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Newsletter>
OOOH! Fresh garden veggies!
July 15, 2008
Dear Friends,
I'll be honest with you, I have had a "difficult" summer so
far. We've had some family issues come up that have been
emotionally exhausting and I am quite sure that you can all
relate to that statement. All families have problems...it
is a part of life. Jobs are lost, relationships get
strained, money gets tight, loved ones die, illnesses
happen, people move away...we've all been there, right?
Life isn't always a bowl full of cherries, as the saying
goes. Not on this side of Heaven.
Well, this week I was cheered up when we began harvesting
our garden! It never ceases to excite me when that first
zucchini gets sliced up for supper! I love it! We
harvested our entire crop of spring planted turnips, most
of our beets, the peas (which didn't do so well) were
snacked on and are no more, and we've also been snacking on
kohlorabi. The best part was that in spite of my failed
potato experiment, we still had some that sprouted from
last year's crop and we have been feasting on delicious new
potatoes for the past week too! I have baby cucumbers,
green tomatoes, garlic that will be ready in another week,
and our sunflowers are begining to bloom! Not only that,
but the weather has been simply gorgeous for the past few
days! We have prepared new beds for a fall crop of peas,
more crookneck squash and cucumbers, and a new bed of salad
greens. The beans look great and we should be picking them
in another week or two and at least 4 heads of cabbage
should be ready for slaw soon. Everything looks just fine!
Bless the LORD. Another plus is that what has not ripened
for us yet, such as cukes, red potatoes, and sweet corn, is
growing all around us in abundance. We have enjoyed corn
on the cob from our neighbors, as well as some other
veggies. The Amish are master gardeners and they manage to
get things ripe a lot earlier than other gardeners I have
noticed. (Someday I'll get there!) Forget the grocery
store for the next couple of months! We've got all we
need.
I love summertime. It is such a cheerful time of year for
me. I love being outdoors and my creative juices really
begin to flow. For those of you who enjoy my soaps, you
might want to check out the soap sale at our Etsy shop. I
have some zucchini soap, salsa soap, and cucumber
soap...garden fresh. Check it out if your up for some fun
and different skin care alternatives.
We have also launched a new shop on Etsy. This is
something that I have thought about doing for a long time,
but never had the time to focus on it. Well, with my
husband home for the time being and the need for extra
income I decided to go for it. I'll just let you check it
out for yourselves and let me know what you think. It is
still in the begining stages, but we have big plans for
expanding it and I even have some of my very talented Amish
neighbor girls working on projects for me.
Take a look at www.thefarmhousekitchen.etsy.com
I am also in the process of putting together that e-book I
mentioned some time ago. I want to offer sample menus and
easy recipes so that other families can begin saving money
on the grocery bill while implementing better nutrition
into their diets. Believe me, if you knew how little I
actually spend on groceries for our family of seven you
would be astounded. But, you also might be astounded by
what we actually eat. I hope that the fact that I have
always had to pinch my pennies can be used to help other
homemakers out too! The other benefit that comes from
changing to a more simple diet is that along with slimming
down the grocery bill comes the slimming down of you. My
family is in good health and weight is not an issue for us
anymore. The only one who stuggles still is my husband
because he has worked during the day and has been tempted
by pop machines and junk food. Now that he is home, the
extra weight is already melting off. (He is not fat, but
like most Americans carries a bit extra around the middle
section). It doesn't take long to lose when you are eating
good, nutritious food, drinking water rather than "pop" and
keeping busy.
An example of a summer meal in our house...
A large bowl of boiled new potatoes
-boil potatoes until just tender, add real butter & sea
salt to taste, drizzle with herbal olive oil or toss in
some chopped herbs and garlic
Green salad (lots of fresh greens, croutons, sunflower
seeds)
Corn on the cob or sliced zucchini (fresh, boiled or
steamed very lightly, seasoned with herbs)
Herbal tea, milk, or water
Where is the meat? Well, we only have meat a few times per
week and sometimes even less in the summer. If we do, it
is grilled chicken or ground beef. Today we had grilled
bbq chicken, potatoes, and raw cucumbers. That was it.
When you are not eating much meat, add more beans or brown
rice to your menu. The other thing that we do differently
is that we eat our large meal now in the early afternoon.
We eat eggs and/or pancakes for breakfast and maybe eggs or
another veggie dish in the late evening. Those two meals
are very simple and light. Snacks are limited. If someone
is hungry or needs a pick-me-up, we usually have fresh
fruit or other veggies available, or a loaf of bread for
bread and jam. In our home we always have fresh goat milk
which is very filling, too. Nobody is starving in our
home, but I have come to realize recently that most eating
comes from simply being bored. When you are keeping very
busy with work or play and staying well hydrated with water
and other healthy beverages, you don't think as much about
food. I have also noticed that when we don't snack all day
long we enjoy our meal much more and we have very few
wasted leftovers. Finally, just like everyone else, my
family enjoys treats. When treats are enjoyed everyday,
they are no longer treats.
(Speaking of treats...don't forget to check out our new
Etsy shop!)
The motive behind eating healthy is to feel good! Isn't
that what we all want? It is worth it.
Have a great week!
Blessings,
Jennifer
www.fromfieldsandgardens.com
www.farmsteadorganics.etsy.com
www.thefarmhousekitchen.etsy.com
fieldsandgardens@aol.com (new email)
Keep up with me in between newsletters at
www.homesteadblogger.com/fromfieldsandgardens
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