P.S.
Here is my little sweet/silly assistant that helped put it all together!
Showing posts with label Vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegan. Show all posts
Monday, September 24, 2012
"Welcome fall" party!
P.S.
Here is my little sweet/silly assistant that helped put it all together!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Feeding the world organically
A recent bounty from our organic garden...
There was an article in Organic Gardening I read awhile back that was a conversation with Michael Pollan (who's great of course). I found it really interesting, but especially this paragraph:
"But 'can organic feed the world?' is a question really up for grabs." He pauses. "The honest answer is, we don't know. I've seen research that suggests with really smart rotations and cover cropping, there is enough nitrogen to do it. I also think that if we changed our relationship to meat, we probably could. Half of all the grain that we're growing now is fed to livestock. If we were eating more food directly as plants, then we could feed the world organically. It really is the world's appetite for meat that forces us down that fossil-fuel path."
Very interesting, right? Most of you know we eat a 100% organic vegan diet at our nest so it's something we're very passionate about! I so wish all people around the world would have easy access to organic food.
So if meat is one of the biggest barriers to this, which I do believe, what needs to be done? Well first, you could go veg :). Or if you just really really love meat and/or truly feel like your body needs it, then why not treat it as just that - a TREAT. Have it once a week or a couple times instead of every day or at every meal. Many people have sausage for breakfast, turkey at lunch, and then chicken/beef for dinner. That's ALOT of meat people....way way way too much. Even daily intake of meat is too much in my opinion. The environmental effect of that is phenomenal but it can also be very detrimental to your health. People often question vegans/vegetarians about where they get their protein. When a healthy vegan/vegetarian gets a great amount of it, more than adequate actually. Whereas, the typical meat eater gets WAY too much and their bodies can't do anything with it. Instead, their livers have to try to excrete all of the excess which can cause damage. So just something to think about and research further...
Of course if you go with the second option and just minimize your meat intake, then for sure go ORGANIC and local if possible. Do a search for local farms where you can go tour and get a glimpse of how the animals are treated. You won't see everything obviously, but at least you'll hopefully get an honest look. No matter what the company advertises, you will never know how big farms treat their animals or what conditons they live in and I promise you that more than likely, you would be horrified.
Or even better than buying meat, go out and get your own meat, fish, etc. from out in some true wilderness somewhere! It takes some skills obviously, but this is a much more humane and healthier option in my opinion with much less of an environmental impact. IF you're going to eat animals, eating what you yourself catch, shoot, etc. is the way to do it!
OH and I really do think this whole theory also applies to other animal products as well - butter, eggs, animal's milk, etc. etc....if you really love them, treat them as treats and get the best/healthiest there is (local, organic, etc.)! If you don't really love those things, then why not take them out of your diet completely? I promise there are much healthier (and very delicous) alternatives out there! Many people say that organic is "too expensive". Well, if you cut out or even greatly lessen the amount of animal products you buy, I promise it makes an organic diet much more affordable!
So could we really feed the world organically if we changed our relationship to meat? I think it's truly a powerful idea...
We are busy getting things ready for a combo 4th of July/family birthday party. We're so excited to host a fun-filled day! I wish all of you a wonderful weekend and Independence Day with your loved ones!
There was an article in Organic Gardening I read awhile back that was a conversation with Michael Pollan (who's great of course). I found it really interesting, but especially this paragraph:
"But 'can organic feed the world?' is a question really up for grabs." He pauses. "The honest answer is, we don't know. I've seen research that suggests with really smart rotations and cover cropping, there is enough nitrogen to do it. I also think that if we changed our relationship to meat, we probably could. Half of all the grain that we're growing now is fed to livestock. If we were eating more food directly as plants, then we could feed the world organically. It really is the world's appetite for meat that forces us down that fossil-fuel path."
Very interesting, right? Most of you know we eat a 100% organic vegan diet at our nest so it's something we're very passionate about! I so wish all people around the world would have easy access to organic food.
So if meat is one of the biggest barriers to this, which I do believe, what needs to be done? Well first, you could go veg :). Or if you just really really love meat and/or truly feel like your body needs it, then why not treat it as just that - a TREAT. Have it once a week or a couple times instead of every day or at every meal. Many people have sausage for breakfast, turkey at lunch, and then chicken/beef for dinner. That's ALOT of meat people....way way way too much. Even daily intake of meat is too much in my opinion. The environmental effect of that is phenomenal but it can also be very detrimental to your health. People often question vegans/vegetarians about where they get their protein. When a healthy vegan/vegetarian gets a great amount of it, more than adequate actually. Whereas, the typical meat eater gets WAY too much and their bodies can't do anything with it. Instead, their livers have to try to excrete all of the excess which can cause damage. So just something to think about and research further...
Of course if you go with the second option and just minimize your meat intake, then for sure go ORGANIC and local if possible. Do a search for local farms where you can go tour and get a glimpse of how the animals are treated. You won't see everything obviously, but at least you'll hopefully get an honest look. No matter what the company advertises, you will never know how big farms treat their animals or what conditons they live in and I promise you that more than likely, you would be horrified.
Or even better than buying meat, go out and get your own meat, fish, etc. from out in some true wilderness somewhere! It takes some skills obviously, but this is a much more humane and healthier option in my opinion with much less of an environmental impact. IF you're going to eat animals, eating what you yourself catch, shoot, etc. is the way to do it!
OH and I really do think this whole theory also applies to other animal products as well - butter, eggs, animal's milk, etc. etc....if you really love them, treat them as treats and get the best/healthiest there is (local, organic, etc.)! If you don't really love those things, then why not take them out of your diet completely? I promise there are much healthier (and very delicous) alternatives out there! Many people say that organic is "too expensive". Well, if you cut out or even greatly lessen the amount of animal products you buy, I promise it makes an organic diet much more affordable!
So could we really feed the world organically if we changed our relationship to meat? I think it's truly a powerful idea...
We are busy getting things ready for a combo 4th of July/family birthday party. We're so excited to host a fun-filled day! I wish all of you a wonderful weekend and Independence Day with your loved ones!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Daddy's Day
Yesterday, our day for Daddy was very enjoyable! My Love went kayak fishing in the early morning while I got up and started the doughnut dough. I made the same recipe last year, but my yeast was dead so I ended up with cookies. But THIS year, the baked doughnuts turned out great and were super yummy. I got the recipe from 101 Cookbooks...she has some great ones, so look around. I health and vegan -ified it with whole wheat pastry flour, coconut oil in lieu of butter, and flax mixture instead of eggs. I loved them...well, AM loving them, as there are PLENTY leftover. They certainly are a VERY special treat though and are wonderful with coffee. Most importantly, my Love really enjoyed them! Over brunch, I shared a funny doughnut hole story that had us laughing all day, right babe? :)
When my Love got home mid-morning from fishing, Lovebug had this little tank on that I had embellished with the heart and "Daddy". He LOVED it and said that was probably his favorite little "gift" of the day. Using the stencil I created for his Valentine's shirt made the whole process much easier.
