to rest on our laurels, and chalk it up to God's will. It's not His will...it's just what has happened, as a result of free will. He created and cherishes free will, because it's the thing that ensures that we come to Him of a free heart, by choice, because we love Him. He's not going to screw with it. That's why He gave those of us who DO want to be with Him, Jesus. We needed an exit strategy. It was no secret to God that things were going to get bad. It doesn't mean that we need to not fight. It's our duty. If for nothing else...

...so that he can fight the battles that need fighting in the future. So that he doesn't have to live in a Book of Eli world. So that he can have a legacy.

{my letter to President Obama}

Hey, Goliath...

...I'm coming for you.

*Lost-reminiscent bass drum beat* (just for levity)

{updates} :: what's working

So, yesterday was the one year blogoversary for {whole family project.} I didn't make a big to-do out of it, because I was exhausted yesterday, and I didn't have the oomph to sit down and write. Don't think I'm not excited...I am! I really was just very blah, yesterday.

That being said, I think it's an appropriate time to see how the project is coming along. I tend toward dwelling on all the things I hope to do...all the places I hope to go...instead of highlighting what progress is happening...now.

*sidebar* - something I am working on, is living in contentment. It dawns on me, that always being annoyed with myself for all I haven't achieved, is counter-productive, and may very well be making sure I don't make steady progress. I'm getting out of the business of discouraging myself, thank you very much. If I want discouragement...I'll watch the news.*

{back story}

Last year at this time, I started {whole family project}, because I was looking for more. I wanted to do something with my passion for writing, and at the same time, incorporate my love of the holistic lifestyle and natural healing, with the added element of my passion for happy marriages and family.

When I saw Food, Inc. for the first time...it took on a life of it's own. I immediately felt the call to Real Food activism. I immediately looked at my proverbial surroundings and saw them as the sham that they are. I immediately wanted out. I could feel my insides clawing at me...I all of a sudden wanted to sell everything I owned and venture out...looking for "real". So...with a little help from an exciting God...we did...almost...just that. We sold half of what we owned, put the rest in storage and went on a journey...a vision quest...a hunt. 10 weeks, 10 states...endless craziness.

I didn't find what I was looking for.

God used that trip to let me in on a little secret. The project I need to be doing is in me. He let me see beautiful things, He pushed me to face some fears...and, then He let me drop on my silly, little butt and see Him...right there, in my face...no matter where I am. I love Him for that:) As to food...we realized that the locavore movement is pretty saturated in the Northwest...and so, we really feel like we are being called to forward that movement here...in the heart of Big Agri-country. It's here that the move toward Real food needs to be pushed...to be welcomed...to be accessible. I intend to do everything in my power to help.

So...though it's seemed like slow progress...we've come a long way in a year. My husband had no luck finding a job after his April lay-off...so, we went back to school. We are using that opportunity to further our cause, as well. He is getting his bachelor's in Horticulture (he already had an A.A.S.), and I entered culinary school.

As to our home-life...we are always growing and branching in our spiritual and emotional lives together...our little band of three. We are posturing our home to accommodate the lifestyle we are entering. I am going to post details about that in tomorrow's post. However, we are making room, plans, and preparations for our little slice of urban farming and homesteading joy:) Things are coming along.

Probably the most major issue that we felt needed...um...projecting...was our health. While I have an above-average understanding about natural health and food...that doesn't mean that I am a product of that knowledge. I am a human being, with human level habits, and human emotions, and a super-human appetite. Not only that...I come from a legacy culture of emotional and entertainment eating. I really, truly want to educate people about holistic lifestyles...but, at this moment...I don't present with any credibility. You get my point?... I'm fat. However, I'm not just interested in getting thinner...I want real wellness...whole wellness. So, to that end we are making some steps to add life-giving nutrients into our diets in a meaningful way. We are an over-fed, under-nourished society, and our bodies aren't getting what they need in order to activate their own healing mechanisms...much less have any joy or energy or zeal. I am finding some very convenient and wonderful solutions to that problem for our family...and one of the biggest ones is the Green Smoothie.

{our very first green smoothie}

We made some investments at the start of the year, that we felt would really contribute to our progress. The biggest one?...our Vitamix:) It's a very powerful blender that has gotten more nutrients in our system in the past 10 days, than we have probably consumed in the past year.

Our basic recipe:

2 cups coconut milk

2 whole apples

2 whole carrots

handful of grapes

1-2 bananas

2 scoops chia seeds

2 packed cups of kale or spinach

{put in Vitamix...and blend};)

{the man likes it}

{the boy likes it}

{and, I like it}.

