We have a walker. Gertie decided July 4th was the perfect day to express her independence by walking. Needless to say, I’m one proud Momma.
More on the CSA and some recipes soon. I was out of town for a week and then taken down by Gertie’s germs that I thought I had avoided.
How do I say thank you to the man who so profoundly changed my life? Karl, when you came into my life, I had no idea what would be in store for us. And I certainly never imagined the sweet little girl that we call ours. But I knew that something good was going to happen. I knew I would be safe and taken care of for as long as you were there, and that was such a significant and powerful thing at the end of such a tumultuous time in my life.
I never thought I could love you more then I did the day you proposed at our special picnic spot in Wash park. Or more then the day we had our own set of secret wedding vows in front of Judge Rudolf. Or more then the day we stood in front of our family and friends solidifying our commitment to one another in front of an old historic barn. Or more then the day that you scooped me up in your arms to celebrate our extremely surprising positive pregnancy test. Or more then the day that you and I walked hand in hand celebrating our degrees. Or more then the day you cheered me on and clenched my hand as we ushered our sweet Gertie into the world. But, I do. I love you more each day, as I watch how you love me and Gertie through the celebrations and victories, as much as you love us throughout the mood swings and sleepless nights.
Thank you for loving me in all the ways I need, and all the ways I don’t even know I need. And thank you for being the most incredible father to our sweet girl. You have every reason in the world to be a different type of man, but you are an overcomer. And not only am I proud to stand by your side… But, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that you are the man raising my children.
So, we have been having so much fun cooking our way through our first CSA basket. It is really stretching us from our normal routine… and we are learning new ways to use some ingredients we don’t purchase on a regular basis.
The Black Seeded Simpson lettuce is delicious. If you are a salad eater, and haven’t already, break out of the iceberg and romaine rut. Start experimenting with other greens and other types of lettuce. You will not be sorry. And you will be shocked how delicious salads can be with lettuce that has some flavor… not to mention nutritional value. We used the black raspberries to make a raspberry vinaigrette and the two paired together is quite the treat!
The Bright Lights Swiss Chard was beautiful. Karl wilted the greens and used the eggs to make a frittata. We also added potatoes, onions, garlic, and chorizo. But these are staples in our house. You can find all sorts of recipes on the web, depending on what you have available in your fridge and pantry. One of my favorite food blogs “Honest Fare” even has a recipe for a leftover pasta frittata. I highly suggest checking out their blog, if you are lacking inspiration in the kitchen. My mouth salivates every time I see a new post on my Google Reader.
We supplemented the basket at the market a tad bit and bought:
Gertie is a berry monster and loves ALL types of berries. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, but the one she loves the most is blueberries. She will pick them out in the grocery store, or at the farmer’s market… and has to have some before we move an inch. So we were so excited to see the berries coming into season here.
Also, we had a scare with dehydration earlier this week, so spent some time in the ER at Vanderbilt Children’s. (Gertie was not eating or drinking because of an infection in her throat) She was a trooper, and is feeling MUCH better. But while there, the doctor told me that there are some ways to make your own Pedialyte. So, in an effort to keep even her rehydration as local/organic/sustainable as possible, I did a little research and made my own. And she LOVES it. I used the honey in it because not only is it local, but they say that giving a child local honey can help in allergy prevention. (Make sure to consult your pediatrician before giving your child honey… we were advised at her one year well check that she could now have it.)
Homemade pedialyte a.k.a. Oral Re hydration Solution
- 4 cups of water (I boiled it…as everything dissolves easier)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons of sugar or honey
We had an incredible dinner last night… and I can’t wait to share the recipe for it and some other meals this week in later posts.
P.S. We spent an additional $28 at the Farmer’s Market. So our weekly total so far is $48.
I must admit that I have been a terrible blogger. As Gertie has transitioned from purees to eating more and more solid foods, I have struggled on what I wanted to say. Her Daddy and I have (for the most part) managed to maintain our desire to feed her organically, locally, and as sustainably as possible. But, I have to admit… we have been terrible ourselves. So, as we watched our now one year old refuse her own food in an attempt to gain access to our french fries and ice cream at dinner last night, we knew it was TIME to make a change. We are not teaching her anything if we aren’t modeling it, are we?
So, here is where Feeding Gertie is headed. Karl and I were lucky to get an email this week letting us know that a local farm had a CSA half share come available. They were previously sold out, and I asked to be put onto a mailing list. So this morning, we picked up our first CSA basket from Beaverdam Creek Farm. It was so much more than a basket of food… at least for us. It symbolizes a CHANGE. And a CHOICE. But most importantly, a COMMITMENT. A commitment to eating differently, and teaching our daughter through our actions… not just our words.
But wait… there’s more. We are also attempting to do this on a budget. So, not only are we going to be trying to make good food choices, we are also going to be trying to keep the food we consume each week to under $100. The CSA half share was $405 for 20 weeks, or roughly $20 a week. While there was an up front payment, this is going to be coming out of our budget each week.
So without further ado… (for real this time!)
Feeding Gertie
Is a design genius! She has been working on Gertie’s first birthday invites, and I just got a preview… I love them, and they are exactly what I wanted. I will share them with you once I get them printed!
I truly never understood what unconditional love was until I looked into these eyes. It is unimaginable that it was nearly a year ago. It has flown by in the blink of an eye, yet it feels like I have known you my whole entire life. I love you little one… more than I ever could have imagined.
You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You’ll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don’t take my sunshine away
I have a voice recording that my mother made of my Grandmother singing this song. And for most of my life whenever I heard this simple song, I couldn’t help but think of her. She died when I was a little girl, but that recording kept her frozen in time.
But now, when I hear that song, I can’t help but think about Gertie, who is my grandmother’s namesake. And that makes my heart melt.