Lovebug and I also gifted Daddy with this awesome cookbook that he is extremely excited about, as it's full of vegan recipes from some of our favorite chefs. Some of the recipes look pretty difficult and time-intensive but I know our "top chef" is up for such challenges and I cannot wait to see (and eat of course) the results! The rest of the HOT day was spent seeing our grandpa and dads, which was alot of fun.
My gorgeous sweet Love, thank you so much for being the most amazing father possible to our Lovebug. We are truly blessed to have you as ours and we love you so much! Thank you for being such a committed, patient, fun, and loving father. You truly are the BEST. Happy Daddy's Day!
When my Love got home mid-morning from fishing, Lovebug had this little tank on that I had embellished with the heart and "Daddy". He LOVED it and said that was probably his favorite little "gift" of the day. Using the stencil I created for his Valentine's shirt made the whole process much easier.
Lovebug and I also gifted Daddy with this awesome cookbook that he is extremely excited about, as it's full of vegan recipes from some of our favorite chefs. Some of the recipes look pretty difficult and time-intensive but I know our "top chef" is up for such challenges and I cannot wait to see (and eat of course) the results! The rest of the HOT day was spent seeing our grandpa and dads, which was alot of fun.
My gorgeous sweet Love, thank you so much for being the most amazing father possible to our Lovebug. We are truly blessed to have you as ours and we love you so much! Thank you for being such a committed, patient, fun, and loving father. You truly are the BEST. Happy Daddy's Day!
Friday, March 27, 2009
How our nest does it...
So I've talked about WHY our nest does 100% organic, but HOW do we do it exactly?
Well, first of all, let's talk about our budget. For 2 adults and 1 breastfeeding/solid eating toddler, we spend an average of $100 a week on 100% organic groceries. Probably about $50 of that is spent on fresh vegetables and fruit. Lately, Lovebug has been eating alot more vegetables, so sometimes it's $125, but most of the time it's right at or around $100.
This amount does not include supplements or personal care products, as we get those from other sources. It also does not include any cleaning or laundry products since we make all of them with supplies mostly from Mountain Rose Herbs. Since we cloth diaper/wipe, this amount also does not include those, which saves us quite a bit of money. Further, that amount does not include any cooking/baking oils, herbs, spices, salt, pepper, and so forth, because we also get them all from Mountain Rose Herbs in bulk.
We do our weekly shopping at Central Market but make a monthly trip or so to Whole Foods as well. From April - November, we go to the local farmer's market every Saturday morning where we stand in the long line at the ONE organic stand. At any of these places, if they don't have it organic, we don't buy it. It's really that simple. Even if that means changing things up that we had intended on doing, we go in another direction or find an organic substitute that will work.
Things that help us buy 100% organic 100% of the time:
-My Love keeps great track of what we are spending. As he is the "top chef" around our nest, he also does our grocery shopping. Sometimes Lovebug and I tag along especially when it's farmer's market season, but alot of times, it's just my Love heading to the store early Saturday morning with the list we carefully made together. He has his ipod and listens to music while he tallys up things as they go into the basket. Somtimes he put things back if we're going to go over what we had intended and sometimes he calls me to say "do we want this or that this week?"...And we make that decision based upon what we really need. We never ever take anything away that is for Lovebug though as her health is our top priority!
-Simply, we don't overbuy. Probably most anyone that would come over to our nest and look in our refrigerator or pantry would probably think both are pretty bare, but to us, they're completely full. We just don't overbuy and keep to our list, which helps tremendously. Actually, come Saturday our refrigerator does look pretty empty! :)
-We buy in bulk. As mentioned above, about every month we load up on organic agave, maple syrup, and other things from Whole Foods. Also every month, I generally take a trip to another grocery store, Market Street, to load up on organic nuts and chocolate chips because they have the best prices on those. Then, every couple of months, we load up on LOTS of beans, lentils and such from Whole Foods. Buying in bulk truly helps! Plus, you're using less packaging (especially if you re-use your own bags).
-We keep our paper products to an absolute minimum at our nest and this helps our budget a great deal. So that means no TP (except for guests), no paper towels, no napkins, no paper plates, no diapers, and so forth. These things can quickly add up...
-As mentioned above, from April to November we go to the local farmer's market every Saturday morning to load up on organic vegetables. This helps our budget a TON because we can go and spend $35 on veggies with the same amount normally costing us $50 at Central Market! Find your local farmer's market here.
-Since we eat by far mostly vegan (with the very rare local eggs and fish we catch), our organic protein sources are much cheaper than meat-eaters. Organic beans cost a great deal less per pound than organic chicken or beef, so that's something to consider. Even if you can't go vegan, vegetarian, or pescetarian, then consider at least making more of your meals meat/chicken free per week than not. You'll end up saving money for sure!
-We drink a ton of water and don't buy bottled beverages hardly ever. We don't buy soda and I know this is kind of crazy to most people, but we just don't drink the stuff. We also don't buy bottled water, but instead have our reusable bottles that we re-fill. This saves us quite a bit! We do buy a carton of orange juice every week that we partake of a little bit every day, but a treat is when we can get an organic beer for my Love and a GT's Kombucha for me! :)
-We don't buy packaged foods - no cookies, crackers, cake mixes, boxed dinners, and so forth. That stuff can easily add up in more ways than one, so we just don't buy them. Plus, fresh is just best...
-This may seem minute, but we compost and recycle like crazy. Thus we don't buy trash bags but once a year. We only put out trash maybe once a month if that, so this is something little but a small money saver.
-We are still breastfeeding and practice baby-led eating/weaning. This also might seem minute, but it has saved us money for sure. However, financial savings is by far NOT the reason we have done either of these things, but rather, an added benefit. We have never done baby food, cereal, formula, bottle-feeding, and so forth, but instead have only breastfed and started to offer cut up fresh vegetables to Lovebug around 10 months once she started to show interest. She has always fed herself and decides how much/little she wants to eat. Her vegetable intake continues to increase although her breastfeeding really hasn't decreased much :), but we have definitely noticed a small difference ($15-25) here and there certain weeks in our grocery bill due to this and know it will only increase from here.
SO these are some things that came to mind in how we save and are able to keep to the 100% organic diet. However, we also have to do away with other things (like cable, etc.) to maintain it. There are certainly ways that we can improve though:
-We would love to get where we always make all of our breads. I make them here and there and always make our pizza dough and baked goods, but would love to make all of our tortillas, and sandwich and pita bread as well. Currently for these things, we buy Ezekial 4:9 which is sprouted and very delicious.
-Currently we buy a big thing of purified water every week, but really hope in the near future to install a whole house water filtration system so we don't have to do this. We had Eco Water Texas come out not long ago and test our water - eewwwww! Disgusting what's in it!! Really. I highly recommend getting your water tested and not drinking tap water!
So, maybe some of this will help a few of you. It IS really hard, especially with today's economy to stay within budget and make things work...but I truly believe if it's a priority, everyone's diet can be 100% or at least mainly organic.
The above is what currently works for our nest, but I would love to hear any tips of how you make it work for you and your families as well, so please share!
Oh and the photo is a little box I've been working on by making use of all of the organic produce stickers we go through :)...
Friday, February 13, 2009
The 1st Birthday Party
Right off, I'm forewarning you that this post is long, so if you don't want to hear LOTS of food and decor details from Lovebug's birthday party, DON'T read on! You could just scroll down through the pictures...It's ok, I promise I won't be offended :)!
Alright my friends, THIS is the long-awaited (and long) 1st birthday post...yes, it's been 2 months since the event took place but whatever. I have had this thing in my draft folder for forever and darn it, I'm posting it regardless of how long it has been!
The party was so lovely and turned out so well and our little birthday girl enjoyed herself immensely! I certainly feel for those with December birthdays (and their parents) now though as it truly is harder to put something together during the holidays. Sometimes it seems the children get the shorter end of the stick because of it, don't they? I want to ensure that never happens to Lovebug though, so I tried to make it as un-touched from the holidays as possible.
First off, Lovebug LOVES animals and always has. In fact, she has this beloved wooden puzzle that her grandparents gave her of farm animals when she was a tiny baby. SO we decided to go with a farm animal "theme" of sorts. We emailed Pingg invitations with this photo...
The next thing I tend to decide after the invitation is the ensemble to go with the theme/design of course! I searched for quite some time but finally found the right Eliza Gran dress. I loved the vintage-y almost farm-ish look to it, and the colors and adorable ric rac were perfect! I had the hardest time though tracking it down and never could find it in Lovebug's size despite many calls and emails. I ended up scoring it on sale, but the catch was that it was 1 size too big. It all worked out though because it fit her pretty well except in the shoulders, so just a few temporary stitches here and there and VOILA, Lovebug's party dress! It was a little long too but I thought it looked cute that way actually and it didn't seem to bother or hinder her.
I normally make Lovebug's hair clips but I sourced the felt cow out to Two Punky Peas who makes adorable ones. She had a great holiday deal going on and I had never attempted an animal clip before, so I left it to an expert. I made the satin ribbon headband and Gracious May made her cute shoes that we already had. I highly recommend both of those gals and their Etsy shops.
I really like to incorporate presents, if there are any, into the party decor, so one of Lovebug's birthday presents was the vintage Fisher Price farm we got at Antique Weekend this last fall. She won't be playing with it for awhile though since it is plastic, which in general, we don't allow. We will make exceptions however for well-made vintage toys, but only if it's something Lovebug won't be sucking on. Anyway, it became the centerpiece of the table...
The table was accented with some mini hay bales that I bought from this truly lovely Etsy seller. She makes them herself at their farm up in New York and they're very reasonably priced. They will work for future events or seasonal decor too which is great. Isn't Etsy the BEST? Nearly all of the decor came from wonderful Etsy sellers! The vintage white cloth napkins with red, blue, and yellow trim were all bought from different vintage Etsy sellers SO reasonably priced and will get lots of future use. I don't think you can ever have too many cloth napkins! The little vintage metal plates have cute farm animals in the center and were also an inexpensive Etsy find from Happy Day Vintage and Lovebug now loves to play with them :). You truly can find amazing stuff if you do a little searching.
I tried to incorporate mini red ric rac here and there to compliment her dress so I sewed some onto the table linens and made an entry banner outside with some. I made a little garland of it with a "1" in the middle made from cardboard, some Eco Glue, and some leftover raffia I've had lying around forever that I simply cut up to look like hay. Then I accented it with some felt farm animal puppets from Mahar that I know Lovebug will love to play with when she's a tad bit older.
The ric rac accents worked really well because I incorporated it into our Christmas decor too which I ended up loving! For the party though, I made a little "happy birthday" banner with it that hung over the table. I used mini clothespins, leftover red and white cardstock we had lying around, and vintage crossword letter cards from Boston Bag Lady. She went through all of her cards to fish out the exact letters for "Happy Birthday" and "Merry Christmas" because I turned around and switched the cards out for the holidays which worked out perfect! Again, isn't Etsy the best?
The birthday crown was inspired by Ruby Ellen's beautiful ones but we used Amanda's instructions in her book. My Love actually made it all himself which I think is super special. We kept it simple using white 100% wool felt with some red ric rac lightly sewn on in a few places and a mini cow button that we got from yet another Etsy seller (SHOCKER I know). Our plan is to add another little button or adornment that fits with the "theme" of each birthday party every year. You can take the elastic easily out if desired (we tried it) so hopefully she'll enjoy the special crown her Daddy made her for many birthdays to come!
Lovebug's other little present was this beautiful set of wooden farm animals...aren't they adorable? I searched and searched for the right ones and finally decided on these because I love their colors and modern design. In case you're interested, Cheekeyes is the brand and they have some other cool animal lines that I cannot wait to get in the future. Anyway, these went on the coffee table in the family room, so again the present became part of the decor...
Let's talk some food, because a party isn't much without it, is it? We kept it super simple since it was in the middle of the day between lunch and dinner. I made some of my "treehugger bark" and some mint chocolate chip cookies in lieu of cake.
My favorites were the popcorn balls and the below mini apple bites, which were both on a stick. They were super fun and the paper sticks got composted post-party so no worries about the waste. I got the general idea for the apple bites here, but we just did vegan chocolate chips and some chopped up almonds. They are really easy once you get the hang of the melon baller in the apple.
