Motivating new Program/Game!

I've been posting on Facebook about a 28 day program/game my Mom and I have been working on.  Here are some more hints at its awesomeness!

1. It is health related.
2. It will get your body healthy and fit without purposely omitting anything!
3. It's all positive and extremely FUN.
4. It can be played as a group for more motivation and support.
5. You can participate at a free level on a new Facebook page we will have, or invest in the kit we have put together.
6. For 3 months we have been Planning, Revising, and working out all of the details for this to be totally MOTIVATING.
7. Mom and I have been living the program/game for the last month and are excited every day to play. 
8. We have been eating whatever Christmas goodies we've wanted and still lost inches, have more energy, our fingernails are growing faster and we are earning prizes!
9. It supports the things you are already trying to do.
10. We can show it to you on the 1st of January.

That's all I can tell you for now.....:)

Buttery Beets

I have fallen in love with beets again this year! The ones coming from my garden are heirloom, organic Detroit Dark Red and Chiogga. The Chiogga ones look like a bulls eye. So cool. Together they make a beautiful delicious pair. 

The first time I saw the beets were ready to start harvesting, I brought a bunch home and cooked them in a simple but very satisfying way. I didn't bring home nearly enough, so we each only got to sample them. I will be cooking them like this again, that is for sure.

First, clean and peel your beets. Then slice them to about 1/4 inch per slice.

Put the beets in a frying pan with butter! Isn't it sounding divine already!!?

Fry the beets until they are starting to brown, then put about 1/4 cup of water in the pan and top with a lid.

 Let the beets simmer/steam until they are soft.

Sprinkle with some sea salt or salt replacer and dish up.

Chances are you will want more than you made, so be prepared to do it again. :)

Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Augratin Turnips and Potatoes

I don't have a picture for this one because it was eaten way before I thought of taking a picture!
This recipe is not vegan friendly. It does have milk and cheese in it which I and a few of my family members need to stay away from, but it is a great way to use turnips and it was sooo good.

Augratin Turnips and Potatoes

2 cups very thinly sliced turnips
2 cups very thinly sliced potatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/8 grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

Toss together the turnips, potatoes, onions and melted butter.
Cover and put in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
While turnip mixture is cooking, combine milk, nutmeg, pepper and salt.
Bring to a boil and take from heat.
When turnip mixture is done, take from the oven and stir in half of the cheese.
Pour the milk mixture over the turnip mixture.
Cover turnip mixture with the rest of the cheese.
Put turnips back in the oven without a cover.
Cook for 20 to 25 minutes
Enjoy!

Tomato, Basil, Zucchini Goodness

This was totally Delicious. 

Fry Zucchini that has been sliced thin with some onions.

When the onions are looking translucent add: tomato sauce, diced fresh tomatoes, a bunch of fresh basil, garlic, and sea salt or salt replacer like Herbamare. (I would add mushrooms next time too.)
Let this simmer until the squash is tender.

You could put this on top of cooked pasta, rice, or quinoa. We stirred in sprouted and cooked white beans. It was filling and yummy that night and cold the next day for lunch.

I will definitely be making this again soon. It uses the foods from the garden and is so easy to make.

Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Odd Cucumber Sandwich

This is not your every day Cucumber Sandwich! :) It was a bit slippery because I added hummus, and it was quite the mouthful to bite into, but all in all it was a success. This idea was given to me by my friend Elaine. I am not sure if this is what she meant, but it was a fun experience that I will be trying again and you should too! This sandwich just had the cucumber "bread", lunch meat, tomatoes and hummus. There are all sorts of ways you could make it. Next time I might slice the cucumber lengthwise into more "bread" slices than the two featured here. It would be much easier to eat. Bon Apetite!

The garden at Liberty Hill Farms in July

Some of our 9 foot tomato plants in July. We have months of growing to do. What are we going to do with these monsters?

The peppers are growing like weeds. :) I won't get rid of this kind of weed!

These tomatoes are the first full harvest we had. They were yummy..... No, I did not sell these guys. They were the first fruits of the harvest which equals high standing in vegetable world. Nobody would want to pay the price I would put on these babies! I love eating them and knowing there are no pesticides sprayed on them.

