The Good News: Chia seeds are legit a really good choice for healthy eating. The are loaded with tons of nutrients including fiber, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and protein. They really don't have much flavor so adding a tablespoon here or there doesn't really affect the taste of your food - but it packs it with extra healthiness! I read a few articles about them, but this one was the most straight-forward, easy to understand. I'm excited to start using these in more of my baking and cooking. In fact, I made a blueberry smoothie this morning and added a good heaping tablespoon.
Blueberry Protein Smoothie
1 Packet EAS Vanilla Protein powder
1 cup Almond Milk
A whole lot of blueberries - I used probably 2 cups, but I needed to get rid of them because they were nearing the end of their freshness - so it was smoothie or garbage, so I just used them all.
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
Ice
I blended this all together in my ninja blender and it tastes great! I had one of my chocolate chip muffins with it for breakfast - I am still nursing the smoothie because it's huge! It filled up like a 24 oz mason jar. I mean, it's HUGE.
Win for the chia seeds! I plan to add them to oatmeal and I see a lot more smoothies in my future! Thanks to some couponing magic, I have about 20 packets of EAS protein powder in my pantry that I got for FREE! It was actually a huge money maker. At the time I only bought it because they literally paid me like $1.50 to take 2 packets out of the store- I had multiple coupons so I have a whole bunch of the stuff just taking up space in my cabinet. I'm excited to finally use it!
The Bad News: Agave nectar is probably the worst possible choice for a "natural" sweetener. I'm literally better off using granulated cane sugar. Big healthy fail on that one. It's so yummy though, and much easier to use than honey. Oh well. Glad I decided to do a little research before I kept using it! I have a whole bottle unopened in my pantry - I wonder if Woodman's would let me return it?
Turns out it's really high in fructose which is not easily digestible so it is also really high in carbohydrates - exactly what I'm trying to stay away from! I also read a bunch of articles about Agave nectar and really didn't find anything positive about the stuff. This one had the most helpful information.
So there you have it.
Oh, more good news: I DID get up and run this morning! It was short because I found a great new jogging stroller on a Facebook rummage site that I went and picked up right away because I always miss the good stuff! So I cut my run short so that I could get my hands on that...and it is awesome! I love it-can't wait to take princess for another [longer] run later when the boys are at softball.
Happy Thursday everyone!
-The Farmer's Wife-
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Coconut Flour Muffins & Other Adventures
Today I dabbled in grain-free baking.
Grain. Free.
Wait, what?
I know what you're thinking. I promise - I thought so too.
But these muffins are really pretty good. And I only say "pretty good" because if you eat full gluten and enjoy "regular" muffins with no second thoughts, then you will probably know the difference between these and "regular muffins".
BUT.
If you are looking for a reasonable substitute for easy eats (like muffins) without all the processed sugar, carbs and calories - then look no further.
First, I did what every red-blooded American does when they need something, I Googled "Paleo Blueberry Muffins". Google introduced me to this handy link: PALEO GRUBS. I studied a few of these recipes until I found one that contained mostly ingredients that I already had on hand. I was planning a trip to the store, but didn't really want to invest a whole bunch of money into ingredients to just try this, ya know?
Enter, THE BEST LOW CARB BLUEBERRY MUFFINS. The only thing I did not have on hand was Chia seeds - which quite honestly I'm still not even sure what they are, but they sound super healthy and I'm pretty sure I saw them on a Super Food list on Pinterest.
Seems legit.
So off to the store I went, got my Chia seeds and I was back in business. I sort of followed this recipe-but made a few minor modifications based on what I had on hand and what I like.
I don't really do the whole Stevia thing. I don't know, it just seems weird. But honey, agave nectar and maple syrup are my friends. I use those in place of any and all other sweeteners. I also had a whole boat load of fresh blueberries I wanted to use up so I skipped the frozen thing. Or I 'let it go', if you will.
Ha.
Ok, focus. I also kept out the vanilla extract because (gasp) I only had IMITATION vanilla - ew. Ok, but for real. I just read a whole bunch of stuff about MSG and Vanillin and this stuff was basically 100% chemicals. So I figured I was better off keeping it out of my precious paleo muffins.
Then I dumped out the whole rest of the bottle of fake vanilla.
Then I went to Sendik's and bought real vanilla extract. Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself. I went later - after dinner. I digress....
So this is what my version of the recipe for Paleo Blueberry Muffins is:
Set oven to 350 Degrees
1/2 Cup Almond Milk (because I didn't have coconut milk)
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 TSP Baking Powder
3 Eggs *laid TODAY*
3 TBSP (plus an extra drizzle, for good measure) Raw Agave Nectar
*some* Lemon Zest - I just kind of zested some in there - it was supposed to be measured, but I got all Martha Stewart and just eye balled it.
1/2-3/4 Cup Fresh Blueberries
Combine it all - I just used a wire whisk then folded in the blueberries when the batter was completely incorporated. Pour the batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. I yielded 7 muffins, I probably could have gone lighter on the batter in each cup and squeaked out a few more.
Bake them for 25 minutes and let them cool completely before you take them out of the tin.
I just greased the tins, and they did stick a little to the bottom, so you might be better off using paper liners.
So there you have it. Oh, and they tasted really good. I put some butter on it - and you know what? I kind of felt like I was at Panera for a second. Because I don't care what you say, Panera Bread has THE BEST blueberry muffins that ever were in the history of the world. The end.
So those were so yummy that I figured I really should try it with the actual vanilla extract and heck, throw some dark chocolate chips in and it would be like healthy person dessert! So I went to Sendik's.
I wish I had millions of dollars. Because I would shop at Sendik's. But, I wanted nice steaks for dinner and they have the best so I went to Sendik's and spent 5% of my entire month's budget on steak and vanilla extract. Hashtag: moneywellspent.