The popcorn ball recipe we got here but used coconut oil in lieu of vegetable and added sunflower seeds and raisins. Personally, I really appreciate when food is labeled so I always try to let people know what they're eating. For this party, we used a mini chalkboard we found at Antique Weekend a few years back and just had it simply sitting on the table with the menu listed on it.
For beverages, it was spiced apple cider, coffee, or water, and the drinks had labels of course which is a must at our nest parties seen here and here :). As also is customary around our nest, it was a waste-free event with cloth napkins, and real plates and glasses. In addition to the obvious green aspect of this, it just takes the party up a notch in my opinion.
I know most everyone goes to a first birthday party waiting to see the little ones either tear into their presents or dive into their cakes. Well, we did neither of these :). I searched forever for a vegan nut and wheat free cupcake or mini cake option that I could bake. We don't want Lovebug to have wheat, nuts, or grains for another year and had a couple failed attempts with coconut flour unfortunately. Thus, we decided to just go with something easy that she loves without the stress or worries - SO chopped up banana it was! It's one of her favorites already so we knew she would love it. We added some strawberries (which she didn't love) and for fun, we added some vegan coconut cream icing. This recipe is yummy and I highly recommend it! A much healthier option to powdered sugar icings and can be used on coffee cakes, bundt cakes, cupcakes, or whatever!
In lieu of any games, we had a little slideshow of Lovebug's 1st year that was constantly playing on our TV as the entertainment. It was nearly 40 minutes long :) so people got bits here and there but it's a great keepsake for her box and I think we'll do one every birthday now to re-cap the year for her in pictures. The children mostly played outside...poor Lovebug wanted to go out there with the older kids so badly.
I love coming up with ideas for party favors as I think it's a fun little tradition to send the guests home with something. However, especially with the holidays, we decided that in lieu of any favors, we would make a donation to Heifer International, which is one of our favorite causes we like to support. Plus, it went with the whole "theme" of farm animals :). Anyway, please check out Heifer's online catalog as they are a wonderful organization with such an incredible mission! We also requested that in lieu of any presents, guests make a donation to them as well because our nest is already super blessed.
Well thank you for reading the birthday post...yes yes yes, lots of details with heavy emphasis on the decor, but you must remember I am an event designer by trade so my little personal parties are my outlet! :) It was definitely a successful party in my eyes as I think the guests enjoyed themselves and, most importantly, Lovebug had tons of fun. Here she is rolling around in the leaves after we finally let her outside...she might have enjoyed this more than anything else from the party!
So THERE, it's DONE...I feel SO much better now that I have posted this and can finally scratch it off my list! :) Thank you to anyone that actually read the whole thing. I highly recommend you check out the above Etsy sellers when you have a chance. Happy Friday!!!
Alright my friends, THIS is the long-awaited (and long) 1st birthday post...yes, it's been 2 months since the event took place but whatever. I have had this thing in my draft folder for forever and darn it, I'm posting it regardless of how long it has been!
The party was so lovely and turned out so well and our little birthday girl enjoyed herself immensely! I certainly feel for those with December birthdays (and their parents) now though as it truly is harder to put something together during the holidays. Sometimes it seems the children get the shorter end of the stick because of it, don't they? I want to ensure that never happens to Lovebug though, so I tried to make it as un-touched from the holidays as possible.
First off, Lovebug LOVES animals and always has. In fact, she has this beloved wooden puzzle that her grandparents gave her of farm animals when she was a tiny baby. SO we decided to go with a farm animal "theme" of sorts. We emailed Pingg invitations with this photo...
The next thing I tend to decide after the invitation is the ensemble to go with the theme/design of course! I searched for quite some time but finally found the right Eliza Gran dress. I loved the vintage-y almost farm-ish look to it, and the colors and adorable ric rac were perfect! I had the hardest time though tracking it down and never could find it in Lovebug's size despite many calls and emails. I ended up scoring it on sale, but the catch was that it was 1 size too big. It all worked out though because it fit her pretty well except in the shoulders, so just a few temporary stitches here and there and VOILA, Lovebug's party dress! It was a little long too but I thought it looked cute that way actually and it didn't seem to bother or hinder her.
I normally make Lovebug's hair clips but I sourced the felt cow out to Two Punky Peas who makes adorable ones. She had a great holiday deal going on and I had never attempted an animal clip before, so I left it to an expert. I made the satin ribbon headband and Gracious May made her cute shoes that we already had. I highly recommend both of those gals and their Etsy shops.
I really like to incorporate presents, if there are any, into the party decor, so one of Lovebug's birthday presents was the vintage Fisher Price farm we got at Antique Weekend this last fall. She won't be playing with it for awhile though since it is plastic, which in general, we don't allow. We will make exceptions however for well-made vintage toys, but only if it's something Lovebug won't be sucking on. Anyway, it became the centerpiece of the table...
The table was accented with some mini hay bales that I bought from this truly lovely Etsy seller. She makes them herself at their farm up in New York and they're very reasonably priced. They will work for future events or seasonal decor too which is great. Isn't Etsy the BEST? Nearly all of the decor came from wonderful Etsy sellers! The vintage white cloth napkins with red, blue, and yellow trim were all bought from different vintage Etsy sellers SO reasonably priced and will get lots of future use. I don't think you can ever have too many cloth napkins! The little vintage metal plates have cute farm animals in the center and were also an inexpensive Etsy find from Happy Day Vintage and Lovebug now loves to play with them :). You truly can find amazing stuff if you do a little searching.
I tried to incorporate mini red ric rac here and there to compliment her dress so I sewed some onto the table linens and made an entry banner outside with some. I made a little garland of it with a "1" in the middle made from cardboard, some Eco Glue, and some leftover raffia I've had lying around forever that I simply cut up to look like hay. Then I accented it with some felt farm animal puppets from Mahar that I know Lovebug will love to play with when she's a tad bit older.
The ric rac accents worked really well because I incorporated it into our Christmas decor too which I ended up loving! For the party though, I made a little "happy birthday" banner with it that hung over the table. I used mini clothespins, leftover red and white cardstock we had lying around, and vintage crossword letter cards from Boston Bag Lady. She went through all of her cards to fish out the exact letters for "Happy Birthday" and "Merry Christmas" because I turned around and switched the cards out for the holidays which worked out perfect! Again, isn't Etsy the best?
