Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The only thing that will stop me is the size of my freezer

Emma, Matt & I went to our first Saturday farmers market of the season last weekend.  I promptly spent $55 on local carrots (10 bunches, don't know how many pounds that is), beans (4 pounds), broccoli (2 pounds), and corn (15 ears, how many pounds is that?).  So over the weekend Matt and the Monster helped me wash, snap, shuck, cut, blanch, and freeze everything.

In the freezer, we will have local beef from November and local pork from this spring.  We've been out of local veggies (except the zucchini, squash, and tomato puree) since probably February.  Ditto for local fruit.

(How did I completely miss strawberry season here?  There are NO strawberries in my freezer and it makes me sad!  We didn't even get local strawberry shortcake!  Silly vacations...)


I also mostly missed pea season, which really makes me sad.  I only have probably four or five pounds of peas in the freezer, which may sound like a lot, but I promise you it's nothing.

Today Noah, Emma, and I took a field trip to the farmers market so I could spend more money.  Noah had fun, but he did ask about the chickens, tractors, and dirt.  Sorry, kiddo.  A farmers market is different from a farm.  (I now have to find a good local farm for him to go to... Eat Local Kalamazoo will tell me where to go, I'm sure.)  He did enjoy picking out my green pepper, but he refused to touch it.  And some nice vendorlady gave us tiny red plums to try.  Emma and I immediately ate ours, but Noah carried it around saying, "Apple."  Once I showed him it wasn't an apple, he wasn't interested.

I spent all the cash I had on me - I think it was $50.  We have 4 more pounds of broccoli in the freezer, SIX pounds of beans, and EIGHTEEN ears of corn waiting for me.  I also got some tomatoes for the chili I'm making tonight, because who wants to use canned tomatoes.  (The correct answer here is NO ONE, because canned tomatoes are not good.  The tomatoes are so acidic that it eats away the can, which then leaches into the tomatoes.  You DO NO want to eat that.)

If I can get this all finished by tomorrow at 3:30, we're going to the Richland market for more!  If not, there's the Bank Street market again on Thursday, and then on Saturday the big one.  I promise I'll be buying more and more and more corn, beans, carrots, broccoli, and everything else that looks delicious.

The only thing that will stop me is the size of my freezer.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Breaking all my own rules

I remember when I told Grandma Mary that I wasn't going to co-sleep.  I was pregnant and didn't know that my baby was going to be irresistable and that co-sleeping was so fun and that my husband loves to wake up next to my girl and I snuggling together.  So, it's true that for at least part of every single night she's with us.  And we all sleep better for it.

I remember when I said "No berries" and especially "No strawberries."  But she loves strawberries and is so cute when she eats them.  Even with only two teeth, she knows she can bite off the end and have summer-time yumminess.

And I remember when I thought people who EC'd were crazy hippies, but I've decided I'm also a crazy hippy.  And it's not like she goes diaper-free (maybe when she can walk, if it's warm enough).  But I do try to have her sit on the "pot" so I don't have to wash as many poopy diapers.  So the girl's pooped on the potty twice.  And I've tried twice with her today, but each time she's decided that the excitement of being on the potty is too much and she stops.  So now I have a poopy diaper to change because I know the girl can't sleep if she has to poop.

Also, we had a great Up North Fourth.  Which maybe I'll blog about.  Or maybe I'll leave it at that.  Life is so good and busy and wonderful.  I'm definitely happy.  :)