And so we boldly went

And so I completed day one of my couch to 5K amidst rain, mud and humidity. I cranked some tunes, rocked a new interval app that roared when I was done with the running and thundered when I should start. So tomorrow I strive for some walking and sculpting work as I strive to recreate this magic on Thursday. Even though my lungs were burning, my legs screeching and my knees creaking it felt really good. The same good that I get from gardening and canning. Here is too a long summer full of these moments and less creaks.

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And so we boldly go

So tomorrow marks day one of my couch to 5k program and day one of my 5 days a week exercise unless death or dismemberment befalls me vow. I make no promises in how this will look or guarantees that I will be perfect, but I do know that when I look back on when I was feeling my healthiest it was when I was running. So this summer will add running to eating healthy fresh and local produce.

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What’s in the food we eat…..

This is a great post from my friend Hannah.   If you are wanting some more honest facts about the ingredients in our food then this is a great article for you.  Now, I would not panic, I am fairly certain my daughter eats food with many of the ingredients listed here.  Like in all things, moderation is the key and at the very least, we all of the right to make fully informed decisions about the food we eat!!  For me, it’s another reason to go local and fresh as much as possible. Check out her blog and their farm’s website for more great info.  Top 15 Ingredients to Avoid

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Incredible Edible

Pictured below is a picture of one of my favorite go to dishes for dinner or brunch: Farmers Quiche. Essentially, it is a giant omelette fully loaded with whatever toppings make you happy. I adapted it from the plaid standard, Better Homes & Gardens. I start with some frozen shredded potatoes, shredded my own potatoes, and used tatertots , which I think are my favorite, and put them into a 9×13 baking dish. Cook up some toppings, bacon, Swiss chard, ham, sausage, onions, mushrooms, peppers, diced tomatoes, etc. Put the cooked toppings over the potatoes. Sprinkle about a cup of shredded cheese (whatever kind you like) then take a dozen eggs, beat them with some milk, salt and pepper. Pour it over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes or until firm and bubbly. Makes about 12 servings and at about 6 WW Points per serving it is a great dinner served with a salad and can become a great way to start the day in the morning. As clearly shown in my photo ( apparently the directions wait I have to take a picture fell in deaf ears) my family couldn’t wait to dig in. I haven’t tried it with egg whites replacing some of the whole eggs, but I imagine that would also be delicious!! Enjoy!!

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Combatting the Hoard

So I have an addiction to reality TV. I mean the real, reality TV of the TLC, Discovery, and History Channel Variety. No weekend is complete without a little Gold Rush, Ax Men or Dirty Jobs. Don’t even get me going on Moonshiners (or as I call it, Homesteading gone wrong), but tonight’s drug of choice is Hoarders. I am strangely drawn to it because I think there is a little Hoarder Gnome living in my soul. Occasionally, he rears his ugly head when there is a good sale, or when I am certain that a missing sock is engaged in covert operations just south of the boarder and will be home any day. I would’ve thought my newly found love of homesteading and making use of “everything” would turn me into a flea market junkie. On the contrary, I have felt the need to simplify and make do without. Now let’s not get crazy, everyone needs a cake pan for all occasions, and excessive Christmas decorations are fun for everyone, but on the whole I have found that avoiding the hoard has made me feel more secure. So, every week we do a purge. Some are smaller than others. Sometimes the focus is the fridge where waste not, want not can pretty rapidly turn into waste not, eat not if you want to survive. Many times it focuses on our Achilles heal of clutter: paper. Bills, mail, pre- school artwork, etc. I have discovered the joy of the ebill through our credit union which should help. Upcoming, we will be doing a clothes purge ( let’s be honest, there are just things that will never fit again) and a toy purge with our daughter’s full cooperation (she loves the idea of giving her old toys to kids in need). I have even been able to part with books (which as many of you know are my “precious”). Each day I feel a little closer to full simplification, and barring my love of cake pans literature and a little organized grocery stockpiling, a clutter free house that will help us to reach our long term goals. As for 00sock, I expect to hear from him any day now as does his better half.

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