PINTEREST

I started Pinterest several months ago, and i lasted one day... it was just one more thing to add to the list.. but.... then i tried again, several months later, and wow... it is MY LIST.  Just with pictures and links, and how to's.  Little notes get attached to pictures of things I want, or Make, or do... the list is endless.

I have been using Pinterest lately as my Christmas guide for homemade gifts and yummy stuff... I am currently making at least 4 things I found on Pinterest for gifts this year and I love it... The Vanilla Extract is my favorite... I am very eager to see what it tastes like in the next few weeks

I cannot say enough good things about Pinterest...especially since I dont have to keep adding to my binder of ideas... i can now go thru the binder and find stuff and see if its on Pinterest.com  

Go to Pinterest

The Little Things

having someone with steady employment is the greatest thing.. there isnt that constant worry, or dread... now there is continued HOPE and better things to come. We are talking about buying our first home next year... can't believe that we will be able to continue with our dream. I knew it would happen, just seemed like forever to get here.

Once we find our home, and get it fixed up, the year after that, we will plant a big garden, in hopes of learning to can, and preserve all of what we grow. Depending on where we will be living, we hope to get Urban Chickens.. I was born on a farm, and loved that life, but when you live in a huge city, its very hard to have that "urban farm life". But we will get there. Just takes a bit of planning, time and money.

Another item on our agenda will be the purchasing of Mason Bees. They are a native Bee to Oregon, and I find them truly fascinating. They don't sting unless you try and really do them harm, and they are the best pollinators.. I found a website that has directions on how to build your own Mason Bee Houses.
http://www.citygirlfarming.com/Bees/BeeKeeping.html

Seems funny, that the generation that I am, we as parents and even non-parents are finding ways to be urban farmers, not only for the fun, but the fresh food. I made a promise to myself, if we ever got a lot of money, I would buy urban land, turn it into a public garden, and all people had to pay for was the water, as long as they up keep it, they can take up to 20 lbs of food a week.

I grew up on the fresh stuff, and was super lean then, and then as I got older, I lost my way, but with the help of Modern medicine, I learned that I am Insulin Resistant, so basically if I over do it on carbs, it turns to sugar, that doesnt get processed, thus turning to fat. ICK, so, while planning my life, and my garden, just thinking of all the sweat i'll use up... amazing

My son, who is 2.5 will be raised with a garden, compost pile, his own bees, urban chickens, and other little critters. This seems normal for me and my family. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me here, and I'll see if I can help. I have a wonderful green thumb, and if I don't know the answer, I know lots of other Urban/Rural Farmers that will...

The Picky Eater

The question was asked of me, what do I feed my son.. who is one, I feed him whatever I am eating, unless its spicy. Patrick gets a lot of veggies, steamed or raw.. also the same with fruit. Some Kids are picky eaters, some only want to eat one color of food, just gotta find what works and not give up... I give that advice to myself...

Breakfasts... small bowl of cheerios with blueberries, applesauce, or pear sauce, toast, oatmeal,

Lunches sandwiches, usually rye bread, lunch meat, cheese, mayo and mustard, then I smoosh it, and cut into small bites, and give him two at a time.. ravioli that I make, he loves spaghetti and red sauce. Red Sauce is usually green, red, yellow and orange peppers diced, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and a bit of spice.

Snacks-- sliced cheeses, grapes cut and quartered, sliced pickles also quartered, olives cut in half, more blueberries, we live next door to an organic blueberry farm... wheat crackers broken into fourths, or Annies white cheddar crackers ( his fav.)bananas, peaches, pears, cooked carrots served after being in the fridge, peas, soft stuff

Dinners- last night he ate two turkey meatballs with red sauce, didnt care for the spagetti, even though it most mostly veggies, he likes sauteed red and orange peppers, when we make us taco salads, we take a bit of the meat out before we add the hot stuff, and sprinkle some cheese on top,

we dont give him juice, its either 2% milk or water and nothing else.. Hes off the bottle, so each meal and snack he gets a cup of milk wth a straw,

I know that im doing good now, but what about later, both myself, and two of his uncles were or are still very picky eaters, so i am going to get Jessica Seinfelds book, Deceptively Delicous, some of her recipes are wonderful... like sweet potato fries, or pumpkin pancakes...

In my baby book, Toddler 411... we graduated from Baby411, it says that it takes up to ten times to introduce a new food to a small child, but most parents give up after 2-5 times.. it also said that depict a childs small list of menu items they will eat, they will get all the nutrition,

another is pedisure, talk to your Doctors, and see if Pediasure could be added to your list... If you need any other ideas, i have lots of other foods that Patrick gets... today for lunch we had a sandwhich, I made me one, and he ate several pieces.. i had a salad, but he had the goodies that went with it, radish, cucumber, stuff that he can eat, he has 8 teeth, and does real well with them..