We drink one every morning, accompanied by one or two eggs, and the result is amazing. Brandon and I have each lost 6 pounds, our appetites are way down...and our energy is way up. Don't let that last comment bypass you...OUR ENERGY IS WAY UP! This is huge for us! If that's all I got from it...I would do it every single day.

The momentum is building, and there are days to be seized, horns to be grabbed, battles to be fought and won, joy to be experienced, and peace to be had. There is sun to feel on my face, messes to be made and cleaned up, inspirations to be soaked in, prayers to be said, evil to be overcome, and worship to be shouted.

I want all of it. Bring it, life...BRING IT!

Real Food Wednesday: Roll Up Your Sleeves, Kids

Well, I have decided to stop apologizing for my inconsistency, here. I feel the pull to be in this space, second only to that of laying in bed snuggling with my boys, so trust me when I say...it's nothing personal. I realize that my anxiety over not getting here every day, is just a frustration that comes from not getting to do what I want to do, but having to spend time doing things I "have to do", instead...like school and all the work that comes with that. So here it is...Thursday. Oh well. Just know I miss you more than you miss me.

So, I'm doing Real Food Wednesday, because, well....I want to. We had the most fun this past weekend, while my aunt and her two girls were in town. We spent the weekend laughing a bunch, making good food, and getting the kids involved. The best part was...one of the kids favorite things about the weekend was getting to roll up their sleeves and contribute to the preparation for our real food dinner on Saturday night. We had a wonderful dinner of grilled chicken, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and sauteed spinach.

It was very yummy...but, the most delicious part was the sounds of the children having the most fun shucking corn.

I think I could listen to that sound all day long:) They just sat on the back porch, exclaiming over and over "I did it! Look at mine!!"

{jaxen felt very strong and accomplished:)}

To top it off, after we cooked it, they were so excited to be eating the corn they had worked so hard to prepare for us!

{jaxen and his cousins hard at work}

What a fun weekend we had! We had good food, good games, good laughs...only drawback was...it made me ache all the more to be on a piece of land, with a big huge table outside under a huge tree, with beautiful lanterns hung from the branches, and tiki torches lining the al fresco dining area, where we will feast on real food and real life with people we love...all the time!

Waiting...it's the thing I'm the least good at.

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!

Real Food Wednesday: A Heart Song

Real Food Wednesday has taken a hit. It's very disappointing, really. In order to do these posts, successfully, I have to actually DO something during the week, that will allow me to write a post. It's hard to write a weekly post on real food, when I'm just throwing a sandwich together and brewing coffee every day. While I am actually spending my day moving us toward our goals, that doesn't mean I am spending much time on food. I hate that.

School starts on the 30th...about 13 days from now. All my classes are cooking related...save the online English Comp class I have to take. I'm sure I won't be hitting the kitchen right off the bat...but, I'm thrilled to be moving forward on it. I was trying to explain to someone the other day what my love of food...especially real food...is about. It's hard to explain. While I do love to eat...the thing that brings tears to my eyes isn't about eating. It's about people. It's about history. It's about a common thread. It's about an art. It's about culture. It's about communing with our Earth. It's about painting with God's brushes. It's about nourishing more than just bodies...it's about nourishing souls.

I love that God gave us the practical means to create beauty. He gave us all the nutrients, the vitamins, the minerals, the proteins, etc. But, just for our pleasure...He packaged it in the most vibrant colors, textures, flavors, smells...sounds, even. That's why I scoff every time someone says "food is just fuel." If that were true, why wouldn't we just have a pile of goo on our plate, like they eat on The Matrix? While I agree with the allegory of The Matrix, I take exception to the idea that to be enlightened to the tricks played on your life every day, means that one would live in the land of industrial gray and a pile of uninspiring gruel. It's so puzzling. Food is a multi-sensory experience...a concert of God's bounty.

I think that's why I see processed food as such an abomination. To feed your family and yourself solely on the pre-packaged notion of food that's readily available is like putting Ansel Adams to work at Olan Mills, Martin Scorsese in charge of pushing the slide button, putting Monet to applying stickers all over poster board...or Frank Lloyd Wright to setting up a tent. It is to short change the very essence of what makes us, and keeps us, human.