And after we ate our steaks (which were delicious, if you wanted to know) I baked some even-more-delicious-than-the-blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins. Using what I knew from the other recipe -I invented this recipe using my favorite ingredients.
COCONUT FLOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 Cup Almond Milk (Califia Farms)
3 TBSP (plus an extra drizzle for good measure) Raw Agave Nectar
1 TSP Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 TSP Pure Almond Extract
1/2-3/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (53% Cacao)
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 TSP Baking Powder
Combine it all together with a wire whisk, pour into lined muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. I got a half a dozen from this recipe. They're super yummy with a little butter.
So yea....go me. Between these coconut flour delicacies and the homemade granola bars I made last week-my breakfasts have been pretty fantastic! Add my home-brewed iced coffee with a splash of coconut milk and seriously I'm hashtag livingthelife!
Assuming I can keep up with the food prep that is required with this type of lifestyle, I should be made in the shade. I eat so well and I haven't sacrificed too much of the convenience. I'm still trying to make up the ground I lost in my relapse - but I've only got 3 more pounds to go until I'm back to where I was just a few weeks ago.
Here's to running tomorrow morning, like I said I would. I have been getting up early, but filling my time with other things. I cleaned the laundromat today at 6:30 AM because I could go without the kids - and going to the laundromat with kids during a busy time is pretty much suicide. So that, in my opinion, was time well spent.
But tomorrow, tomorrow I have NO excuses.
So there.
Ok, good night.
6:30 AM comes awfully early.
-Peace-
*The Farmer's Wife*
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Relapse and Recovery
I tried to evaluate what happened and how I got so far off course. It really came down to convenience and needing to eat on the go. Today marked my new starting point and I used the better part of the day to prep my meals and snacks for the next week as to prevent the temptation to run through a drive thru because I don't have time to make something. It's also much more cost effective! I ran to Woodman's last night and purchased a few things that I needed to assemble my meals and today I went to town prepping. I spent $49 and I got: raw agave nectar, dried cranberries, 60% cacao chocolate chips, 2 pints of blackberries, 2 pints of raspberries, 2 pints of strawberries, almond coffee creamer, rolled oats, 2 heads of romaine lettuce, 5 lbs of broccoli, 1/2 lb of jalapenos, 12 oz of feta cheese, 2 red onions, 4 lbs of brown rice, 1 mango.
When I got home from the store last night I made a jar of pico de gallo - 2 minced jalapenos, 3 diced roma tomatoes, 1/2 minced red onion juice from a small lime and some salt. Mixed it all together and it made the perfect addition to my rice bowl lunch!
This morning I prepped 2 cups of rice, 4 chicken breasts and 2 lbs of broccoli. I also made homemade granola bars. One of my other down falls is breakfast. I often skip it and being the "most important meal of the day" I figured I should probably start eating it. The granola bars are AMAZING, not to mention super easy to make. I'll share in detail what I did, in case you're interested.
Homemade Granola Bars - adapted from the recipe found here.
2 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats (old fashioned oats) - not quick oats
1 Cup Nut Butter (I used all natural peanut butter)
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
1 Cup Udi's Gluten Free Granola (Vanilla)
Handful of dark chocolate chips (Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips)
Combine nut butter, agave nectar and coconut oil in a sauce pan on medium low heat, stirring until smooth and melted. Add Granola and oats and combine well. Spread with spatula into a 9x13ish pan (mine was a tin foil 10 x 8 so my bars were just a bit thicker). Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares or bars and store in the refrigerator - either individually wrapped in plastic or in an air tight container with wax or parchment paper separating the layers.
These were seriously delicious. I ate a couple small pieces with half a banana for breakfast with my coffee and I was stuffed until lunch time. I mean I was almost still too full to eat lunch, but my lunch was amazing so I couldn't not eat it.
This Califia Farms Almond Milk creamer is pretty awesome too. I used a little too much for my tastes, but it tasted just like having a vanilla latte with only 15 calories! I love that I can have my Starbucks(ish) coffee in the morning without the guilt of added empty calories. I NEED my coffee.
The rice, broccoli and chicken prep was surprisingly simple. Rice pretty much cooks itself - but I have to say I was nervous since the only rice I generally make is like instant rice or risotto. The suspense nearly killed me - you just put the stock and rice in the pot, cover it and don't touch it for like an hour. I about died because I like to have constant control over the status of things I cook, so this was really new for me. I know, I'm nuts. But seriously, I couldn't take it. While the rice was cooking I cut up a large head of broccoli into florets and preheated my oven for the chicken. I baked the chicken with just a little Montreal chicken seasoning and some kosher salt at 375 for probably 30 minutes. I baked them until the internal temp was 160. I steamed the broccoli in a large skillet filled with about 1/2 inch of water for like 10 minutes until it was bright green and cooked but crunchy. When my rice was done I spread it in a tin foil pan to let it cool, I put the broccoli and a storage container and let it cool with the cover off - same with the chicken.
I know a lot of people do meal prep in individual containers for each day, but since I'm mostly a stay at home mom I just did them each in their own large container and if I am going out at all I will just package myself up a box for that day. This way I can have the flexibility of making it for home or more than one serving if the farmer happens to want some of this deliciousness (instead of Taco Bell).
Today I used some of the pico de gallo that I made last night and the rice, chicken, black beans and an avocado to make a burrito bowl. O. M. G. It was fantastic. And it didn't even have sour cream or cheese! Who knew. I mean it was so good I had it again for dinner. Tomorrow I'm going to have chicken, broccoli and rice for lunch.
So there you have it, my recovery has been a success so far. Today was good. I ate well and until I was full and I was not tempted to run through a drive-thru at all. My fitness goals include running every day and doing some type of ab/strength work out. My goal is to continue getting up at 7 AM (the time I get up to take Jack to school) through the summer and do my workout from 7-8 AM before the farmer leaves for work. These sound lofty, but I think I can do it. After all, I have been getting up at 7 AM for the past 9 months and I KNOW I will have so much more energy and get so much more accomplished during my day if I take the time to work out and exercise.