The birthday crown was inspired by Ruby Ellen's beautiful ones but we used Amanda's instructions in her book. My Love actually made it all himself which I think is super special. We kept it simple using white 100% wool felt with some red ric rac lightly sewn on in a few places and a mini cow button that we got from yet another Etsy seller (SHOCKER I know). Our plan is to add another little button or adornment that fits with the "theme" of each birthday party every year. You can take the elastic easily out if desired (we tried it) so hopefully she'll enjoy the special crown her Daddy made her for many birthdays to come!
Lovebug's other little present was this beautiful set of wooden farm animals...aren't they adorable? I searched and searched for the right ones and finally decided on these because I love their colors and modern design. In case you're interested, Cheekeyes is the brand and they have some other cool animal lines that I cannot wait to get in the future. Anyway, these went on the coffee table in the family room, so again the present became part of the decor...
Let's talk some food, because a party isn't much without it, is it? We kept it super simple since it was in the middle of the day between lunch and dinner. I made some of my "treehugger bark" and some mint chocolate chip cookies in lieu of cake.
My favorites were the popcorn balls and the below mini apple bites, which were both on a stick. They were super fun and the paper sticks got composted post-party so no worries about the waste. I got the general idea for the apple bites here, but we just did vegan chocolate chips and some chopped up almonds. They are really easy once you get the hang of the melon baller in the apple.
The popcorn ball recipe we got here but used coconut oil in lieu of vegetable and added sunflower seeds and raisins. Personally, I really appreciate when food is labeled so I always try to let people know what they're eating. For this party, we used a mini chalkboard we found at Antique Weekend a few years back and just had it simply sitting on the table with the menu listed on it.
For beverages, it was spiced apple cider, coffee, or water, and the drinks had labels of course which is a must at our nest parties seen here and here :). As also is customary around our nest, it was a waste-free event with cloth napkins, and real plates and glasses. In addition to the obvious green aspect of this, it just takes the party up a notch in my opinion.
I know most everyone goes to a first birthday party waiting to see the little ones either tear into their presents or dive into their cakes. Well, we did neither of these :). I searched forever for a vegan nut and wheat free cupcake or mini cake option that I could bake. We don't want Lovebug to have wheat, nuts, or grains for another year and had a couple failed attempts with coconut flour unfortunately. Thus, we decided to just go with something easy that she loves without the stress or worries - SO chopped up banana it was! It's one of her favorites already so we knew she would love it. We added some strawberries (which she didn't love) and for fun, we added some vegan coconut cream icing. This recipe is yummy and I highly recommend it! A much healthier option to powdered sugar icings and can be used on coffee cakes, bundt cakes, cupcakes, or whatever!
In lieu of any games, we had a little slideshow of Lovebug's 1st year that was constantly playing on our TV as the entertainment. It was nearly 40 minutes long :) so people got bits here and there but it's a great keepsake for her box and I think we'll do one every birthday now to re-cap the year for her in pictures. The children mostly played outside...poor Lovebug wanted to go out there with the older kids so badly.
I love coming up with ideas for party favors as I think it's a fun little tradition to send the guests home with something. However, especially with the holidays, we decided that in lieu of any favors, we would make a donation to Heifer International, which is one of our favorite causes we like to support. Plus, it went with the whole "theme" of farm animals :). Anyway, please check out Heifer's online catalog as they are a wonderful organization with such an incredible mission! We also requested that in lieu of any presents, guests make a donation to them as well because our nest is already super blessed.
Well thank you for reading the birthday post...yes yes yes, lots of details with heavy emphasis on the decor, but you must remember I am an event designer by trade so my little personal parties are my outlet! :) It was definitely a successful party in my eyes as I think the guests enjoyed themselves and, most importantly, Lovebug had tons of fun. Here she is rolling around in the leaves after we finally let her outside...she might have enjoyed this more than anything else from the party!
So THERE, it's DONE...I feel SO much better now that I have posted this and can finally scratch it off my list! :) Thank you to anyone that actually read the whole thing. I highly recommend you check out the above Etsy sellers when you have a chance. Happy Friday!!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tagged Twice
I was tagged twice last week, so let's have some fun, shall we?
This is the 4th shot from the 4th picture folder on my computer, and I didn't crop or edit it in any way. It's a reject from the shots I took for this spring post last year. Looks pretty, doesn't it? I cannot wait to start seeing this again...
The next tag is called "Honestly Honest" and I'm supposed to share "10 honest things about me you possibly do not know"...Ok, here it goes...
1.) I'm one of 7 children and have 4 brothers and 2 sisters and all of our names start with a "J". We're all uniquely different but somehow fit together. We're pretty crazy and would make one entertaining reality series if you ask me!
2.) Speaking of names, my Love and I have had ALL of our baby names picked out since we were in college...so for about 7 years now. One night we were sitting around talking about our future together and we picked our names out! We sometimes still go back and forth on middle names but the first names we have, unless God blesses us with all of one gender! :)
3.) Our nest is "vegan" but we do eat fish a couple of times a year that we catch and plan on doing so more this coming year. I KNOW, that's not even vegetarian!!! But we love fish very much (and fishing) and are not supporting factory farming or environmental degradation by eating them occasionally in our home. It's something I have struggled with and thought alot about, but we don't buy fish from a supermarket or eat the types of fish that are unhealthy or disappearing. ALSO, we are going to start getting organic free-range eggs from a local source here soon and eat them once a week on Sundays, as well as add fish oil back to our diet. Also something I've struggled with, but with alot of thought and research I feel it's what my body needs at this child-bearing/breastfeeding time in my life. Apparently, the name is "pescetarian" for someone who eats fish but doesn't eat any other meat, but whatever, as we still eat out, bake, and cook 99.5% of the time "vegan". Labels really aren't important though! In the end, our goal is to constantly become healthier and if that means eating some fish we catch or organic free-range eggs, then so be it.
4.) I'm famous...OH YES people...by the early age of 10 I had already walked the runway for Espirit (anyone remember them - they were cool!) and been in a YMCA commercial (oh YES)!!! AND it gets even awesome-er...in college, I was interviewed for the local news. ALSO in college, I performed on a gorgeous Renaissance stage in Italy for one night/one show! Are you impressed? :)
5.) Speaking of college, my blood is not red, it's maroon. YES my friends, I am an Aggie...one of THOSE. We're very proud Aggies around here! Not the annoying kind in any way, but still very proud that we attended and worked hard at Texas A&M. My Aggie blood line is a long one, which I am immensely proud of!
