recap:: january goals

this week will go down in history as the week of the plague. 

i was feeling a bit under the weather during the farming conference this past weekend- a sore throat, some coughing, low energy. you know where this is going. as we drove home on sunday afternoon, those three hours felt like an eternity. my entire body- even my teeth, people!- ached. i could barely speak from the sore throat & lack of energy. as soon as we arrived home, i crawled into bed. luke checked my temperature & a high 101 concluded that i was indeed sick.

a doctor's vist & some meds later, it was confirmed- i had the flu. luke has the patience of an angel & prepared miso soup, super food smoothies & a plethora of other get-well-soon! foods.

on tuesday night, just as i was feeling well enough to lift my head without feeling dizzy, i felt something in my hair. i had noticed earlier that my head was extra itchy, but it's january so hey! a dry scalp is pretty normal. as i pulled the living creature from my hair & looked closer, i kind of freaked out. i had spent the week before with a bunch of adorable, preciously dirty & germy elementery school kiddos who had passed on this beautiful case of the flu. in my state of insanity, i googled "head lice" & was shocked to find that the little bug in my palm matched the one on the screen. 

i bawled my eyes out. a few phone calls later, i called my dear friend & lice expert & bawled some more. she told me what to do & luke was out at the store in less than a second. in the dark hours of the night, i was in a ball on the floor with my head propped over the tub, weak & achy with a fever, while luke sprayed my head with a mix of listerine & tea tree oil using what he referred to as "a spray bottle"... also known as an industrial sprayer with a hand pump used to spray compost tea. that night i looked extra gorgeous with wet hair covered in a plastic shower cap while i slept. 

so needless to say, i have been quarantined from all of society. today i am feeling a bit of lifted spirits & hope to leave my dark & lonely cave by saturday. until then, this has been the perfect time to wrap up my january goals. after all that, do you even care about the success of my goals? we'll see...

1. wedding album: i had high hopes for you. after a bit of poor planning & film negatives that took three weeks to scan from our local film shop, i failed miserably. i thought i might get it done by the end of this month if i rushed, but no one wants a rushed wedding album. so, i'm not letting the guilt get to me. i have one huge step behind me & hope to finish the album by spring. 

2. read & complete a book: i finished 7! the plague was good for something. the ending was just as good as i thought it would be. i love being a book person.

3. drink water: i drank way more water this month than i usually do during the winter. i noticed that i drink more water when i have lemons & a straw. i also drank one glass of water in the morning before any coffee or tea & that was a great way to start my day. i think this new goal is sticking.

i'll be back tomorrow with fresh goals for february!

love,

natalie

p.s. i have to know. have you ever had head lice?

an exciting weekend

 just a few shots from my mornings this week

i am packing for this weekend's exciting trip to the southern sawg conference- also known as three days of networking & gaining practical tools for sustainable farming practices in the southern region. luke & i have been looking forward to these few days of geeking out with other farmers, foodies & educators since last year's get-together. 

i am packing homemade chocolate oatmeal cookies for the trip, a knitting project to work on inbetween classes & my notebook to fill with inspiring ideas, contacts & tools. i cannot wait to share my findings with you!

love,

natalie

a book review: 7

oh, books. you are wonderful.

my favorite goal this month is reading & finishing one book. it seems so small, but for my lifestyle, it can be a bit challenging. i love books, but finishing a book is really my problem. i go from one issue/topic/title to another & never read that final page. "have you read such & such?" "yes, the first fifty pages of (insert really great book here)!" 

a lot of folks in this space & instagram have asked what book i picked up. i haven't finished yet (hey! i still have 8 days left!), but i thought it might be of some interest to you to know. this month i chose 7: an experimental mutiny against excess by jen hatmaker. 

i love this book & it has radically changed my life & perspective in a really quiet way. let me explain. this book is ultimately about fasting from excess to allow more room for God to move. jen & her family "took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day disease of greed, materialism & overindulgence."

 i am very intentional about not sharing my spiritual life in a way that you as a reader might find uncomfortable. of course, if you read between the lines i hope you find that i do have that inner peace that is found in a higher being. above all, my choice to live an intentional life is rooted in God. my husband and i believe that we are to care for the earth, protect our resources & use them wisely, grow food & care for our neighbors because in the beginning, we were called as humans to do so. 

all of that being said, this book has quietly, yet radically, changed my life because instead of choosing to strip myself of all of my possesions & live in a cardboard box, i am asking myself at the store, "do i really need that?" i haven't quit my job to serve in a small village overseas, but my perspective on how i can meet others needs here with my unearned privileges & overabundance of resources has radically shifted. in my own quiet way, i am finding ways to give rather than purchase, make rather than consume, resist rather than give in.

& i believe that's the whole point of 7. how do we share community, live fuller lives, raise families & work where we are without giving it all up because of guilt or frustration for what we have & others don't? i think it's through our daily, intentional choices & challenging ourselves to fight the excess- to really investigate where our possessions are made & our food is grown, to find ways to meet the needs of our neighbors & love them, to use our time effectively so we can live lives that bear good fruit.

i am excited about reading the final pages of this book. i hope you'll pick it up, too.

love,

natalie

retreating

we retreated to a cabin near the lake for our annual family retreat. luke's family began this tradition when he was just a wee tot & now that i have been added to the family, it's my favorite tradition of all- one that we will adopt when we have a family of our own. luke's mother & i dreamed this weekend of one day having the families of all of the siblings gathered together to dream up what that year might hold. for now, though, we snuggle together, all seven of us, to dream & set goals & enjoy each other's company.

we played games (monopoly deal, anyone?), made sushi rolls & had dessert with (almost) every meal. i knitted while luke ordered medicinal herb seeds for our summer garden. we napped & took early morning walks while it was still dark. 

what a wonderful year it has been & will continue to be.

happy monday!

love,

natalie

cabin getaway packing essentials

this evening we are leaving for our family retreat & heading to a cabin nearby. we gather with luke's parents & siblings each year, exchanging goals for the new year & reflecting on the previous. we draw & read, snack & talk, hike & play outdoor games. it's truly the most relaxing weekend & i savor it every year. 

since my first family retreat a little over three years ago, i've slowly perfected my packing essentials & would like to share some of those with you. if you happen on an opportunity to unplug in a cabin with loved ones, this packing list is for you!