Looking forward to tomorrow!
-The Farmer's Wife
Monday, March 9, 2015
Food on the Farm
I'm currently beginning month 4 of gluten freedom. I have had a coupe rough patches where I ran out of will power and just needed a piece of bread. But they were few and far between. I ate fast food for the first time in almost 4 months on Saturday, the Farmer and I went on a day road trip to Green Bay and we stopped at Burger King. Last time I got a salad and I was less than impressed so I figured if I was going to eat something gross and terrible for me, I might as well enjoy a little bread, right?! So I had a chicken sandwich - it was OK. I sincerely do not miss fast food. French fries, though....they continue to be my biggest weakness. They're technically gluten free- but they're fried and salty and ranch dressing makes them so irresistible. Baby steps!
This morning I tried those 3 Ingredient Paleo Pancakes you've seen floating around Facebook and Pinterest and since social media claims they're amazing I figured I would give them a try....
I was expecting a stack of fluffy, delicious pancakes. Instead, I managed to not screw up 2 of them. They were tricky to flip and the first 4 didn't make it past the first side. The final product was more like banana flavored scrambled eggs than the fluffy short stack I had envisioned. I even cooked them with coconut oil and used Agave Nectar instead of syrup. I added fresh strawberries to the top and ate both of them and I am full. They weren't terrible, but probably won't be on my menu list regularly. The person who claimed these things were so amazing must have never had the real thing because we're talking about apples and oranges here. There was no comparison.
In case you'd like to try them anyways, here's what I did:
I started with 2 eggs, 2 bananas peeled and mashed, a dash of cinnamon and a little bit of vanilla extract. Whisked it all together with a fork and it becomes a nice little batter.
I warmed a skillet on medium heat and sprayed it with some expeller pressed coconut oil. Like I mentioned flipping them was a little tricky and in order to get them to flip and not fall apart I turned the heat down a little after pouring the batter and cooked them for 3-4 minutes per side.
They never reached the sightly crispy hard exterior that I was expecting - like with traditional pancakes. They were just soft - like scrambled egg consistency. The flavor was fine, just not what I was expecting texture wise.
So there you have it. Don't let me discourage you - again, they weren't terrible and I am pretty full considering I only had 2. This recipe probably would have yielded 6-8 pancakes had I not screwed 3/4 of them up.
This morning I tried those 3 Ingredient Paleo Pancakes you've seen floating around Facebook and Pinterest and since social media claims they're amazing I figured I would give them a try....
To put it lightly, they left something to be desired.
I was expecting a stack of fluffy, delicious pancakes. Instead, I managed to not screw up 2 of them. They were tricky to flip and the first 4 didn't make it past the first side. The final product was more like banana flavored scrambled eggs than the fluffy short stack I had envisioned. I even cooked them with coconut oil and used Agave Nectar instead of syrup. I added fresh strawberries to the top and ate both of them and I am full. They weren't terrible, but probably won't be on my menu list regularly. The person who claimed these things were so amazing must have never had the real thing because we're talking about apples and oranges here. There was no comparison.
So that's it, that was just my little review of the 3 ingredient pancakes that Facebook is raving about.
In case you'd like to try them anyways, here's what I did:
I warmed a skillet on medium heat and sprayed it with some expeller pressed coconut oil. Like I mentioned flipping them was a little tricky and in order to get them to flip and not fall apart I turned the heat down a little after pouring the batter and cooked them for 3-4 minutes per side.
They never reached the sightly crispy hard exterior that I was expecting - like with traditional pancakes. They were just soft - like scrambled egg consistency. The flavor was fine, just not what I was expecting texture wise.
If you're interested in a recipe that I actually really LOVED and will be adding to my regular rotation then I'll share with you what I had for dinner last night! SALMON EN PAPILLOTE which sounds super fancy and if you ever want to impress someone with your culinary skills (whether you actually possess any or not) make this dish! Seriously requires little to no cooking skill. Sometimes if you don't cook a lot making something like salmon can be intimidating. But making anything en papillote (which literally means in paper) is super easy and dummy-proof!
I followed the recipe found here at Jessica Gavin Culinary Scientist. I also just looked at the date on this post and it was 12/15/14 - the exact day I changed my eating habits for the better....funny coincidence.
I made a few minor mods. I didn't have carrots so I just omitted them. I started with my asparagus (trimmed the bottoms a little) on the bottom of my paper pouch (I followed her recommendation of 15"x 18" piece of parchment paper cut into a heart shape) topped the asparagus with thinly sliced red onion, then my salmon which I seasoned with a little minced garlic (about 1 tsp or less) kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. I skipped the lemon zest and just put a pinwheel of lemon on top with a little bit of chopped fresh chives. Finally (not pictured) I put a couple dollops of the basil compound butter she had in the recipe - it's pretty amazing, but if you're satisfied with conquering one culinary trick at a time then regular butter will suffice!
Oven heated to 450 degrees and popped these babies in for about 10 minutes. Once you fold over the pouches, put them on a cookie sheet for easy handling.
The finished product:
Just cut open the pouch and serve! She explains the science behind how it cooks but basically the steam cooks the fish and veggies perfectly inside the pouch. So no flipping, sauteing or boiling necessary. Just super flavorful food not to mention extremely healthy. And the Farmer LOVED it. So that's a triple win!
and probably shrimp risotto - because when I'm not sure what to make I just default to risotto.
I also invented an amazing home made chicken salad recipe that I was eating for lunch last week. I'm going to attempt to recreate it this afternoon and hopefully post about it later. It was fabulous wrapped in some big lettuce leaves or just over greens as a salad. Yum, now my mouth is watering. Time to go!
Happy cooking - from the Farm,
The Farmer's Wife
Friday, January 23, 2015
Broken Record
Remember this post? The one about how I said I was fed up with my old eating habits and I was going to eat "clean"?