6.) Ever since I was super little I wanted to be an attorney, but not just any attorney - the BEST (like my Dad). Everything I did in high school and halfway through college was to prepare me for law school...Teen Court, Teen Council, Mock Trial, and so forth. BUT about midway through college, I realized God had a different plan for my life. Thank goodness He always has a plan, right? I realized my creative talents would have no outlet if I continued down that path and I wouldn't be happy. SO event design it became and I am so very glad...
7.) Although I love sleep, I can function pretty darn well on very little of it (even uncaffeinated). In high school my extracurricular activities list was LONG and I was up late many nights and up early many mornings. This continued tenfold in college because I was a huge nerd and was always studying. Yes, I love studying and test taking and find it quite fun. I'm a dork. Anyway, this functioning on little sleep certainly comes in handy as my 24/7 job as a Mommy now, so I'm glad I haven't lost it! I think I just have really high adrenaline and that's what keeps me going, especially during high exciting times like major events and happenings (new babies, tests, big parties/events, etc.).
8.) In the 4th grade, I wore these massive super cool red glasses...NOT because I needed them as my eyesight was great back then, BUT because they were amazingly cool. I wore them as a fashion statement and rocked the heck out of them! :)
9.) I'm a workout fanatic...seriously. It's a big passion of mine! I'm not addicted, but it's something I HAVE to do to make my day complete. Otherwise, I'm not happy and don't feel good about myself. Wait, hold the phone...maybe that is an addiction. Really, I'm just a health nut. OH and I have to do yoga every morning as it helps center and get me ready for the day.
10.) One time we belonged to this massive gym and I was talking to my Love as we were getting on treadmills. Well, I didn't realize that someone had left the treadmill ON and I completely tripped and fell on top of it...it was hilarious! Good times. Thank goodness I didn't break or hurt anything. Actually, another small tidbit is that I've never had a broken bone!
I had these other two scribbled down so I might as well share them as well...
11.) I used to be a movie buff...I was heavily involved in theater in high school and college and WAY into movies. I saw probably any "good" movie (thanks Dad and my Love!) that came out and took pride in the dissecting and critiquing of the acting, directing, writing, and so forth. Again, a big nerd. Along with that, I was a major fan of the Oscars. My Mom always made it a fun ordeal when I was younger to watch them together. Anyway, I started to write this "Predictions" email every year with who I thought would win and why, and who/what REALLY should win and why...with lots of stupid commentary thrown in there. Funny, I know...Stupid, I know...but I think some people enjoyed it. Well I stopped somewhere in there during college and now I couldn't tell you who was nominated and haven't seen or maybe even heard of most of the movies. :) Funny how your priorites change, isn't it?
12.) My middle, ring, and baby fingers are pretty weird. They look "normal" but I have really poor control of them. Like ask me to do the "I love you" sign and it's hard for me to get those three fingers to cooperate. Isn't that strange? OH I have others...like I HAVE to brush my teeth twice at night and floss in between! I'm pretty weird.
Alright, that is some pretty honest and revealing stuff (and I did 12!!). NOW you all know many things about me that the vast majority of you did not know before! Hope you enjoyed that Jashley and Emily. :) Now my friends, I tag any and all of you with these...do one...do both...do neither. Up to you, but it WAS pretty fun to do. :)
Let's all have a wonderful week!!!
This is the 4th shot from the 4th picture folder on my computer, and I didn't crop or edit it in any way. It's a reject from the shots I took for this spring post last year. Looks pretty, doesn't it? I cannot wait to start seeing this again...
The next tag is called "Honestly Honest" and I'm supposed to share "10 honest things about me you possibly do not know"...Ok, here it goes...
1.) I'm one of 7 children and have 4 brothers and 2 sisters and all of our names start with a "J". We're all uniquely different but somehow fit together. We're pretty crazy and would make one entertaining reality series if you ask me!
2.) Speaking of names, my Love and I have had ALL of our baby names picked out since we were in college...so for about 7 years now. One night we were sitting around talking about our future together and we picked our names out! We sometimes still go back and forth on middle names but the first names we have, unless God blesses us with all of one gender! :)
3.) Our nest is "vegan" but we do eat fish a couple of times a year that we catch and plan on doing so more this coming year. I KNOW, that's not even vegetarian!!! But we love fish very much (and fishing) and are not supporting factory farming or environmental degradation by eating them occasionally in our home. It's something I have struggled with and thought alot about, but we don't buy fish from a supermarket or eat the types of fish that are unhealthy or disappearing. ALSO, we are going to start getting organic free-range eggs from a local source here soon and eat them once a week on Sundays, as well as add fish oil back to our diet. Also something I've struggled with, but with alot of thought and research I feel it's what my body needs at this child-bearing/breastfeeding time in my life. Apparently, the name is "pescetarian" for someone who eats fish but doesn't eat any other meat, but whatever, as we still eat out, bake, and cook 99.5% of the time "vegan". Labels really aren't important though! In the end, our goal is to constantly become healthier and if that means eating some fish we catch or organic free-range eggs, then so be it.
4.) I'm famous...OH YES people...by the early age of 10 I had already walked the runway for Espirit (anyone remember them - they were cool!) and been in a YMCA commercial (oh YES)!!! AND it gets even awesome-er...in college, I was interviewed for the local news. ALSO in college, I performed on a gorgeous Renaissance stage in Italy for one night/one show! Are you impressed? :)
5.) Speaking of college, my blood is not red, it's maroon. YES my friends, I am an Aggie...one of THOSE. We're very proud Aggies around here! Not the annoying kind in any way, but still very proud that we attended and worked hard at Texas A&M. My Aggie blood line is a long one, which I am immensely proud of!
6.) Ever since I was super little I wanted to be an attorney, but not just any attorney - the BEST (like my Dad). Everything I did in high school and halfway through college was to prepare me for law school...Teen Court, Teen Council, Mock Trial, and so forth. BUT about midway through college, I realized God had a different plan for my life. Thank goodness He always has a plan, right? I realized my creative talents would have no outlet if I continued down that path and I wouldn't be happy. SO event design it became and I am so very glad...
7.) Although I love sleep, I can function pretty darn well on very little of it (even uncaffeinated). In high school my extracurricular activities list was LONG and I was up late many nights and up early many mornings. This continued tenfold in college because I was a huge nerd and was always studying. Yes, I love studying and test taking and find it quite fun. I'm a dork. Anyway, this functioning on little sleep certainly comes in handy as my 24/7 job as a Mommy now, so I'm glad I haven't lost it! I think I just have really high adrenaline and that's what keeps me going, especially during high exciting times like major events and happenings (new babies, tests, big parties/events, etc.).