It's no doubt that there is a movement swelling, here. It's no doubt that I am determined to be a part of it. I feel a strong sense of duty to bring as many of you with me, as I can. However, more than anything, I can't wait to have a kitchen full of friends, a big harvest weekend celebration, a warm gathering to feast on the fruits of our labors. I can't wait to help a hurting loved one heal, and create a place where a connection to those who went before, is as palpable as the modern music playing on the iPod. I want to be in a proverbial montage of women standing over a pot of food, and adding flavor until their heart says..."they'll love that." I want to weave the backdrop for the moments when my grandchildren walk into cafe, somewhere in the world, on their travels, and are automatically transported to a moment...when they remember just how I looked when I helped them embrace a beautiful aspect of themselves, or realize something about life and understanding. I want to create the kind of reference that connects life today, to a point in the past...the kind of reference that helps bring about the realization of purpose...even years after the fact. I want the generations that come from me, to hear my voice speaking of their immense worth, as they sit over a bowl of soup, or pass by a beautiful vegetable garden. I want to create a place where people know they can go...and get fed...body and soul....I want to feed people.

Real Food Wednesday: Building a Nourishing Tradition

As most of you know, for the past few months, we have not had a house to live in. Along with a situation like that comes the upending of many of your daily habits. For a little while, it was unnoticeable, but as of late, I am beginning to see the affects of not having the same availability as we have always had.

When we first got our son, I was bound and determined to maintain a wholesome & nourishing diet for him. I had gotten a copy of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon a couple of years before our son was even born. At that point in my life, the whole concept of this nourishing food was pretty overwhelming. However, when we got him, I knew I wanted to give him the best start I knew how. So, I jumped in...at least for him.

For the first two months of his life, he had been exposed to heavy amounts of second hand smoke, and lots of processed formula. {I believe that parents need to make decisions that are the best for them, and that they have to follow their convictions, as they see fit...so, no judgments if you happen to have used canned formula. However, God gave me the conviction and the opportunity to be educated in a non-conventional way regarding infant nutrition, and so I wanted to do all I could to adhere to that.} When he came to us, and it became clear that this was going to be a long term situation, I began him on the baby formula recipe from the back of Nourishing Traditions. (I used Goat's Milk that was pasteurized, which is not optimal...however, it's what I could do at the time.)

At first, we struggled with some constipation issues, because there are lots of beneficial fats and oils, that his little body wasn't used to. But, after about 2 weeks, and some diluting methods to help build him up, he became very regular...and remains so to this very day. Not only that, but his lungs were able to heal very quickly. What I thought would take months to clear up, actually took about a week and a half. He went from having sinus and lung issues that you could hear, to sleeping soundly with almost no breath sounds in about 10 days. It actually used to freak me out! From that point on, he has been the healthiest child you could possibly imagine!

When he weaned off of formula, I wanted to figure out a way to keep all that nutrition, that he was getting from the formula, into his "big boy" diet. At that point, the thought of deciphering a way to add all of those nutrients into our regular food was daunting. My simply solution?...adapt his formula into a SMOOTHIE! Now...let me clarify, at the point that I threw this together, the thought of making my own yogurt and such was not even on the radar. And trust me...this is just thrown together. So, adapt as you will...but, this is what I do:

1 cup of yogurt (whatever flavor you want)

1/2 cup frozen berries (you choose)

2 tbsp. ground flax seed

1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil

1 tsp. brewer's yeast

1 tsp. cod liver oil

1/4 tsp. bifido bacterium infantis (I use LifeStart which is a blend)

1 crushed acerola tablet

1 tbsp. raw honey

{throw it all in a blender and blend:)}

If you don't make whole food formula...some of these ingredients may seem a little strange...but, he LOVES it...sucks it down!!

I realized the other day, that many of the reasons that I began my son on the Nourishing Traditions baby formula, still need to be addressed, even as he is nearly 4 years old. That didn't necessarily dawn on me, until a few weeks ago, when he started having issues with growing pains in his legs, in the middle of the night. I was racking my brain trying to figure out why, after all this time, he was suddenly having these episodes...especially since his growth rate has slowed, significantly. It also led me to the realization that much of his behavior issues have been timed around this, too. So it dawned on me...for the first time in his whole life, the quality of his nutrition has slipped. He's not getting all the nutrients that he was getting on a daily basis, before...and, we're both suffering for it! I realize that regardless of what they eat, three year old boys are going to be nutty. However, the same way that eating too much of the wrong things, and not enough of the right things, affects the mood and overall ability to handle life in adults...it's going to be even worse for a developing little body. Well, it ends here! I'll keep you posted on the progress;)

I'm off to get some ingredients today, and as soon as I do...I'll post pictures of the process to go along with the recipe! We are also going to begin our relationship with green smoothies...so, I'll let you know how that goes, as well...for all of us!