[excuse me]
HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahahahahahahahahahaha. Ha ha. Ha.
Okay, but really. I really thought I could do it. And I even said I was dead serious. Because I was. I really wanted to change. But, cheeseburgers. And Ranch. Hashtag: EPIC FAIL. I think I made it an entire week. Seven days. Then I quit. Why do I suck at this so much?
An entire calendar year has passed since those posts and I've thrown the towel in on eating unhealthy again. And I'm not even going to make any promises this time because....well....because you've seen how that works out. I feel like a broken record every time I tell the farmer "I'm on a diet". Bless his heart, he doesn't even react anymore if those words come out of my mouth because he knows it's most likely going to be a short lived jaunt down diet alley filled with hormonal imbalances, "hangry" tantrums and just plain starvation. Diet pills? I've taken them. Lemonade/juice cleanses? I've tried them. Being vegetarian? (excuse me again....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha) I've tried it. Paleo? Yep.
So what now? How is this time different? This time I really think it's actually going to be different. #knockonwood
This time I've armed myself with knowledge. I have decided to take all the failures of my past attempts and learn from them. Every year around December - on the heels of a new year - I decide the week of my birthday I'm going to indulge and eat/drink whatever I want and after that day, I am starting fresh. In that respect, this year was no exception. December 14 came and went and on December 15 I began my "fresh start". I hate New Year's resolutions because - let's be honest - no one keeps them anyways! So I always resolved to a "new" me on December 15.
Last time I tried this I dropped everything at once. I went from Taco Bell drive thrus and Starbucks latte's and hot dogs, nachos, mac n cheese and highly processed everything in one day, to strictly veggies, lean protein and water the next day. I pretty much just set myself up for failure. So knowing what I know now, I've decided to take baby steps into this new food paradigm.
Baby Step 1. GLUTEN
I decided to go gluten-free on December 15 and I haven't looked back. I actually don't miss it, and I'm being completely honest! In addition to taking cues from my past failed attempts I've taken the time to read and learn about what impact the food we eat has on our bodies. Blogs have been the most helpful as well as some friends who are gluten free. And though it sounds complicated because gluten is in a lot of things - it really hasn't been that hard at all. I started with this helpful post on how to transition to being gluten free. It suggests to, rather than buy things that are "gluten free", to just eliminate things with gluten all together. And honestly, I think that's the best approach. Because you can have corn tortillas with your tacos, you really don't need bread, and you can have rice instead of pasta. Being gluten free has also helped me to cut out most processed foods and most importantly, fast food. Because of this, for me, gluten was a good first choice.
I have, on occasion, indulged in a little gluten. Fortunately for me, eliminating gluten is not a medical necessity, so there were 3, maybe 4 occasions in the past month that I have indulged in gluten - and boy did I pay for it! It's amazing to think that something that is in so many things could have such an impact on the way you feel. I realized how big of an impact gluten really had on how I felt only a week after giving it up. It was the week of Christmas and I figured I would splurge. I was at Starbucks and ordered a vanilla latte and a chocolate chip cookie. The cookie was delicious, but entirely not worth the horrible cramps, gas and bloated feeling I had for hours following it's consumption. I mean, seriously....it made me a believer in this whole gluten-free movement. The other two occasions were social functions where I didn't want to be a rude guest and reject the awesome food that had been provided by the hosts. I indulged a little each time and one time I really paid for it and the other time it didn't seem to effect me as much.
So what does being gluten free look like for me? I have carved out a space in my pantry just for my gluten free foods, which really aren't that bazaar. I have some gluten free granola (that I found on clearance!) Larabars, soft corn tortillas, Arborio rice, Chex (yes, some regular food is naturally gluten free!) and tortilla chips (see?). My guilty pleasure snacks are Snyder's Gluten Free Onion and Mustard pretzels and chips and salsa. I made these 2 ingredient, gluten free, Nutella brownies and they hit the spot if I'm craving something sweet (which I rarely do, in all honesty). For starches I eat potatoes and black beans. Gluten freedom has helped me to cut down on processed foods (no more cheez its, frozen pizza, mac n cheese, jar sauce, etc) so it's been like giving up lots of things with only really giving up one.
Baby Step 2. MSG
In deciding to only give up one thing at a time, I've found freedom in indulging when I want to (ice cream, french fries and chocolate) and it doesn't make me feel like I'm suffocating beneath a pile of frozen diet meals and green tea pills. The more reading I do about the toxins found in processed food and drink, the less I want to eat/drink them - no matter how much I've loved them in the past. Literally the key to success is knowledge. When I read about how horrible and gross MSG is, I wanted to never eat it again. I've done research and found the names of ingredients that MSG hides in and I've become a label-reading Nazi!
Maybe this seems a bit extreme. But that's the beauty in these baby steps. Inevitably there's going to be a day when I'm not going to be able to read the label and I'll probably eat things with MSG in them many more times in this life. But if I choose to avoid it when its in my control, then I'm much better off than I was when I just ate whatever I wanted because it tasted good. Which is another funny thing, because things I thought tasted so good - just a few weeks ago - I now find to be repulsive. I splurged at lunch yesterday and had beer battered perch with french fries. It was so good, and totally worth the gassy, upset stomach I had at bed time last night. But I figured with my splurge I would have a Coke. I loved Coke ... it used to be something I drank without thinking twice. Now I consider it a treat. Well, yesterday I couldn't even drink a glass of it. I made it through half of my glass (with ice - so probably only like 6 oz of soda) before I just switched to water because it tasted like straight poison. No lie. So I pretty much just took myself to the next step without even trying!