In the forefront is the heirloom organic corn we are growing. In the background is the totally awesome hoophouse getting built. It is going to make it so we can grow earlier and later in the season which equals more varieties of foods longer in the year. It is also a great insect repellent! (Bugs can't freely get inside.)

This is a fuzzy shot of some more of the garden. We have 100 rows like the ones you see here. They are 18" wide and 30 feet long. It has been a lot of work putting this garden together but the education alone has been worth it. 

So, there you go. Another month goes by and a ton of things happen at the farm. We are starting to have more produce on our table and money in our pockets from people supporting our efforts through ordering and enjoying our vegetables. July has been a good garden month.

Flood Watering with a Dishcloth

We are flooding our garden beds today so I thought I'd show you how it is done.
To start with we made beds that are level and have banks to keep the water where the roots are. The area that is being flooded in this video is about 12" wide and 30' long. That is the size of bed recommended by growfood.com and is the size we used for all 100 of our soil beds. It works very well.
In the video I show how I tie an old dishcloth onto the end of a hose to keep the direct flow of water from digging a hole in the soil. I have been watering this way for 2 years and I love it. Once we make the pvc watering system we will be abandoning this hose flooding, but until then there isn't a better way.

Diet Rebel

 I wanted to pass this good find on to you. Actually I have been using recipes from this book for quite a while but the book has entered my life again just recently.

The Diet Rebel is one of my favorite books. Often I am tempted to dive into the large project of writing a book, but books like these show that all I have to do is pass on good information that has already been written. If I wrote a book it would be exactly like the Diet Rebel. I agree with what it has to say, and I LOVE the recipes. They are down to earth simple, have the ingredients I agree with, and are yummy! I have loaned my copy out and will be getting another one. :) I like the no fuss sprouted breads that you can make in your food processor. Pretty cool.



Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Saeurkraut Mysteries Unveiled

To start a good sauerkraut, you will need cabbage. Peel off the outer leaves, wash them and set them aside for later. Cut the cabbage up until it is a size that will fit in your food processor chute. (If you don't have a food processor just start slivering slices of cabbage and then chop it until fine.)

When you have finished slivering it or sending it through the processor, put it in the largest bowl you have. These large stainless steel bowls work great. You need a big one to fit all of the cabbage at once. (For this, many other home cooking projects and that huge bowl of popcorn for party night!)   

I run the cabbage one head at a time through my food processor and then dump it into the bowl. I like to use 4 or 5 heads of cabbage to make a bunch of sauerkraut. I love doing things in bulk to save time in the long run. (Check out my Whole Foods Binder recipes in the background - Ha Ha!)

When you have all of the cabbage shredded you can shred other veggies to add to it if you want. This time I added some shredded carrots. You can add kale, a small amount of garlic, cucumbers, or beets. Even green apples can be yummy in it but beware that onions are to pungent to use this way. Stir all of the veggies together and sprinkle it with salt. You will know you have the right amount when your vegetables taste salted but not overpoweringly so.

Now you can start packing your vegetable mix into the jars. Put about an inch at a time into the jar and press down with your fist or another object. Doing this step one inch at a time helps to get the juices flowing from the cabbage and for a brine to start forming. When your jar is a couple inches from being full, stuff a leaf or two of the cabbage that was set aside earlier onto the mixture. This does a couple of things. It keeps the kraut under the brine so it can ferment and it keeps air from reaching the kraut.

I love how the jars start to look at this point. :)  When you have your jars filled and there is a good brine forming, put lids loosely on the jars. You want the lids loose so the gasses can escape the jars. Clean the jars off and put them in an out of the way place. You will want to check on them periodically to make sure the brine is still covering the sauerkraut. If you need to add moisture, make a brine of 2 cups water and a Tablespoon of water and add it to the jar as needed.