"The Whole Family Project" Purpose

Let me make one thing clear from the beginning…I am not a mom who has it all together and is going to bring you “nectar of the gods” advice from my perch high above…that’s why “Project” is part of my title. Project defines my endeavors as a mother, a wife, and as a woman in general. Here’s why I’m doing this….
- I believe in God, and I believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that He is the hope of this world. I believe in His version of family. You will find scripture here. You will find Bible teachings here. You WILL NOT find someone who thinks that children are better left lying in orphanages or drowning in the foster care system, instead of being adopted out to same-sex parents who will love them, make them feel wanted, and work for their best interest in life. You WILL NOT find someone who touts the impossibility of single parent homes…some of the best mothers and fathers I know are single…and though it may not be easy, they are willing to fight to the death to make sure their children are raised with the same opportunities and the same stability that children in nuclear families. I believe that families are being attacked, but not by a political party. I believe that we are being attacked by Satan, who is more than willing to use the political debates about family to divert our attentions and energies into the corridor of cynicism and hate. I believe that those energies are better spent getting children out of orphanages, to loving and supporting those single parents and families who are struggling, and to doing better every single day for our own children. I believe that families are worth fighting for…are worth doing what it takes to make and keep them…whole.
-So, why "The Whole Family Project”? Well, there are several things I want to cover on this site. The main idea I wanted to explore, when contemplating the startup of this blog, is whole food nutrition. I believe it is vitally important that we begin to move away from industrialized food…for our whole family…but, especially for our children. I am no expert, and I don’t have a degree. What I do have is years and years of research about healing with whole food. I grew up a granola kid. We used co-op and I ate carob chips, and rice crackers, took vitamins like they were going out of style, and never went to the doctor, save the chiropractor. That’s just how I’m wired. There are several events that have happened in my life (that I will expound on in other articles) that have solidified my belief in the fact that God put everything we need to heal, and be well, on this, our dear planet Earth. I will provide tips and tutorials, based on my life experience, on everything from homemade baby formula and food, to how to start incorporating the whole food lifestyle, in a world that makes it very difficult. None of my ideas are original, but I have done a bit of footwork that may make it easier for someone looking for a place to start.
-Like I said at the very beginning, I am a working project. I truly believe you can’t have a whole family without having a whole mother. There is this thing I like to call “The Oxygen Mask” philosophy. You know it…the rule on an airplane that states that if you have a child with you and the plane is losing cabin pressure, you put the mask on yourself before you put it on your child. It’s counter-intuitive, yes…but, oh so necessary. So, this is a journey we will go on together, you and I. I don’t take care of myself, I don’t sleep well, I don’t eat well, and I don’t exercise regularly…yet. So, in the spirit of getting ourselves together, so that we can be better wives, mothers, and all-around women, I am designating Me Mondays…articles that will be dedicated to self-care. It is impossible to be what we want and need to be to our families, friends, and community, if we are not what we need to be for ourselves. So…let’s do this together.
-I don’t want to leave anyone out, here, because as I said at the beginning, I have a lot of friends who are excellent parents, yet don’t have a spouse. However, I believe that if you are married, without a whole marriage, then your family will begin to splinter before you can say the word “counseling.” So, for that reason, I am going to dedicate my Saturday posts to the care of relationship. If you are blessed enough to have a partner, it is vitally important that that partnership be solid…be FUN…and, now get this part…that the partners BE ON THE SAME SIDE!! So often, I have watched marriages disintegrate, because there was competition and self-centeredness running amok in the heads of one or both partners. This is an area in which I have an embarrassment of riches. My husband is just one of those men that all women wish their husbands to be. You’ll get to know him pretty well as you read:)
-Lastly, I believe that there are several endangered species in children today…nature, honor, confidence, humility, gratefulness, and consideration. It is my life’s mission to make these common traits amongst kids, again, because I believe without them, our world goes under with immense speed and force. We’re already seeing it! Interspersed throughout this site, you will find snippets of humor, tips on discipline, and ways to make kids behave that doesn’t leave you spent and unsuccessful at the end of the day. I will have a comic relief section…little things that happen during the day that fill the job of parenting with moments of head shaking chuckles. I will also be practicing the art of honor, by adding tributes to Tuesday posts…little portraits of people that are heroes to me, in the quest for whole families.
-I hope that you find “The Whole Family Project” fun and informative, helpful and poignant. It’s my hope that God shines and is glorified through my words, and that I will grow through the experience in a way that will reach my family, my community, and my world as a whole. I look forward to participation from those who read. Please feel free to leave comments and send me ideas for articles, guest blogs, or any other content you feel would add to this experience. Thanks for reading!