Baby step 3, SODA/JUICE
Juice isn't that hard for me because I didn't drink a ton of it before, but now that I've cut out soda I have been drinking a bit more of it. But what's wrong with juice as long as it's 100% juice, you say? Well there's just so much sugar in it, even if it's naturally occurring sugar, it's still unnecessary. So that's it really. Water is really my beverage of choice these days and I don't mind at all. I still have coffee on occasion, but that's probably going to be my next baby step. But for a girl who's drank coffee regularly since the ripe age of 4 (yes, four), that's going to be a tough one. I've cut back considerably, but to give it up altogether will be pretty difficult for me.
Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading the inner thoughts of my crazy. This has been an interesting journey to say the least, and I'm so excited about my progress and my ability to stay on track this time. If you're interested, I've actually dropped 9 lbs since December 15 - part of this lifestyle change has also had a weight loss goal. My clothes fit better, my gut feels better and I'm more motivated to keep going than ever before. I am by no means an expert on any of this. I've been meaning to get to the library to take out a few good reads on the subject. Wheat Belly and Grain Brain are a couple books that have been recommended to me by friends. I'm excited to learn more.
My next baby step is regular exercise and physical activity. I've purchased a couple yoga/Pilates and cardio work out videos, I just have to keep reminding the farmer to hook up the DVD player for me. That's on this week's "to do" list....to really help kick-start my weight loss.
Until next time (judging by my last post should be sometime in April),
The Farmer's Wife.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Grace and [Lots of] Starbucks
Edit: This was written back in September, but I finally got around to publishing it on 11/6. Jack has now been in school for 3 months!
To say these past 4 weeks have been overwhelming would be a severe understatement. If I'm being honest I'm really not completely sure how I'm even still alive. I've had newborns and done the whole sleep-walk-through-the-day thing. I have, it's horrible. But this. This is something entirely different. This is like a new lifestyle.
Allow me to elaborate.
4 weeks ago, Jack started Kindergarten. I've had mixed emotions about this momentous occasion for the past year. A year. I've been fretting this day for a full calendar YEAR. For real, though.
So we spent the two weeks leading up to Kindergarten picking out the coolest school supplies, shopping with Grandma's for backpacks and lunch boxes and shoes and everything in between. I took him out for lunch and to the zoo and to Chuck E Cheese and for ice cream (like every day). He got to stay up late and bake cookies with me. We savored every last second of summer.
Then it was labor day weekend. We had plans with the family to go to Bay Beach and continue savoring summer's last moments. We had a blast! Rides and games and swimming and pizza and more swimming and more rides. It was awesome. Until I discovered a little "bug bite" on Princess' leg. It seemed too reminiscent of the one I had found weeks earlier that led to a MRSA staph infection. By Monday (Labor Day) she had spiked a fever and the infected area continued to grow.
As you can imagine, Urgent Care is not the most ideal spot to spend your holiday weekend. We waited for close to 3 hours before we saw the doctor and it took us another hour to get things all squared away. They sent us home with an antibiotic under the assumption that the MRSA was back and scheduled an appointment for follow up in the morning. This is the moment that began my perpetual state of exhaustion. It hasn't ended since.
So at our follow up appointment on Tuesday (mind you Jack starts Kindergarten on Wednesday) where the baby was running another (higher) fever, they told me that the abscess in her leg would have to be drained surgically. "Surgically" is not a word any mother wants to hear - no matter what the circumstance. They tried to get her in right away that afternoon, but couldn't. They scheduled her first thing in the morning (aka 1st day of Kindergarten, that I've been freaking out about for A YEAR.) I kind of laughed and said - "so, it has to be tomorrow?" And the nurse looked at me like I had lost my freaking mind. And I started to explain the first day of school thing, and she kept looking at me like I was completely insane. So I just said, "ok, what time should we be there, and where do I go?"
8:45 am. Children's Hospital Main Campus. Clinics Building.
Fast forward to Wednesday.
We got up early, made breakfast and I insisted on driving separately than the farmer so that Princess and I can head straight to the hospital. But the farmer insisted we had plenty of time and we'd all go together. So I oblige. We have to travel down 2 roads to get to school. It's a total distance of about 7 miles. I'm not kidding you - it took us 45 minutes to get to school. We left so that we'd get there early and be able to walk him in and say good bye, maybe casually chat with other parents. NO. FORTY-FIVE Mother Loving minutes later, we had to rush in the door, quickly greet the principal, hang up his backpack and wave bye. All the other parents stood around the room as the teacher read a cute little book about the first day of school. And I had to wave and run. I mean literally run.
This day that I had fretted about and worried and agonized over for a year. 365 days spent worried, it was here and then gone. Today was the day and I didn't even have 30 seconds to think about it. My brain was already on to my next fear. A sick child. And MRSA is not exactly "no big deal", you know? I really didn't even let my brain go there. I didn't read anything online about it because I didn't want to gain more irrational fears than I already have. I mean, let's be honest I've got more than enough of those to go around.
So now that we were running late, I had to worry not only about the impending "surgery", but getting bumped because we were late. You know how hospitals are...I mean I don't blame them. They've got lives to save, they don't have time to wait for me. So I parked my car in the first spot I saw, took no notes as to where that spot was and just rushed myself, my feverish, infected baby and my 2 bags that had to weigh a combined 300 lbs. I mean I should have just packed a suit case for crying out loud.
I can spare you some details here....we sat in the clinic where they hoped to drain the abscess right in the office. After realizing she's not even quite a toddler and that it would be darn near impossible to make her sit still, they decided they'd have to administer anesthesia and do it in the OR. So over to day surgery in the big hospital we went, and there we sat. And waited. And she got sicker and sicker. She was burning up. (Ok sorry, I said I'd spare the details) Quick version - they took her back to surgery. The whole procedure was only like 30 minutes from start to finish and she came out of recovery another hour later or so. She was so sick and so sad looking. It broke my heart.