8.) In the 4th grade, I wore these massive super cool red glasses...NOT because I needed them as my eyesight was great back then, BUT because they were amazingly cool. I wore them as a fashion statement and rocked the heck out of them! :)
9.) I'm a workout fanatic...seriously. It's a big passion of mine! I'm not addicted, but it's something I HAVE to do to make my day complete. Otherwise, I'm not happy and don't feel good about myself. Wait, hold the phone...maybe that is an addiction. Really, I'm just a health nut. OH and I have to do yoga every morning as it helps center and get me ready for the day.
10.) One time we belonged to this massive gym and I was talking to my Love as we were getting on treadmills. Well, I didn't realize that someone had left the treadmill ON and I completely tripped and fell on top of it...it was hilarious! Good times. Thank goodness I didn't break or hurt anything. Actually, another small tidbit is that I've never had a broken bone!
I had these other two scribbled down so I might as well share them as well...
11.) I used to be a movie buff...I was heavily involved in theater in high school and college and WAY into movies. I saw probably any "good" movie (thanks Dad and my Love!) that came out and took pride in the dissecting and critiquing of the acting, directing, writing, and so forth. Again, a big nerd. Along with that, I was a major fan of the Oscars. My Mom always made it a fun ordeal when I was younger to watch them together. Anyway, I started to write this "Predictions" email every year with who I thought would win and why, and who/what REALLY should win and why...with lots of stupid commentary thrown in there. Funny, I know...Stupid, I know...but I think some people enjoyed it. Well I stopped somewhere in there during college and now I couldn't tell you who was nominated and haven't seen or maybe even heard of most of the movies. :) Funny how your priorites change, isn't it?
12.) My middle, ring, and baby fingers are pretty weird. They look "normal" but I have really poor control of them. Like ask me to do the "I love you" sign and it's hard for me to get those three fingers to cooperate. Isn't that strange? OH I have others...like I HAVE to brush my teeth twice at night and floss in between! I'm pretty weird.
Alright, that is some pretty honest and revealing stuff (and I did 12!!). NOW you all know many things about me that the vast majority of you did not know before! Hope you enjoyed that Jashley and Emily. :) Now my friends, I tag any and all of you with these...do one...do both...do neither. Up to you, but it WAS pretty fun to do. :)
Let's all have a wonderful week!!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving Stew
So alot of people probably wonder what vegetarians/vegans eat for Thanksgiving...NO, we don't eat Tofurkey! In fact, we have never once cooked tofu, but that seems to be what alot of people think :). Actually we usually take a yummy quinoa squash pie as the vegetarian entree, but this year we're changing things up and taking a stew. Not any old stew mind you - it's called "Three Sisters" stew and it's delicious! We love this dish as it contains some of our faves- beans, corn, and squash, which makes it very hearty and nutritious. Plus, in Native American mythology, squash, beans, and corn are known as the "three sisters", which makes it perfect for Thanksgiving. Click on the above link because they have other great recipes too!
Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend - ours was mainly spent cleaning out our garage :). However, here are some pics from a walk (see, we DO have some red and orangish leaves here in Texas:) and Lovebug having a good laugh and blowing you all kisses! Have a fabulous week getting ready for your Thanksgiving festivities!
Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend - ours was mainly spent cleaning out our garage :). However, here are some pics from a walk (see, we DO have some red and orangish leaves here in Texas:) and Lovebug having a good laugh and blowing you all kisses! Have a fabulous week getting ready for your Thanksgiving festivities!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
It all started with a dress...
It always starts with SOMETHING for me in my design process - some sort of inspiration, whether it be a clipping from a magazine, a painting, a blog, a cool graphic I see somewhere, an awesome window display, a beautiful photo I run across...so it starts somewhere, as I'm sure it does for most of you. For the blessing, it was Lovebug's dress that she's wearing in the pic above, which we ran across while second-hand summer clothes shopping. I loved the colors first off, bright and fun, and then the modern design I found to be so beautiful with just very interesting flowers. So off I went, and here's what I came up with...
Decor was kept relatively simple with flowers and circles scattered about. The flowers are all felt (I like felt:) with skewers as their stems, which were lying around waiting to be put to use. They were a bit labor-intensive but they turned out really well so I don't mind :). Clear rock gems from my sis's wedding were used in all the vases to hold the flowers and candles in place. Speaking of which, the soy candles turned out wonderfully and had a nice light lavender scent.
The event fare was all desserts in honor of our little sweetie - all vegan - just cupcakes, truffles, macaroons, mint candies, and cookies. It was fun searching my fave vegan websites for some of the recipes (here is Fran's truffle one) and making the desserts, all of which were really easy. Most of Fran's recipes sound amazing - you should definitely check her out! I used carob in place of the chocolate/cacoa in all the desserts except the cupcakes, which I'm really loving. It tastes a bit more caramely than chocolately, but it's yummy AND it has less fat and calories than chocolate and no caffeine! So give carob a try...it's especially good for kids since it won't have the stimulation effect of caffeine.
Oh and the little favors were magnets of Lovebug's face that I made - also from leftover clear gems from my sis's wedding...I made some similar for a swap awhile back too which inspired the idea.
This is one of my fave ideas - I can't for the life of me remember where I saw something similar that inspired this, but use metal book rings (available at office supply stores) around your glasses as drink tags. The tags can be changed out to fit different themes (and recycled:) but the rings can be used indefinitely! I'm a big fan of drink tags/labels because it really bothers me when people lose track of their glass and have to end up getting another one, so this solves that problem :). I like doing ones like this with hemp or twine from time to time as well dependent upon the overall look I'm going for.
So the blessing went really well - it was alot of work getting ready for it in a short period of time but was so very worth it! We are so blessed to have such great friends and family, and it was a very special time celebrating our sweet baby. OH and Lovebug's little blessing gift from us was this handmade organic Kathy Kruse doll you can kind of see in the below pic...she got a matching dress thanks to unnecessary bloomers and Lovebug's Nonni :) - thanks again Mom!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The food we eat and why...
This GREAT NY Times article (written by a meat eater) ran awhile back on the environmental costs of meat eating and I would encourage you all to read it...We went vegetarian years ago for environmental and health reasons, as well as some info on factory farming that really grossed me out that I wasn't aware of before.