When you have let your jars sit out for 4-7 days, you can tighten the lids and transfer them to the fridge where they will last for months. I have let mine ferment on the counter for 4 weeks with great results and then put it in the fridge. I am not a licensed professional explaining these processes to you so if you have doubts or questions please research it a little further for your own health and safety. I have been doing this for several years now with no ill side effects but please use common sense and education to ensure your own success. I like to have some with every meal to give my body the digesting enzymes and probiotics I need. I also use kefir for this which I will explain another day.

If you liked this information, you may enjoy these other sources on fermenting foods.
I once had the pleasure of being taught how to ferment vegetables for a couple of days by a true Japanese woman. She would slice vegetables very thin, usually bok choy, carrots, and cucumbers though I am sure the options are vast, and she would sprinkle salt between the layers of vegetables as she added them to her cool vegetable press. The press would then be turned so there was pressure holding the vegetables down and the brine would rise up above them. She actually gave  me a press and I used it a ton. The vegetables can be added to stirfry's for awesome flavor or as a side dish.

Healing Diet part 3 (day 25)

In this video I talk about some of the things that have helped me stay on this healing journey, and what I have learned thus far. It has been worth it.

Harvesting Basil

Healing Diet day 17

It has not been a breeze to go through the last 17 days of no Dairy, Sugars, or Grains but I am glad I have persevered and accomplished what I have so far. The biggest obstacle or temptation is when other people offer things I should not be having. I have done o.k. because the cravings I used to have are dramatically lowered. My boys on the other hand were not able to say no as easily. This diet is very strict and the food choices are narrow, so I do not blame them. I thought they were courageous for even trying to do this with me. My 9 year old son is still going strong. Once in a while he will have a little of something before he realizes or is told that he shouldn't and then he steers clear of it. He is a trooper and I am tickled with his determination. He is proud of himself too. We both look forward to 2 weeks from now when we can add some things to our diet that will make this process a little easier like more fruits! That will be so nice!
  Here are some of the details of what I am doing.
    http://www.herballegacy.com/Candida.html
    This is the leaky gut/ yeast cleanse that I am following. I love the way herbs gently but effectively heal.



 Body Ecology by Donna Gates
This is a book that has filled in some of the details that have been helpful in following the recommendations from the School of Natural diet. It gives specifics on what kind of sugars to allow, how to make probiotic foods, why this diet is important and so on. It has been a great resource as I try to heal. I have read a lot of health books and can say that this one is full of great information and worth owning and highlighting to reference again and again.


Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger
This book also was a help in figuring out that it was my gut that needed to be healed. The author prescribes a bit different of an approach than herbs but I believe it would be just as beneficial. It has points that I needed to know as I have embarked on this healing journey and it was an interesting read. If I could choose just one book it would be the Body Ecology book but if I could get both I would. (I did!)

Be sure and check out the video that I did about how I am coming along! HERE
Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Healing Diet *Video* Day 17

Transplanting

This week we have done a ton of transplants. To do that, the first true leaves called cotyledons are taken off of the stem and the plant is buried in soil up to the next leaves. Not all plants can be done this way but peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers can. There are probably more, but those are the ones I know of for sure right now. I have heard of old-timers who do it with every transplant no matter what it is.
We have been using a soil less mix of 2 parts sawdust, 1 part sand, and 1/2 part pearlite. This makes a nice mix that drains well and yet doesn't dry out quickly. This mix keeps disease and bugs at bay too. The plants seem to love it as long as we are making sure they are getting their Mittleider nutrients. Check them out HERE.
  We also put a pre-plant mixture into the potting soil which consists of 20 cups gypsum, 1 cup epsom salts and 1/4 cup borax.  The plants do really well with these nutrients.
  Now that I have posted this blog, I am off to the greenhouse to transplant more tomatoes and eggplant! Have a happy healthy day!
Elisa
  
 

Healing Diet Video

Video 1 of 2

 Video 2 of 2

May this inspire someone else to do what it takes to heal and gain the health that could be theirs.

Happy Healthy, Elisa

What do chickens and smoothies have in common?

When I make juices I feel wasteful throwing away the pulp. One of my juicers came with a recipe book for how to use different pulps but I am not home enough to be baking experiments. Maybe I should look into some of the recipes and sell the baked goods at our Farmers Market but not for now. I am sure there are some yummy concoctions but I need simple right now. Here are two things I do with the leftover pulp from my wonderful juicing.