To think I worried about this day because my little guy was growing up. Who knew that I'd have something entirely different to struggle with. I did, however, have an overwhelming peace the whole time. I saw God's grace and mercy in a whole new way. I had a few sad, quiet moments to myself. I couldn't even pick Jack up from school. That broke my heart more than having to drop him off in a hurry. I wanted to talk to him about his day, and see him in the car line and hear about all the fun things he did at his first day of school. But I couldn't - and that was really the only thing that made me cry all day.
He called me from his grandma's cell phone when she picked him up. He was SO excited. He didn't even think twice about me not picking him up. He thought it was AWESOME that his Grandma got to pick him up. (Praise God!) But I had to rush him off the phone because I started to get choked up. I felt guilty that I couldn't be part of that moment for him. I wanted to make this day a big deal, and I couldn't. And I know that it didn't matter to him - he thought nothing of it. But for me it was really a sad moment. I mean, I just cried again from writing about it. It broke my heart all over again.
....getting on to the Grace and Starbucks part. The past 4 weeks have been non-stop. But I'm so humbled by God's gentle way of showing His grace. He's equipped me with a perspective that only God can give. As we left the hospital on Wednesday, I was exhausted. We got there just before 9 am and we were walking out at about 6pm. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. God had a little reminder for me. As I walked out - I saw a family taking a walk. A dad who looked about the same age as the farmer, a mom, who looked like she needed sleep much worse than I, and a precious toddler - not much older than my little Princess. The mom rolled the IV that was attached to the small boy's bald head as he pushed a little walker through the hall. This boy clearly suffered from some type of cancer and my heart was shattered. Suddenly I had a very clear perspective. This was just a short season. A day....maybe a couple weeks if you count our whole MRSA experience. But it is not cancer, it's not a life-threatening (well, not in our case) illness, it's not a terminal illness. Our time spent in the hospital was just one day. And now we can carry on with our regular lives. No more medicine, no more check ups,
I got to drive Jack to school the next day, and pick him up after school. I get to listen to his stories and buy him ice cream and make random Tuesday's seem like the most awesome day ever. And in a 5-year-old's world that's just as awesome as making the first day of school a big deal. So once again, I'm reminded that God's got me in the palm of His hand. His plans are so much grander than my brain can even begin to fathom. And for that I'm so grateful. I think one day I might remember this truth before I start to freak out....maybe. Just maybe.
Sweet dreams,
The Farmer's Wife
To say these past 4 weeks have been overwhelming would be a severe understatement. If I'm being honest I'm really not completely sure how I'm even still alive. I've had newborns and done the whole sleep-walk-through-the-day thing. I have, it's horrible. But this. This is something entirely different. This is like a new lifestyle.
Allow me to elaborate.
4 weeks ago, Jack started Kindergarten. I've had mixed emotions about this momentous occasion for the past year. A year. I've been fretting this day for a full calendar YEAR. For real, though.
So we spent the two weeks leading up to Kindergarten picking out the coolest school supplies, shopping with Grandma's for backpacks and lunch boxes and shoes and everything in between. I took him out for lunch and to the zoo and to Chuck E Cheese and for ice cream (like every day). He got to stay up late and bake cookies with me. We savored every last second of summer.
Then it was labor day weekend. We had plans with the family to go to Bay Beach and continue savoring summer's last moments. We had a blast! Rides and games and swimming and pizza and more swimming and more rides. It was awesome. Until I discovered a little "bug bite" on Princess' leg. It seemed too reminiscent of the one I had found weeks earlier that led to a MRSA staph infection. By Monday (Labor Day) she had spiked a fever and the infected area continued to grow.
As you can imagine, Urgent Care is not the most ideal spot to spend your holiday weekend. We waited for close to 3 hours before we saw the doctor and it took us another hour to get things all squared away. They sent us home with an antibiotic under the assumption that the MRSA was back and scheduled an appointment for follow up in the morning. This is the moment that began my perpetual state of exhaustion. It hasn't ended since.
So at our follow up appointment on Tuesday (mind you Jack starts Kindergarten on Wednesday) where the baby was running another (higher) fever, they told me that the abscess in her leg would have to be drained surgically. "Surgically" is not a word any mother wants to hear - no matter what the circumstance. They tried to get her in right away that afternoon, but couldn't. They scheduled her first thing in the morning (aka 1st day of Kindergarten, that I've been freaking out about for A YEAR.) I kind of laughed and said - "so, it has to be tomorrow?" And the nurse looked at me like I had lost my freaking mind. And I started to explain the first day of school thing, and she kept looking at me like I was completely insane. So I just said, "ok, what time should we be there, and where do I go?"
8:45 am. Children's Hospital Main Campus. Clinics Building.
Fast forward to Wednesday.
We got up early, made breakfast and I insisted on driving separately than the farmer so that Princess and I can head straight to the hospital. But the farmer insisted we had plenty of time and we'd all go together. So I oblige. We have to travel down 2 roads to get to school. It's a total distance of about 7 miles. I'm not kidding you - it took us 45 minutes to get to school. We left so that we'd get there early and be able to walk him in and say good bye, maybe casually chat with other parents. NO. FORTY-FIVE Mother Loving minutes later, we had to rush in the door, quickly greet the principal, hang up his backpack and wave bye. All the other parents stood around the room as the teacher read a cute little book about the first day of school. And I had to wave and run. I mean literally run.
This day that I had fretted about and worried and agonized over for a year. 365 days spent worried, it was here and then gone. Today was the day and I didn't even have 30 seconds to think about it. My brain was already on to my next fear. A sick child. And MRSA is not exactly "no big deal", you know? I really didn't even let my brain go there. I didn't read anything online about it because I didn't want to gain more irrational fears than I already have. I mean, let's be honest I've got more than enough of those to go around.
So now that we were running late, I had to worry not only about the impending "surgery", but getting bumped because we were late. You know how hospitals are...I mean I don't blame them. They've got lives to save, they don't have time to wait for me. So I parked my car in the first spot I saw, took no notes as to where that spot was and just rushed myself, my feverish, infected baby and my 2 bags that had to weigh a combined 300 lbs. I mean I should have just packed a suit case for crying out loud.
