Where I've Been

I didn't actually set out to ignore this poor little blog. And I didn't mean to give up on Homemade365's homemade challenge. But life, well, it has had different plans for me. :)

Most of y'all know about K and her eczema issues. This has been a struggle for our family for over 5 years now. But we are finally getting close to a solution! Allergy testing revealed that out of the 96 possible food allergens they tested for, K was allergic to all 96 of them!!! Now, we're pretty sure that it must be a few big hitters that are making her system so over-reactive. For the last almost 2 months, we have been tinkering with her diet, trying to find the right combinations of foods that will keep her healthy and still allow her system to heal. Currently, K is completely without gluten, dairy, soy, egg, pork, nuts, beef, avocados, carrots, and I'm sure a few other things I can't remember off the top of my head (please don't worry if it sounds extreme... we're working with our doctors and nutritionists etc... she's in good hands). And little by little we are seeing improvements. I can't even begin to describe how amazing this is for us! It has not been an easy change for me to deal with, but helping K get better makes the whole struggle worthwhile.

But the progress is slower than we'd like (isn't it always?). Wheat is K's biggest allergen, and I have a suspicion than there is lots of accidental exposure occuring.... a few crumbs in the jelly jar, crumbs in the toaster, accidental wheat exposure at restaurants, that sort of thing. So as of tomorrow, everyone in the Owl Nest will be gluten free. No more wheat for this family. I'm looking forward to seeing if this helps.

Dealing with diet changes turned my world on its head. Right when I finally felt like things were hitting their stride, I had to change the way I approached everything about feeding my family. This was hard, and lead to more than one late night crying session. Change, even for a good reason, is still very, very hard. But I am finally getting back to a place where things feel normal, though my normal is completely different from what it was before. And that's good, I think. That means I'm growing. But the growing pains stink!


In the meantime, besides dealing with food, I've been working on a few of my New Year's resolutions (which I never did find time to blog about). I tried hard to make these attainable, and to have my list look more like a set of goals for 2010 and less like a set of "reinvent my whole life this instant" directives.

But, in an effort to re-motivate myself, and because I'm honest like that, here are my resolutions for 2010, along with a mini-update about how I'm doing so far.

1. Give up soda: ah, the saga continues. I lasted almost three weeks. Then it was a sip here, a sip there, and then WHAM back to making trips through the drive through for mega-sized 44 oz sodas. I have realized that this may have to be an all-or-nothing thing for me. SIGH. I'm currently working through this and have weaned myself to half a bottle of Coke a day. That's progress at least.

2. Run at least 2 5k's before the year is up: must start walking first! :) I miss my running days (also know as my pre-momma days... J is seven (and a HALF)... it's been a long time). I took a tour of the gym today. I think that's what I'll be up to this summer!

3. Read through my 2010 booklist: so far I have read a few of the books I set out to read. Making unsurprisingly good progress. I'll post my booklist later. This post is long enough already. I'll even try to remember to link to it.

4. Learn to knit: well, I have about 6 inches of a poorly knitted scarf to prove that I am trying. It's going to be a long road though :)

5. Write more: we've probably all noticed that blogging more isn't really happening. But writing is. I am working on a novel, reading books on writing (very typical of me... if there is a book on a topic, I will read it), and feeling creative and happy about it.

I am sure there were a few other resolutions, but I lost the list I wrote them on. I'll bet, though, that Get Organized and Stop Losing Things were both on the list :)


So, that is where I've been. Now that life has reached a manageable point again, you can look forward to more blogging. I'm sure I'll have some new gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) recipes to share, some updates on the writing process, complaints about how sore and tired I am from working out, maybe some 5K results, and fun updates on the Little Owls. We'll be schooling through the summer, so look for updates on that, too. Thanks to those who've hung around!!!

Have a great weekend!
OWL MOMMA

CSA Goodness

A few weeks ago, we starting receiving a half share in our local CSA . A friends picks up the CSA share, and I pick up half of it a day later. I have to say, I am REALLY excited about this.


First of all, I feel like I am really doing something I believe in. I've always wanted to join a CSA, but for reasons unknown I've never done it. I love knowing that my money is going to support local organic farming, and that I am getting super farm-fresh veggies for my family. The kids love preparing supper using veggies from "the farmer".


It's like Christmas for me, receiving our bag of organic, locally-grown veggie goodness, unsure of what treasures are in inside. Our produce share is dependent on what is ready for harvest that week and will change throughout the season. The first week, we received a giant bunch of green onion, some swiss chard, a head of leaf lettuce, some spinach, and a head of cauliflower with the beautiful leaves still attached.


Because I am determined not to waste any of this yumminess, I am getting to flex my creative kitchen muscles a bit. We are all eating more fresh veggies, which is great. Lots of salad, lots of green mixed into our dishes. Yum! I have to admit, though, I was stumped by what to make with the cauliflower leaves! Who knew they were edible! I ended up sauteing them in oil and garlic, and adding them to a super delicious bean and sausage soup. So Good!


So, in honor of that, here is the recipe I finally settled on (adapted from a recipe in Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely)

Bean and Sausage Soup
one lb bulk Italian sausage
onion
garlic
lots and lots of fresh greens (we used about 4 cups)
a cup veggies (a yellow squash is called for, but this is one of those times when you can use up pretty much anything)
4 cups cooked white beans (can use two cans, drained)
4 quarts chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning to taste
cheese to garnish (a romano or parmesan works the best but we have used just whatever we have)

Brown one pound of bulk sausage, set to the side (we make our own bulk sausage, seasoning up local grassfed ground beef).

Take lots of greens from the CSA, like chard and cauliflower leaves, and saute in olive oil. Add lots of fresh garlic, and chopped bunching onion or whatever onion you have on hand. Saute until greens wilt and onions are soft.

Add whatever other veggies you are including and saute for a moment or
two.

Add remaining ingredients, including the cooked sausage, and heat. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with cheese on top, and fresh baked rolls or biscuits.

Enjoy!!!!