1. If the juice has any fruit in it (apples, oranges, etc.) then I give the pulp to the chickens or eventually I will be putting it in a compost heap when I get around to doing that.

2. If it is things like carrots, squash, celery or other such vegetables, I add the pulp to a freezer baggie I keep in a special place in my freezer. When the baggie is full of pulp and leftovers from chopping vegetables(onion and garlic skins, potato shavings, carrot tops,etc.) I empty the baggie into a stockpot, cover it with water and boil it for about 20-30 minutes. This recycles my leftovers into a vitamin and mineral rich stock that can be the base for many different soups. I can strain the pulp and vegetable trimmings out after they have boiled and add noodles or sprouted beans, or or or. There are all sorts of possibilities. Use the broth for a pea soup base, or a lentil soup. Freeze it and use it as a substitute when something calls for a broth.

Since doing this I feel like the pulp is being put to good healthy use and I don't have to throw anything out. No waste. I love it.

Happy Healthy,
ElisaOmega Vertical Masticating Juicer (Google Affiliate Ad)

Last Minute Stirfry Dinner

 I got home late from the farm and wasn't sure what to eat on this anti-yeast/fungus diet I am on. Pretty much I can't have any dairy, grains or sugars. Wow, the list of things that I can have is pretty small compared with the list of things that have those 3 ingredients in them!  The purpose of the diet is to heal my gut and hopefully get rid of a few pesky things that have been ailing me.
On to the dinner:

I had a stirfry mix in the freezer but it had a flavoring packet in it that was full of preservatives and other things I am staying away from.  I looked through my cupboards at things that I can have and found Apple Cider Vinegar - so I added some of that to the veggies that were frying in coconut oil on the stove. I found some wheat free Tamari Sauce, so I added some of that. Then I added some Vege-sal which is sea salt with dried vegetables that are full of minerals and vitamins.    That's all I added and it was delicious. Before I left for the farm that morning I had put quinoa and water in the rice cooker with a time delay. It was ready to go when we got home, so I ate the stirfry with it and loved how it filled me up and was so taste satisfying. I don't have a lot of time to cook lately, so I appreciate meals that are good for me and quick. It was a yummy end to a long day.

Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Bucket Tomatoes

 In the greenhouse I have planted my tomatoes that I started from seed into buckets. It is so cool to see a thriving plant that used to be just a seed. I don't think I will ever get used to the miracle of that!

 I used a ratio of 2 sand: 2 sawdust: 1 pearlite. How we measured that was with a water pitcher. Two pitchers of sand, 2 of sawdust, and 1 of pearlite.

• We mixed it in a wheelbarrow, then put it in the buckets until they were within 2 or 3 inches of the top rim.  
• Then I mixed some pre-plant mix into the top 6-8 inches described HERE. 
•  When that was done, I watered the bucket until water was coming out of the holes I drilled into the bottom of the buckets previously. (6-8 1/2" holes).
• I let the mixture sit over night to absorb moisture and then put the plants into the mix the next day. You probably don't have to do that. It is just a habit for me. 
• To put the plants in, I pinched off the little leaves (cotyledons), the first leaves to sprout, and put the plant into the soil up to the first leaves. New roots will grow from the part of the stem that is in the ground making a much sturdier plant. 
• When the plants were in, I sprinkled about a Tablespoon of Urea(nitrogen) on the soil mixture and watered it in.The nitrogen will give them a good head start and protect from transplant shock.

 The plants have been in the buckets for a couple of weeks and are growing rapidly. I give them about a Tablespoon of weekly feed once a week and water it in. Daily I check to see if the soil within the top 1/2" is dry. If it is, I water until it starts dripping from the bottom again. I have found that if I do that, it distributes the fertilizer good, leaches out extra fertilizer, gives good moisture content (obviously!), and keeps the soil fresh.

  The greenhouse is going to have 80+ tomatoes in it this summer! I have never grown that many tomatoes at once and I have never grown in a greenhouse before. This could get interesting!

Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Buy the Food for Everyone Foundation

Gardeningbooks - Click Here!

Daily Liver Cleanse

 Every morning before I have eaten or drank anything, I partake in an easy but effective liver cleanse. I take a break when I have been doing it for a month or so, then get back on it again to keep up the cleansing. Nothing in it is hard on my body. It only does good.

First I use my handy dandy lemon squeezer. It is so nice to use. In one motion, half of a lemon is sqeezed into my cup. I do the other half into my husband's cup, or if he isn't there I let a kid try it out. Then I add 1 drop of lemon essential oil and 1 drop of peppermint essential oil. I used to use Forever Green oils because I had researched and found their quality to be very high but that was a few years ago and things have changed. I have switched over to the company that the resourcer for the oils went to from Forever Green(she got a new contract Green Organics International when her contract with Forever Green was void because of a change in quality). I have met her in person and trust her integrity. She has promised to not be with a company who does not have the very best quality which includes being organic, wildcrafted as much as possible and having absolutely NO fillers. I should write a post on that separately! Back to the recipe....

1/2 squeezed lemon
1 drop lemon e.o.                    Get Your Essential Oils HERE
1 drop peppermint e.o.
1/2 to 1 cup of water
I mix these all up and while it still swirling in the cup I drink it. The reason I drink it while it is still swirling is because the oils tend to rise to the top when the drink is let to sit for even a few seconds! Then you get a whole bunch of lemon and then a surprise of peppermint at the end and a whole lot of it gets left on the cup!

If you have any allergies, liver spots, red moles, sluggish bowel, weight gain, chills, constipation,gallbladder attacks, headaches, lower back aches, skin problems, weakened eye sight, depression, the list could go on and on, a liver cleanse would do you good. Even if you have ever had antibiotics in you life, a liver cleanse would do you good. Your liver is filtering and filtering all day long every day and needs help to stay clean. This is the way I do it. You could do more extreme ways like I have tried where in the middle of the night you are propped up by the toilet hoping the night will pass quickly. I don't recommend it!

Go get yourself some lemons and essential oils and do your body a huge favor, possibly even skip out on the allergy season that is looming ahead of us!

Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Start a Garden with the Mittleider Method

 My brother called wanting to know the details of how I fertilize the garden using the Mittleider Method (You can watch a you tube video from the President of growfood.com about the Mittleider method is considered the best of organic) For those of you living in Fort Collins, I have bulk micronutrients and the weekly feed recipe that I can sell to you so you don't have to wait for it in the mail.

 HOW TO PREPARE A GARDEN BED USING THE MITTLEIDER METHOD

Before putting any soil in your 36"x8' beds, sprinkle 1 1/2 cups gypsum on the ground. The 36"x8' beds are what I have in the greenhouse and you can plant 4 rows in it. Outside I have 18"x30' beds. Those would get 4 cups of the pre-plant mixture tilled in and 2 cups of weekly feed when the plants are up.
After putting in 1 part sand and 3 parts (or 1 part sand, 2 parts sawdust and 2 parts pearlite) sawdust into your beds until the beds are level with the tops of the boxes, sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the following pre-plant mixture.  20 cups gypsum(hardware store); 1 cup epsom salts(pharmacy); 1/4 cup Borax(laundry isle). Till or shovel it into the top 6 -8 inches of soil.

When the plants are up, start fertilizing once week with 3/4 c. of the weekly feed mixture. You can buy the micronutrients that will come with the recipe at growfood.com for about $14.

When you know your plants only have a couple more weeks until they are through producing, you can stop the weekly feed. If you plant something else in their place, start with the pre-plant mixture again. Do not put the pre-plant mixture in with seeds. They will not germinate correctly.

Buy the Food for Everyone Foundation

Gardeningbooks - Click Here!

Questions?