I can spare you some details here....we sat in the clinic where they hoped to drain the abscess right in the office. After realizing she's not even quite a toddler and that it would be darn near impossible to make her sit still, they decided they'd have to administer anesthesia and do it in the OR. So over to day surgery in the big hospital we went, and there we sat. And waited. And she got sicker and sicker. She was burning up. (Ok sorry, I said I'd spare the details) Quick version - they took her back to surgery. The whole procedure was only like 30 minutes from start to finish and she came out of recovery another hour later or so. She was so sick and so sad looking. It broke my heart.
To think I worried about this day because my little guy was growing up. Who knew that I'd have something entirely different to struggle with. I did, however, have an overwhelming peace the whole time. I saw God's grace and mercy in a whole new way. I had a few sad, quiet moments to myself. I couldn't even pick Jack up from school. That broke my heart more than having to drop him off in a hurry. I wanted to talk to him about his day, and see him in the car line and hear about all the fun things he did at his first day of school. But I couldn't - and that was really the only thing that made me cry all day.
He called me from his grandma's cell phone when she picked him up. He was SO excited. He didn't even think twice about me not picking him up. He thought it was AWESOME that his Grandma got to pick him up. (Praise God!) But I had to rush him off the phone because I started to get choked up. I felt guilty that I couldn't be part of that moment for him. I wanted to make this day a big deal, and I couldn't. And I know that it didn't matter to him - he thought nothing of it. But for me it was really a sad moment. I mean, I just cried again from writing about it. It broke my heart all over again.
....getting on to the Grace and Starbucks part. The past 4 weeks have been non-stop. But I'm so humbled by God's gentle way of showing His grace. He's equipped me with a perspective that only God can give. As we left the hospital on Wednesday, I was exhausted. We got there just before 9 am and we were walking out at about 6pm. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. God had a little reminder for me. As I walked out - I saw a family taking a walk. A dad who looked about the same age as the farmer, a mom, who looked like she needed sleep much worse than I, and a precious toddler - not much older than my little Princess. The mom rolled the IV that was attached to the small boy's bald head as he pushed a little walker through the hall. This boy clearly suffered from some type of cancer and my heart was shattered. Suddenly I had a very clear perspective. This was just a short season. A day....maybe a couple weeks if you count our whole MRSA experience. But it is not cancer, it's not a life-threatening (well, not in our case) illness, it's not a terminal illness. Our time spent in the hospital was just one day. And now we can carry on with our regular lives. No more medicine, no more check ups,
I got to drive Jack to school the next day, and pick him up after school. I get to listen to his stories and buy him ice cream and make random Tuesday's seem like the most awesome day ever. And in a 5-year-old's world that's just as awesome as making the first day of school a big deal. So once again, I'm reminded that God's got me in the palm of His hand. His plans are so much grander than my brain can even begin to fathom. And for that I'm so grateful. I think one day I might remember this truth before I start to freak out....maybe. Just maybe.
Sweet dreams,
The Farmer's Wife
Revived & Repurposed: Couponing for a Cause
Over the summer I really began my conversion to self-proclaimed "crazy coupon lady". Extreme couponing became a sort of "way of life" for me. The thrill of a good deal, the rush of getting a whole cart full of personal care items for FREE. And even better, leaving the store with more value in gift cards than you actually paid in cash. Yes, sometimes they pay me to shop. It's in these past two weeks since I've taken a short hiatus that I really began to reflect on "couponing" and what it means to me and what some people interpret it as.
In my opinion, couponers tend to get a bad rap. We're just cheap, or what's the point in just saving a buck, we're trying to cheat the system, we're thieves, it's wrong. I've heard it all. Trust me.
If you know a couponer, or think you understand why couponers do what they do, I'm asking you to set that aside for a minute and hear me out. Let me tell you why I coupon. I'll be honest, some of us are just cheap, trying to save a buck. Some do "cheat" the system and commit coupon fraud, it happens. But the vast majority of us are in it for something much greater. We're not only in it for ourselves and our family's benefit, but to offer help to others.
Truth: I don't coupon to save money. I am blessed with a hard working farmer-husband that provides more than enough for us and I can certainly afford to go out and buy the basic necessities, groceries, toiletries that my family needs to survive. We are abundantly blessed, beyond measure. Some couponers are just considered poor right off the bat because we're trying to save money. Let me assure you, I am not poor.
Truth: we have struggled financially, I have gone to the grocery store without enough money in my wallet to buy the things I need. My credit card has been denied in the check out lane and I've had to put everything back. We've gone without. I wish I knew then what I know now about coupons, because it was then that I needed the "saving" part of couponing. During this time, I was at the home of one of the families at our church and my friend's mom (who knew we were going through a hard time) took me up to her stock pile room and let me pick out and take whatever we needed. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, shave gel. I remember leaving her house with a bag bursting at the seams with personal care products. I was practically in tears. To me and my family (just the farmer and I - at the time) this meant money that we didn't have to spend on these items could either go toward food or just straight to savings. To her it was nothing, I bet she doesn't even remember and I bet she didn't ever think twice about it. But to me it meant the world.
And that is why I coupon. It started as a way to get stocked up on diapers for princess. But it has transformed into so much more than that. I want to give away all that kind of stuff to others that struggle or have fallen on hard times just the way Natalie helped us out when we were in a tough spot. And I have, and I know how much it helps. Even if my friends are not struggling and they're over and they are like "oh, I have to get going...gotta stop and pick up some deodorant before work tomorrow" I'll be all like "oh heck no you don't! what kind do you use and do you want regular or clinical strength?" Because if I can clear some space in my stock pile that means I have room for more! Which means more deals and more thrills!!
