Right Now

Right now, I am:

::thankful, thankful, thankful that I am back at work. Ever so thankful. Words cannot express how thankful. The money is great and is helping us make headway in our debt, yes, but there is a much more important piece for me. Working gets me out of the house, talking to people, and out of my own head. Trust me, this is really important.

::still marveling at how many beautiful treasures we found on one walk. If you can see, with my bad picture taking skills, that is 2 oyster shells, 2 tops of conch shells that have been tossed and smoothed by the waves, a small clam shell, and SEVEN pieces of sea glass. I found one of them and I was quite proud. One of the pieces is a section of thermometer, specifically the -10 to 0 section. It is worn and close to smooth and one has to wonder just where it floated in from. Oh the places you will go...

 ::really loving granola these days, but I can't seem to find a recipe that I really love. Our typical recipe was feeling sort of tired, so I tried this one. This is a soaked coconut granola. The soaked oats give it more of a chunky type texture, which I like, but it is a bit too crispy for me. I added almonds, coconut, and dried cherries. It also is not quite sweet enough for me. This recipe only called for honey and my typical recipe also includes just a bit of maple syrup. I'm thinking this is the issue. We serve granola with our homemade yogurt, which is pretty tart since it doesn't include anything except milk and culture, so one needs a bit of sweet. 

 ::super bummed that the farmer we have gotten chickens from is not going to be raising chickens this year. This is such a huge tragedy for us because these chickens are just amazing. They are a breed native to France and every single chicken has been wonderful, even the ones that have sat in the freezer for a year and a half. Whether we roast them whole or cut them into chunks they have been juicy and flavorful. The bones have made amazing gelatinous broth, too. This is dijon chicken, a seriously simple recipe that tastes great. We are going to need to find a new place to get good chicken. Stat. A whole chicken lasts us for at least 3 suppers plus inordinate leftovers and usually 6 quarts of broth. That's a lot for not a lot of cash.

 ::we get our first raw milk tomorrow. Tomorrow, people. We signed this contract that outlines everything to cover the farmer's butt (which is super necessary with our lovely government). The contract is pretty funny. I never thought I would be signing anything that talks about how I own a cow. Things change. My parents think I am nuts. 


::talking with the husband a lot about food lately. Food choices, ethical issues, justice for small farmers, and rising food costs have us rehashing yet again what we believe and why we believe it. We have also been discussing ad nauseum just how significant food is in life and relationships and how important it is to talk about it. Knowing the wheres, whys, and hows of food production and consumption in the world are important. We have come to realize that good food is really important to us. I have decided to stop apologizing for our food decisions and just to live them. I can't get hung up on other people's issues with my life. I just can't.

::thinking through lots of life things. Sometimes there is good and sometimes there is bad. The sun is shining, though, and the sky is blue today. The temperature was just high enough that the windows could be open for about an hour and the snow is actually melting instead of accumulating. Spots of joy make life worth living.


::thrilled to get an email from our CSA farmer that she is ready to start planting the high tunnels! I am so excited for fresh vegetables and herbs. The Alaska growing season is short, but the taste of the carrots and cabbage that come from this soil just cannot be beat, hands down. I'm excited for summer salad munching, for frittatas with fresh herbs, and for kale that is not from my freezer.