Gathering Eggs

First thing every morning the boys and I go gather eggs. It is one of the most fun jobs I have on the farm. It is like an Easter egg hunt every day!  We gather them up, bring them into the kitchen at the farm and wash them in a sink of water. Then we put them on this re-purposed oven rack to dry. It doesn't take long for them to dry before we put them in cartons, then into the fridge that is set aside just for eggs. The people who have standing orders of eggs have a label with their name on it and how many they get each week. These days the hens are in full production and the orders are quickly filled. When the eggs are put away we sanitize the sink and rack to keep everything clean and healthy. Aren't they pretty? My favorites are the green ones. :)

Farming Journal for April

 We got quite a bit done this month despite the deep snow and delays in the garden because of cement work for the hoop house.
We tried to rehabilitate an injured calf and it didn't work out as planned. Since then we have had 3 calves born at the farm, one of which did not survive. We are finding that we are very close with nature here and have had to deal with more death in a short period of time than we ever have in our lives put together. Together with the calf deaths have come deaths of the beautiful yellow breasted birds that arrived here at the farm with the spring weather. We have a ferral cat that has taken residence at the farm and she is quite the hunter. We keep finding these birds around the farm and in her den. It is sad. They are so beautiful. We may cage the cat and find a new home for her. I am worried about our chickens becoming prey to her hunting skills.

We have readied the beds on the terracing wall at the west side of the farm. I have even planted a few types of lettuces in there which will be followed this evening with spinach, radishes, tatsoi, and romaine. As an area is readied in the morning, I plant it in the evening so the seeds can stay moist all night and have a better chance at germination. The asparagus will be planted tonight also. :)   In the raised bed to the north of the greenhouse the garlic is sending green shoots up and the strawberries I planted from roots I got in the mail are leafing out. I love to see green. I planted mint in that bed along the wall in the shade.  The flowers we planted a month ago in the front bed are coming up now too.

We have spent hours out in the garden area disking the soil and following behind the tractor picking up rocks that surface and either putting them in the tractor bucket or on a wagon. The boys pulled one wagon behind their lawn mower. They had fun in the process. :)  I remember the hours spent and buckets full of  rocks I picked up as a child in my parents garden. My Dad had his first draft horse and put him to use with an antique plow to till up the garden. Us girls would ride the horse in a straight line while Dad walked behind the plow. It was a scene right out of the 1800's. :) Those are sweet memories to me now and I hope the memories the boys are making will be sweet to them one day. Right now they are working hard and playing hard and learning hard. It is a good life we live.

Along with a farm comes lots of open space and at this particular farm, the boys have an affinity for rebuilding and playing around on old mowers.  They have races once in a while and use them for their chores. They have learned lots about the basics of engine care and what to do when something stops working. I am pretty sure they know more about it than I do!

 Farm life has entered every aspect of our lives. My children draw pictures of animals and chicken coops and adventures they have here. My 6 year old son drew some pictures of the calves. So cute.

Today my 15 year old is building a chute for a cow we are going to start milking. He is studying online about chutes and is drawing up a plan with dimensions. Then he will weld it up and do whatever he needs to do to make it work. He will have to use an auger to anchor it in the ground. I love the things my kids are learning. Along with their studies to be well rounded, they are learning life skills that will make them so capable in life. 

There is so much learning going on around here that it is incredible. We are learning how to get along with each other as we work side by side. We are finding out what it really means to be close to nature and why it is important to take care of the earth. We are taking rest seriously. We are learning how to prioritize and make the most of what time we have. 

The greenhouse is still in full production. I have finally pulled out some of the plants that I had put in there in November. The Swiss Chard in the picture is still producing so it is staying for a while longer. I am putting peppers in place of the lettuces, spinach and kale I have taken out. I am trying to fill every spare inch with something green. I even planted marigolds in the corners of each bed for the beauty and the bug repellant properties it has.

We are selling our veggies, and whole grain breads at Bath Nursery here in Fort Collins on Saturdays. It is fun to meet people in the community and to distribute food that will only compliment their health and not detract from it. It feels good to be contributing good things. The radishes I planted a month ago are being harvested now. I just love the miracle of putting a seed in the ground no bigger than the tip of a pencil and being able to pick a vegetable from that seed in a months time. So cool!