So to all the nay sayers, next time you see me at Target with my cart full of more Pantene Pro-V and Crest Mouthwash than you'll ever use in your life time, don't roll your eyes. And if I have the lane blocked off with 4 separate transactions and a mountain of coupons to accompany each one, please save the under-your-breath comments and sighs of annoyance. I promise you what I'm doing is benefiting many other people than me. In fact, the farmer would probably agree that it really doesn't benefit me at all. Other than just really loving the art and science of couponing - and always having a plethora of shiny new personal care products to choose from - all I do is pay for this stuff and spend hours of my time planning the deals and doing the shopping to, in the end, give it all away. And I wouldn't change that for anything. If I can bring tears to someone's eyes because I just saved them $30 or $40 this month on personal care products than my work was not in vain. In fact, all my time and energy and money spent was quite worth it.
Give coupon ladies and gents the benefit of the doubt. Assume that if they have a cart full of product that either 1.) they have a home full of small or grown children, orphans or missionaries or 2.) they plan to donate most of or all of what they are buying. Don't roll your eyes, just pick another lane. And if you feel up to it, commend them for working hard to save money so they can help others. I've had a few guests and cashiers cheer me on in recent trips and there's nothing more exciting - than to see other shoppers get excited with you. It gives me a platform to talk about the new ministry I've started at church and to talk about the way God has abundantly blessed me and my family. Couponing has opened doors and has created new relationships for me. It's been a fun journey so far. I've taken a little break, but I'll be back in full force as soon as the farmer and I return from our little getaway this next week.
This was just an introduction to a couponing series I'd like to put together. I'll dig more into the methods to my madness and give more in depth couponing tips. I do not have a time line for this series, so just be patient. My new focus has shifted slightly from actual couponing and shopping myself to helping equip others to save money with coupons. So until my next post - happy couponing from the Farm.
Sincerely,
The Farmer's Wife
In my opinion, couponers tend to get a bad rap. We're just cheap, or what's the point in just saving a buck, we're trying to cheat the system, we're thieves, it's wrong. I've heard it all. Trust me.
If you know a couponer, or think you understand why couponers do what they do, I'm asking you to set that aside for a minute and hear me out. Let me tell you why I coupon. I'll be honest, some of us are just cheap, trying to save a buck. Some do "cheat" the system and commit coupon fraud, it happens. But the vast majority of us are in it for something much greater. We're not only in it for ourselves and our family's benefit, but to offer help to others.
Truth: I don't coupon to save money. I am blessed with a hard working farmer-husband that provides more than enough for us and I can certainly afford to go out and buy the basic necessities, groceries, toiletries that my family needs to survive. We are abundantly blessed, beyond measure. Some couponers are just considered poor right off the bat because we're trying to save money. Let me assure you, I am not poor.
Truth: we have struggled financially, I have gone to the grocery store without enough money in my wallet to buy the things I need. My credit card has been denied in the check out lane and I've had to put everything back. We've gone without. I wish I knew then what I know now about coupons, because it was then that I needed the "saving" part of couponing. During this time, I was at the home of one of the families at our church and my friend's mom (who knew we were going through a hard time) took me up to her stock pile room and let me pick out and take whatever we needed. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, shave gel. I remember leaving her house with a bag bursting at the seams with personal care products. I was practically in tears. To me and my family (just the farmer and I - at the time) this meant money that we didn't have to spend on these items could either go toward food or just straight to savings. To her it was nothing, I bet she doesn't even remember and I bet she didn't ever think twice about it. But to me it meant the world.
And that is why I coupon. It started as a way to get stocked up on diapers for princess. But it has transformed into so much more than that. I want to give away all that kind of stuff to others that struggle or have fallen on hard times just the way Natalie helped us out when we were in a tough spot. And I have, and I know how much it helps. Even if my friends are not struggling and they're over and they are like "oh, I have to get going...gotta stop and pick up some deodorant before work tomorrow" I'll be all like "oh heck no you don't! what kind do you use and do you want regular or clinical strength?" Because if I can clear some space in my stock pile that means I have room for more! Which means more deals and more thrills!!
So to all the nay sayers, next time you see me at Target with my cart full of more Pantene Pro-V and Crest Mouthwash than you'll ever use in your life time, don't roll your eyes. And if I have the lane blocked off with 4 separate transactions and a mountain of coupons to accompany each one, please save the under-your-breath comments and sighs of annoyance. I promise you what I'm doing is benefiting many other people than me. In fact, the farmer would probably agree that it really doesn't benefit me at all. Other than just really loving the art and science of couponing - and always having a plethora of shiny new personal care products to choose from - all I do is pay for this stuff and spend hours of my time planning the deals and doing the shopping to, in the end, give it all away. And I wouldn't change that for anything. If I can bring tears to someone's eyes because I just saved them $30 or $40 this month on personal care products than my work was not in vain. In fact, all my time and energy and money spent was quite worth it.
Give coupon ladies and gents the benefit of the doubt. Assume that if they have a cart full of product that either 1.) they have a home full of small or grown children, orphans or missionaries or 2.) they plan to donate most of or all of what they are buying. Don't roll your eyes, just pick another lane. And if you feel up to it, commend them for working hard to save money so they can help others. I've had a few guests and cashiers cheer me on in recent trips and there's nothing more exciting - than to see other shoppers get excited with you. It gives me a platform to talk about the new ministry I've started at church and to talk about the way God has abundantly blessed me and my family. Couponing has opened doors and has created new relationships for me. It's been a fun journey so far. I've taken a little break, but I'll be back in full force as soon as the farmer and I return from our little getaway this next week.
This was just an introduction to a couponing series I'd like to put together. I'll dig more into the methods to my madness and give more in depth couponing tips. I do not have a time line for this series, so just be patient. My new focus has shifted slightly from actual couponing and shopping myself to helping equip others to save money with coupons. So until my next post - happy couponing from the Farm.
Sincerely,
The Farmer's Wife
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