Mom, Dad and I just got back from the farm. For those of you who aren't familiar with me or my family, my parents are avid gardeners, tree, vegetable and flower growing experts and pond enthusiasts. This farm is my parents' weekend house where they have plenty of space to garden...it's basically a vegetable/tree/flower farm. They go down every weekend with few exceptions. Even though I've been living at home this semester to get my health back on track, I've gotten into the habit of staying home when they go because it's difficult to bring my juicer, blender, tea tree oil, netti pot, coconut oil, raw nuts, oatmeal, yogurt, toiletries, clothing, supplements...you get the picture. Anyways, I really needed to get away from my health worries this weekend so I went down on Friday with them. We got there in the afternoon and my brother showed up a few hours later. He came to go fishing with Dad in the morning, but also to hang out.
The weather was unbelievable for the middle of April: 90 degrees Sunday afternoon! We never turn the AC on this early in the year, which I'm starting to question, and the kittens who were born last fall have never experienced this heat. They just laid around in the shadows during the day. Anyway, IT'S SPRING! And it's time to eat loads of fresh picked vegetables:
The asparagus patch:
Views from the front porch while eating lunch:
It is really difficult to stick with the diet when I travel. I know this technically wasn't "travel," but I still had to bring most of my "supplies" and I was away from my things like my bath tub, my air purifier, organic cotton sheets, small kitchen appliances, decent grocery stores, etc. My problem this weekend was that I have horrible seasonal allergies and the pollen count was off the charts. It was one of those weekends that your car gets covered in a green film of pollen, so I wanted to stay away from it all. But, being indoors I'm around the cats, and I'm also allergic to them. I keep them out of my bedroom by closing the door, but who is going to stay locked up in the bedroom on a weekend that gorgeous? Not me! So I stayed indoors as much as possible...And...what happens when you're stuck inside, bored, itchy, uncomfortably hot, and congested? You wander into the kitchen to see what's in the fridge...or pantry...and the only things that look good enough to give you a little pleasure to counteract all the bad are the things I shouldn't eat! So, I made a grocery list of food items to bring next time so the farm fridge and pantry will be stocked with goodies for robin. These are some of the things I am going to keep there so I won't slip up:
frozen fish and beef
dandelion, peppermint and pau d'arco tea
vegetable glycerin and stevia (my alternative sweetners)
lemons
oatmeal
yogurt/grapefruit popcicles
sea salt
gluten-free, sugar-free, nightshade-free baking mixes (Yes, I have found a brand that carries this! Namaste. )
brown rice and barley
toasted nuts with butter, sea salt, and a little veggie glycerin
rice milk for emergencies
and I'll bring fresh eggs, goat milk, yogurt and sauerkraut
Views from the front porch while eating lunch: