Too long...

Yep, its been too long. Of course I have been busy, but I also have felt uninspired to write. Plus, I felt the need to share things chronologically, and frankly, that just felt overwhelming. Perhaps Facebook is to blame for part of my laziness concerning blogging. I love the instantaneousness (is that a word?) of Facebook. I have a few thoughts rolling around my head...

First off, due to a persistent ear infection in Gracyn, followed by 3 weeks of various antibiotics, we have Thrush. We are treating it with Gentian Violet (Thanks, Carole, for the recommendation). Gentian Violet is BRIGHT PURPLE and so Gracie looks like she has been sucking on a purple ice pop for a week. Lets just say it leaves a stain on some *ahem* "interesting" places on me as well. But, it is working, and that is what is important. Can I just say I love "natural" and "homeopathic" remedies?

On top of the thrush, I have a cold...blah...who likes being sick? Not me, and especially not in warm weather while my lilacs are in full bloom.

I'm looking forward to our vegetable garden this year. Each year I get a bit better at keeping up with it. This year I'm going to search for Heirloom plants, so their seeds can be kept to grow future gardens. I'm also going to try my hand at growing some lettuces. I'm thinking spinach and buttercrunch?

We will be welcoming a bunch of chicks onto the property. We have raised chickens for our own fresh eggs for about 6 years. We are down to just one of the original hens. Its time to bring on some fresh cuties. This year we will be buying day old "Red Star" chicks. Sidenote....I was originally going to order these through Murray McMurray Hatcheries, however, due to EVERYONE and their brother raising chickens this year, there was over a 2 month wait for their chicks. I tried a different hatchery with a 6 week wait. I think I'm going to buy local off of craigslist. There is a guy about 50 minutes away with 40 Red Star eggs in the incubator. Maybe we'll clean him out of his pullets. The price was also better than buying via a hatchery and shipping them.

I'm reading an amazing book about children's health and nutrition by Dr. Sears. Its called, The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood. It talks about cutting out certain fats, food dyes and high fructose corn syrup. Its amazing where you find HFCS...bread, ketchup, yogurt, etc. I'd like to significantly reduce, if not completely cut out HFCS from our diet, or at least only consume it on special occasions. I'm learning about the hormones in milk and how some people suspect it leads to early puberty and breast development in some girls. I have decided for now to not introduce any milk to Gracyn, other than my own breast milk. I figure, god designed my milk to be best for her, why would I wean her from my milk, only to introduce cows milk, which really was designed for calfs? When the time does come to introduce her to cows milk, I'll probably start her on hormone free or organic milk, although I'm completely balking at the prices...does anyone know where to obtain good quality, hormone free milk without paying $6 a gallon. We go through LOTS of milk around here!! I don't really want to have to get a part time job just to pay for milk, LOL!

On that note, if anyone has any healthy recipes they would like to share, I'm all ears...or eyes, if you choose to email it : ) This week I'll be making hummus for the first time, ever. I also made cranberry cous-cous last night for dinner. I've made cous-cous numerous times before, just never added cranberries. I also bought some flaxseed to start adding to foods. Anyone use flaxseed? Beuler? Beuler? Just kidding...anyone recognize that movie line? (Not that its a hard one...)