Each morning we have a meeting with all of the boys and us parents to decide how the day is going to go. We have to plan who is working on what, when breaks will be, when we get to study, and when quitting time will be. We have some things that stay the same from day to day but the morning meeting gives room for tweaking what didn't work the best the day before, or sometimes new things come up that need addressed. The picture here is showing yesterdays meeting down at the chicken coops where we had all met for the morning. It is a busy life but good and rewarding. I love the things we are learning, even the tough things that have come along. We are all growing and are so much stronger(physically and mentally) than we were a year ago.

Lawnmower Races

This is one of the fun things we get to enjoy here on the farm. :)
http://youtu.be/B3u7uzZoUiQ

My Son Farmer Ben

This is my 15 year old son Ben. We got each of the kids sun hats for the hours we will be spending outside this summer. In this picture he is helping me level and terrace the raised bed in the garden where the lettuces will be grown in the part-shade this summer. The background is pretty barren right now but it will look like a lush paradise in a few months! :)

Baby Bull progress

I sure hope this calf can get mobility in his legs. There are some boys falling in love with him.
Today the boys built him a walker of sorts so he can use his legs better. My 9 year old, Luke, walked him around outside by helping his back legs as needed. 
Watch 9 year old Luke tell what he did today to help out Baby Bull Norman. HERE

This is the cart that the boys built for Norman to help him walk. Ingenious:)

Getting the Garden Ready (video)

Baby Bull Norman

A calf was born to a neighboring farmer with nerve damage in his hind legs. Instead of putting him down, the calf was brought to us to see if we could help him. The vet has been here every day showing us what to do and helping him as she can. The boys are totally enamored with this baby bull and have even stayed the night with him. :)  They are feeding him and doing therapy on his legs and praying he will pull out of this so we can keep him.

Lunch today

I bought containers today that will  always hold salad toppings. The plan is to keep them full so that at lunch time we can just get out all of the containers and put together whatever kind of salad we want individually. These are the toppings for the greens we have today.
flax seeds
Pumpkin seeds
slivered cashews
Slivered almonds
Sunflower seeds
Cherry tomatoes
Chopped tomatoes
Sprouted beans(will be different daily)
Baby carrots
sesame seeds
Crunchy granola
hard boiled eggs
9 different kinds of healthy dressings

I also have out spelt pitas if someone wants their salad in one of them.
Another option I will make available for those who want it is shredded chicken or tuna.

Other options I will add are craisins, raisins, apple slices, and croutons.

Do you have any other topping ideas?

Today's lunch

Lettuces and sprouts from the greenhouse
Chopped tomatoes
Slivered carrots
1 oz. Sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon flax seeds
1 cup sprouted and low heated kidney beans
olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Together with the vegetable juice I had for breakfast and the  cooked veggies and small amount of rice I am going to have for dinner, this is a day of eating that I can be and am happy with. :) I am filling my body with the  nutrients it needs to keep going full steam ahead. The only thing missing is the fruit which I will add back in when I can- just not right now.... 

"Tell me more about the Whole Foods Binder System"

 This is my reply to the question I was asked today. I thought I could share it with you too.

Question:  "I am very interested in your notebook... Tell me more about it."

Answer:

"The Binder System is what happened when I wanted to feed my family well and was overwhelmed with lots of recipes and food combination techniques. I was organizing my healthy recipes into a binder so I could take out the recipes for the week and post them on my wall to make it easier. I was color coding each recipe for how it worked in food combining when it dawned on me that other people would benefit from the work I was doing. I then undertook the major effort to type up each recipe and add directions. While I was doing that I realized that I couldn't leave it at just recipes but I would have to also explain 'why' I was feeding myself and my family in the way I do, and how to use the food combination system. I added shopping tips and food budgeting tips, and everything else I could think of at the time that would be helpful for people wanting to feed their families well and lose weight and gain energy in the process. It was months of work every day. Brian did not have a job, so he was able to take care of my other Mom duties until I finished it.

When my family moved to the farm, we became penniless and had to start relying on whatever food we could get - most of it being given to us at the time. We were in survival mode pretty much. We were grateful for the food but it wasn't the kind of food that supported the healthy lifestyle we were used to. I began putting on weight and we started getting sick more frequently.