Our health has never been better since going veg (and since then vegan)...other factors involved of course like eating all-organic, taking probiotics, drinking lots of water, being as active as possible, and MANY others, but I know a huge part of it was the veg switch. I also feel so much lighter after eating, have more energy, and overall enjoy food more! Plus, our diet is naturally cholesterol-free and on average vegetarians/vegans are said to live longer...so there are many benefits of a veg diet!
Unfortunately, there is some concern/misinformation out there about it though...A balanced vegetarian/vegan diet provides you with more than the adequate amount of protein (meat eaters actually get MUCH more than their bodies need) and nutrients. As Americans, we're taught that every meal has to have some sort of meat or poultry for it to be complete, which is not true. Every meal needs a protein source and animals aren't the only source of this - grains, legumes (BEANS), and nuts all contain tons of protein.
Looking back, I really wish I had been aware of exactly what I was putting into my mouth when I ate those chicken strips years ago and how that chicken was raised, treated, and killed on the factory farms. Anyway, I think it's something to think about. I really believe "you are what you eat" and it's so important to truly think about the food you fuel your body with - where it came from, how it was grown/raised, etc. etc. - whether it be meat, vegetables, beans, fruit, chicken - whatever.
Many of you might already know about factory farms and it might not make a difference to you, but for those of you who don't know (because I'm pretty sure there are some), check out this website on factory farming conditions and then here's some more info on factory farms in the U.S....I won't go into the details here - they're pretty disgusting, shocking, and there's alot of cruelty involved - but please read for yourselves and see how you feel afterwards. I would be interested to hear if you still feel the same way about meat eating. Some people say "well, they're JUST animals..."...but would you treat your beloved dog or cat how factory farms treat animals? No, you wouldn't, so what's the difference with a cow or a chicken? Animals are animals...or at least that's how I see it.
As far as the environment, we know that our impact on the earth has been far less since we switched. I've seen it said many times that probably the GREENEST thing that someone can do is to go veg and I believe it...because you're living so much lighter on the earth if you eat vegetarian/vegan. It takes alot more resources to produce let's say 5 pounds of beef protein than it takes to produce 5 pounds of bean protein, and the beef protein production is FAR more polluting to the earth.
Many people just can't imagine giving up meat/poultry for any reason though, let alone health or environmental causes, so if you're one of those, then consider seeking out a local organic farm to supply you with your meat, eggs, chicken, cow's milk, etc., and look for grass-fed beef, and free-range eggs and chickens...You'll be living ALOT lighter off the earth that way than if you buy from the factory farms, even the organic ones! BUT keep in mind that "organic" (even local ones) does not equate "animals being treated humanely" - but in general, definitely more so than factory farms.
Further, I would challenge you to start by making a couple meals every week veg...or goodness, even one day of meals...and that will lessen your environmental impact a GREAT deal! Or even better, go completely vegetarian/vegan - your body and the earth will thank you for it :). It's really easy and FUN and YUMMY honestly - if you ever want any recipe suggestions, just let me know!
This post was NOT intended to guilt any meat eaters out there, but rather get the info about factory farms and their effects on the environment out there...because, as I said, I truly wish I had been aware before...
Oh and the pics are yummy organic veggies from our local farmer's market we've been blessed to eat lately...
Our health has never been better since going veg (and since then vegan)...other factors involved of course like eating all-organic, taking probiotics, drinking lots of water, being as active as possible, and MANY others, but I know a huge part of it was the veg switch. I also feel so much lighter after eating, have more energy, and overall enjoy food more! Plus, our diet is naturally cholesterol-free and on average vegetarians/vegans are said to live longer...so there are many benefits of a veg diet!
Unfortunately, there is some concern/misinformation out there about it though...A balanced vegetarian/vegan diet provides you with more than the adequate amount of protein (meat eaters actually get MUCH more than their bodies need) and nutrients. As Americans, we're taught that every meal has to have some sort of meat or poultry for it to be complete, which is not true. Every meal needs a protein source and animals aren't the only source of this - grains, legumes (BEANS), and nuts all contain tons of protein.
Looking back, I really wish I had been aware of exactly what I was putting into my mouth when I ate those chicken strips years ago and how that chicken was raised, treated, and killed on the factory farms. Anyway, I think it's something to think about. I really believe "you are what you eat" and it's so important to truly think about the food you fuel your body with - where it came from, how it was grown/raised, etc. etc. - whether it be meat, vegetables, beans, fruit, chicken - whatever.
Many of you might already know about factory farms and it might not make a difference to you, but for those of you who don't know (because I'm pretty sure there are some), check out this website on factory farming conditions and then here's some more info on factory farms in the U.S....I won't go into the details here - they're pretty disgusting, shocking, and there's alot of cruelty involved - but please read for yourselves and see how you feel afterwards. I would be interested to hear if you still feel the same way about meat eating. Some people say "well, they're JUST animals..."...but would you treat your beloved dog or cat how factory farms treat animals? No, you wouldn't, so what's the difference with a cow or a chicken? Animals are animals...or at least that's how I see it.
As far as the environment, we know that our impact on the earth has been far less since we switched. I've seen it said many times that probably the GREENEST thing that someone can do is to go veg and I believe it...because you're living so much lighter on the earth if you eat vegetarian/vegan. It takes alot more resources to produce let's say 5 pounds of beef protein than it takes to produce 5 pounds of bean protein, and the beef protein production is FAR more polluting to the earth.
Many people just can't imagine giving up meat/poultry for any reason though, let alone health or environmental causes, so if you're one of those, then consider seeking out a local organic farm to supply you with your meat, eggs, chicken, cow's milk, etc., and look for grass-fed beef, and free-range eggs and chickens...You'll be living ALOT lighter off the earth that way than if you buy from the factory farms, even the organic ones! BUT keep in mind that "organic" (even local ones) does not equate "animals being treated humanely" - but in general, definitely more so than factory farms.
Further, I would challenge you to start by making a couple meals every week veg...or goodness, even one day of meals...and that will lessen your environmental impact a GREAT deal! Or even better, go completely vegetarian/vegan - your body and the earth will thank you for it :). It's really easy and FUN and YUMMY honestly - if you ever want any recipe suggestions, just let me know!
This post was NOT intended to guilt any meat eaters out there, but rather get the info about factory farms and their effects on the environment out there...because, as I said, I truly wish I had been aware before...
Oh and the pics are yummy organic veggies from our local farmer's market we've been blessed to eat lately...
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