A little love note...

Five years...

Today, I've been married to Jason for five years and I can't believe how fast those five years have gone. It feels like yesterday that I stood on a beach with him and promised forever. I've been trying to find the words to express how I feel about being married to him, but it all seems very cliche when I write it down. So, I'll keep it simple. I love him more and more every day. He is my best friend, my personal comedian, my shoulder to cry on, my butler (on most days), my lover, my everything. I feel so blessed to have this man in my life and I cherish our relationship.

I love you, Jason! Happy Anniversary!

Check out our new look...

So, as you've likely noticed, our blog looks a bit different today. I've had some fun creating a new blog banner and customizing some of our fonts. What do you think? I love it! For some inspiration of your own, take a look at this great website with free fonts and easy to use tutorials:

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

This spring, we joined a CSA called Turnip Rock so we could get local, fresh, in-season produce directly from a farm and support a local farmer. We do live really close to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market but the CSA is really easy and all we need to do is go pick up our fresh veggies every Thursday. We've loved it so far and we've been pretty good about not letting our veggies go to waste. For more information about Turnip Rock farm, check out their blog: http://turniprock.wordpress.com/

If you're not familiar with CSA's, here's a primer (taken from The Land Stewardship Project website):

At their most fundamental level, CSA farms provide a weekly delivery of sustainably grown produce to consumers during the growing season (approximately June to October). Those consumers, in turn, pay a subscription fee. But CSA consumers don't so much "buy" food from particular farms as become "members" of those farms. CSA operations provide more than just food; they offer ways for eaters to become involved in the ecological and human community that supports the farm.

...being involved with a CSA operation always means sharing the rewards as well as the risks of farming. The rewards include: enjoying the freshest produce available, often harvested the same day you receive it; knowing where, how and by whom your food is being produced; having a direct connection with the people who produce your food; and supporting the kind of stewardship that is good for the land as well as its people.

The risks include weather and pests. Though formidable for small, self-sustaining farmers, these risks are bearable when shared by a group of subscribers. By linking together through CSA operations, farmers and consumers alike can benefit from an agriculture that provides beautiful and bountiful food while preserving the ecological and social basis necessary for coming generations to be so blessed.

So basically, it's good for us, it's good for farmers, it's good for our local economy, it's good for the environment - I mean, could it really get any better?! In the past few weeks, our CSA share has had cucumbers, parsley, new potatoes, onion, green onion, beets, squash, romaine lettuce, carrots, sunflowers along with other veggies. Yum! Today, I wanted to use the parsley, cucumber, romaine lettuce, green onion and some mint that a friend gave me from her garden. So we made tabbouleh for supper and ate it along with some organic whole grain pita bread and tzatziki (mixed with chopped cucumber) from Holy Land grocery in Minneapolis. The only thing that was missing was falafel. (Oh, how I love falafel!!) Here's the recipe we used:

Tabbouleh
2 cups bulgur wheat (presoaked for 1 hour)
3 cups parsley, finely minced
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded & diced
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, gently mix together the bulgur, parsley, mint, green onion, tomato, pepper, cumin & salt with a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice and mix again. Chill the tabbouleh for one hour to let the flavors blend. Just before serving, add the olive oil and mix well. Serves 6.

It was very easy to make and tasted good, but I should have minced the parsley much finer. The pieces were a little too big and the flavor overwhelmed the flavors a little bit. So don't be lazy like me when you make this! Here's what it looked like:


We hope you had a great supper tonight, too. Tomorrow I have to make something with all the beets we have. Any ideas or recipes to share?

Living & Parenting with Intention

“Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least." Goethe.
_______________________________

Living with intention is difficult. Parenting with intention is even more difficult. When you have children, your days get very busy and it becomes so easy to just go through the motions of daily life to simply make it through. Days turn to weeks and it all just becomes a blur. You don't intend for it to happen, but suddenly you wake up and wonder where all your time has gone to. I know this feeling all too well. It's difficult to remember that we have choices. We can CHOOSE to live and parent differently. We can CHOOSE to live and parent with intention and purpose. We can CHOOSE to embrace only those things which are most important to us and we can create a family life we love, not just a life of going through the motions.

Many of you know that we practice Attachment Parenting for these reasons (parenting with intention and purpose). In addition, we are continually striving to create a home for Eliot that is consistent with our values, which nurtures and supports him completely. This is hard work. We are not perfect and many days I'm tired and frustrated by the difficulties of our daily life. At the end of a long day, I don't always feel like focusing on and creating a harmonious home environment. But it's important and it's so worth it. I just purchased these two books to help us along this journey and I can't wait to get them and starting reading. Wherever you and your family are on your own journey - Godspeed to you!

_______________________________

Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children
Sharifa Oppenheimer

As we witness the shifting of old forms that once stood as the foundation of our daily lives, parents—who must prepare the next generation to meet this changing world—have more questions now than ever before. Although our culture and the nature of the family may be changing, the atmosphere in the home continues to create the foundation of a child’s life. In Heaven on Earth, parent and educator Sharifa Oppenheimer reveals how to make the home environment warm, lively, loving, and consistent with your highest ideals.

Heaven on Earth balances theoretical understanding of child development with practical ideas, resources, and tips that can transform family life. Readers will learn how to establish the life rhythms that lay the foundation for all learning; how to design indoor play environments that allow children the broadest skills development; and how to create backyard play spaces that encourage vigorous movement and a wide sensory palette. Through art, storytelling, and the festival celebrations, this book is a guide to build a "family culture" based on the guiding principle of love. Such a culture supports children and allows the free development of each unique soul.

The Creative Family
Amanda Blake Soule

When you learn to awaken your family’s creativity, wonderful things will happen: you’ll make meaningful connections with your children in large and small ways; your children will more often engage in their own creative discoveries; and your family will embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together. With just the simple tools around you—your imagination, basic art supplies, household objects, and natural materials—you can transform your family life, and have so much more fun!

Perfect for all families, the wide range of projects presented here offers ideas for imaginative play, art and crafts, nature explorations, and family celebrations. This book embraces a whole new way of living that will engage your children’s imagination, celebrate their achievements, and help you to express love and gratitude for each other as a family.