A few months ago I started selling bread and vegetables from my greenhouse and we started having more of an income. I was able to go to a natural healer to get on a cleanse and we have been able to start eating like the Binder system shows how to do. I was actually very excited to pull out the Binder and start using it again. I had been thinking for a few days that I needed to get some healthy recipes together and start using a system to make sure we always had good options to consume rather than eating whatever was fastest and most convenient. I got out the Binder and was tickled to use it. It is exactly what I need and I hope it helps other people too.

I have been losing weight again since employing the techniques I talk about in the Binder, and have had more energy. I am still working through some of the health problems that have crept up since not eating well but I am confident that I will be able to move past them. There is always food to eat because of the tips on food prep. that I have been employing, and I am not so burdened with trying to figure out what to eat.

I am in the process of adding more recipes for the Spring. They will include more in season veggies and tips on how to prepare them. The Whole Foods Binder System teaches less of a reliance on meat and dairy and more intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. You don't have to be completely rid of meat and dairy, just have less of it. I explain why in the front of the Binder. I don't go into too much detail because the main idea of the Binder is the techniques of how to eat healthy. I give lots of resources in the back of the Binder if you want to become more well read on the 'why's' of whole foods. There are about 80 pages of 'why's' in the Binder and the rest is recipes."

A few things I forgot to mention in my response. I am continually improving the Binder. As I do so, I will be sending out any improvements or changes to everyone who has a copy. So, if you have a copy and want to suggest a change or improvement I am all ears. The same goes with the recipes. If you find something that isn't quite right or if you have ideas for how to make them better, I will take it into consideration. Some of my friends have added spices and herbs to dress up some of the recipes and I love how it has turned out. I am quite busy with the farm, but when I have time I have been working on improving and adding to the Binder.

Also, I forgot to mention the 'Stages' within the Binder. This System is designed to take anyone from the Standard American Diet and move through stages towards healthier options which equal a healthier life. It can be as gradual as you want and as fast or slow as you want to take it. It also provides for compromise within the family unit. Some members of the family may want to go more slowly than you in change of diet, or not change at all. Dietary changes can be the most difficult changes you make in your lifetime. The food you eat can be very dear to some people and hard to give up. The Binder makes allowances for those differences within the family. You can also choose which 'Stage' is best for you to stay on.

I have had good feedback from people using the Binder System. It is fun to create something that will help others. :)

More information about the Whole Foods Binder System can be found at my website www.inthegardenofeatin.com. 

Happy Healthy,
Elisa

Mystery Photo

WHAT IS THIS?  :)  

Crocuses

I planted these crocuses last fall. I was picturing these sunny flowers as I planted them, knowing that when they came up spring would be right around the corner. I had to take a picture and share it with those who might not know the joy of crocuses and for those who know full well the joy of the first flowers in spring. I love to grow vegetables but I do look forward to the pleasure that beautiful flowers bring. 

My New Rolling Pin :)

You may have seen the post I did on making Pita Bread where I had to use a baseball bat to roll out the pitas. Well, a kind soul who has begun ordering food from the farm took pity on me and brought me a rolling pin when she picked up her food! :)  Can you believe it? It was the first time I had met her and she was so generous. I am so thankful to be meeting such wonderful people in the community.  Having a business and lifestyle that connects us with the community is so rewarding and fulfilling. Thank you Dawn O.!

Dawn handing me the prized rolling pin.

Check out what she and her friend did with the farm fresh eggs. Yum.

Breakfast juice

This is my 6 year old making his morning juice. So responsible and healthy:)

Natural Every Day Cleaner

This is the cleaner I have been using for 2 months now and I love it.
I pour water and vinegar into a spray bottle in equal proportions and add some lemon juice for its smell and its grease cutting properties.
I use this in the bathroom and in the kitchen. On the floors, counters and stove or wherever I need general cleaning.
The smell of the vinegar goes away when it dries, but it isn't too bad when you use lemon juice along with it.

Do some research on vinegar and you will find that it is an excellent replacement for the harsh cancer-causing chemicals you may be using currently.
Happy Healthy Cleaning!