1. snacks & tea. luke's parents are often the ones responsible for our menu (each meal voted on & agreed by the majority with special modifications for the extra picky), but i like to surprise the family with a few snacks & special drinks. this year i am bringing popcorn with fun toppings & my favorite chocolate chip cookies when a sweet treat is needed. i also like to bring an assortment of teas along with a few of my favorite mugs to make our space feel a little more 'at home.' 

2. layers. the weather is often unpredictable so i bring a small zip-up bag of comfortable layers. i always pack a pair of jeans for hiking along with my favorite wool sweater with wooden buttons. i like to bring a handful of shirts, including my long-sleeve striped shirt & a few neutral colored v-neck t-shirts to layer on top. i always pack thick socks & slippers to cozy up on the couch along with a few hand knits for walks with my camera.

3. books & projects & cameras. i love having a few projects on hand for those quiet moments in-between family time & meals. i always bring a book & my latest knitting project. this year i am also packing a small canvas bag of scrapbooking materials to finish our vacation photo book (more on that later!) from this summer. of course, let's not forget the several rolls of film & the three cameras i am carrying along to capture those special moments.

i am excited to see what this year's retreat brings! see you monday, friends!

love,

natalie

thankful list

this week's been a little hard. my bones feel achy as a slow, yet persistent, sickness creeps in. i have a long list of to do's & strict deadlines to complete before the end of the week & my body is telling me to simply rest.

 in the mix of life, work, & relationships, it can be difficult to see past the challenging moments. here's just a small list of things i am thankful for this week because sometimes, reminding ourselves of the goodness is exactly what we need:

- dinner lastnight with luke. roasted squash from the farm, sauteed local mushrooms & brussels sprouts with local brown rice.

- three eggs a day. the girls are finally laying regularly & seeing those cherished eggs in their nest makes the day much brighter.

- coffee dates & knitting group. there's nothing quite like a friend who just gets you. thankful for my community.

- a good book. still reading & loving every minute of it.

- the light in our home. it's magical. i wish i could invite you over for tea to enjoy it with me.

- citrus. i love grapefruits & their happy pink color. they are equally delicious, too.

join along, too, in a thankful list if that's what you need today.

love,

natalie

food budgeting & a great recipe

let's talk food. mixed with budgets & meal planning for the entire family, it can be a bit of a challenge. our family began meal planning & budgeting before luke & i got married when we began the discussion of sharing our money.  i've had a little over four years to make mistakes, jump for joy in my successes, spend one week's worth of food on thrift store finds (oops!) & eat only beans the next. sometimes i get really into meal planning & watching our dollar stretch; other times, we're lucky to have spaghetti with store-bought sauce. i believe it's all part of life's rhythm, but i am trying to be more consistent for our health & our sanity.

we spend about $65 every week on food for the two of us. this includes every meal at home, any meal or side we may prepare for a potluck or party, our booze, & our household needs including cleaning supplies & toilet paper. this does not include date night, which we allow $40 for each month. we do have a few advantages- we have a surplus of meat from the farm, which i don't utilize enough because i am so used to preparing vegetarian meals. we have a flock of chickens who provide our eggs & sweet potatoes to feed an army along with a handful of other vegetables fairly consistently. our $65 does not allow for a completely organic diet, although we do make many sacrifices to fit organic dairy & as many fruits & vegetables into our budget as possible. 

with that said, it does take a lot of strategic planning to meet our $65 budget each week. i want to share with you a versatile recipe that has allowed me to make our budget work while providing a seasonal dinner & a lunch on-the-go option.

black bean sweet potato burritos

adapted from simply in season, winter chapter

makes 8 burritos

ingredients:

4 cups sweet potatoes, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cups cooked black beans 

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 whole-wheat flour tortillas

1 cup cheddar cheese

just a few tips: always prepare more beans than the recipe calls for. black beans are a great lunch starter or can be used for another meal idea such as friday night vegetarian taco salad. try to soak your beans overnight, although this step is not absolutely necessary. you can always do the quick boiling method or simply plop them in the pot to cook at the last minute. i prefer my beans soaked, but sometimes we forget. also, i cook my beans in a crockpot on high during the day when i am at work. when i get home, i have beans ready to go.

directions:

preheat oven to 350F.

saute your sweet potatoes & onions in the largest frying pan you can find in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. this takes about 30 minutes. add water as needed to prevent sticking.

once potatoes are tender, add your cooked black beans, cumin, cinnamon, & salt. cook until all is heated, about five minutes.

lay out your flour tortillas & disperse shredded cheese. divide your sweet potato-bean mixture equally among the tortillas & roll up burrito style. place in a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch baking pan. cover pan with foil & bake in oven for 20 minutes.

garnish with plain yogurt or sour cream & salsa. dinner's ready!

with your leftovers, roll them up in tinfoil & freeze. these guys make PERFECT lunches. set them out the morning before your lunch hour to thaw. unwrap the aluminum foil & pop them in the microwave for a few minutes or keep the foil on & heat them in the oven for five minutes at 350F.

with this recipe, we can have one delicious dinner for two & 6 on-the-go lunches. 

do you have any easy, affordable, whole recipes to share? & as always, let me know if you have any questions! 

love,

natalie