I Still Love You

HEY, LOYAL READERS!

(aka my best friends)

I just want to inform you that I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU! Oh no; on the contrary, I've been thinking quite a lot about you all! I have just been CRAZY BUSY. We went up to my parents' cabin over the long weekend, and I had to play catch up getting things done at home. And I have nothing good to write about :-( Except that I made a sourdough starter (any name suggestions for it?), drank a pint of whole, chocolate milk all at once, soaked some almonds, made some butter, that type of thing. Nothing really worthy of their own post (partly because I forgot to take pictures AGAIN). But soon that will change!!

I have really kicked off my healthier eating initiative, thanks to this article that I stumbled upon on how to Slay the Sugar Monster in Four Doable Steps. I am going to be getting rid of my processed sugars, but in the meantime I did buy some Sucranat (evaporated cane juice, a natural sweeter that's not refined like other sugars) and made some cookies with it; Jon was a huge fan. They tasted very different than regular chocolate chip cookies, but they were still awfully good with a glass of organic whole milk. I have also increased my [healthy] fat intake; no more trans fatty veggie oils, hello whole milk, butter, and coconut oil (which is AMAZING in a pot of brown rice, by the way. [Soaking rice and flour, etc. is next on my list of healthy-things-to-get-used-to]). We also will be purchasing a quarter of a cow (you read that right. One-fourth of a giant bovine. 126.5 pounds, to be exact) that was grass fed and hormone/antibiotic free. This is surprisingly cheap. Expensive up front, but when you figure out per pound, then realize that some of that is going to be high-quality cuts, it's really very reasonable. (My parents rock; they're letting us store all the extra meat at their NEW RANCH. So awesome of them.) I am also making bone broths/stock to consume/make CHEAP soups with this winter (like this one). Doesn't that sound amazing?

Speaking of winter, I AM SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!!! I want to put up our Christmas tree and string it with lights, drink hot cider while reading a good book, take a hot bath... Ahh, I'm just ready for cool weather and holiday cheer! Can you believe they're already putting decorations and stuff out for Halloween? Insanity.

Anyway, keep checking back for more posts on my experiments with "real food" and healthy living. Let me know if there's anything you're particularly curious about and would like to see a post on.

Love you all!