Raw Food Birthday!

Okay, I started this year with a goal of eating 50% raw. Then I had a goal of not visiting a grocery store for the month of April.   I didn't come close to meeting either goal.  Pregnancy (okay having a toddler AND being pregnant) make it more difficult to plan anything, let alone learn new ways of cooking or doing things quickly!!!  We do have at least 2 vegetarian days per week.  And since we do so much shopping at the farmers market (or in our backyard) we do have 1-2 all-local meals a week.
The raw diet is so easy but it is a long learning curve and has so many new techniques for cooking.  I love eating the food tho - so it's hard for me not to have it in me to convert at least 50%.  So this week, I talked with my recently converted "raw" foodie friend who has taken it all on and done really well (is curbing her endometriosis, in fact) and have been re-inspired.  So go figure that on my birthday, a day usually filled with Betty Crocker cake mix, I find a "raw strawberry shortcake" at my favorite food place www.healthycreations.com (I actually can go to the location....it's not like they sell this online).  Anyway - I had to show this off because not only was it beautiful, it was absolutely scrumptious.  And now I am re-inspired.  With my birthday money, I'm buying the vitamix. I will have no more excuses not to go raw!! I hope to learn how to do nut milks and make a few basic recipes before baby comes so I can get back on the 100% healthy bandwagon once I no longer have the pregnancy excuse!  I can't tell you how many meatballs I've eaten in the last 8 months. Makes me sick thinking about it!

Basically, the "cake" is almonds, coconut oil, agave/honey, and dates.  The frosting is cashew nut paste with honey (OMG so yummy).

We started the day with an egg over avocado, goat cheese, and arugula on toast (see, your kids really do eat what you eat...or what you give them!).

And I splurged on a latte - only made with Teechino rather than coffee.  Again - super yum.

Okay, I thought it was funny that all my "birthday" pix were of Kaelyn so here is one she took of me with Kdogger.  Approaching 32 weeks - still praying this little guy holds on and all goes okay.  

Garden Update

My good friend Karen came to visit last week and really helped to reinvigorate me on this blog.  I kind of assumed no one was looking at it anymore so I was letting it go.  But I've been hearing of several lurkers who were wondering why my posts stopped.  So I promise to post here more often.

First, I'll make a garden update.  The winter garden is still chugging along. Lots of broccoli and lettuce and chard.  We are just now getting our plants into the garden for the summer and will finish this weekend. Here I was thinking I had a head start over last year (memory told me we planted in June) but after looking back, it was Karen who helped me start the garden and it was early April.  I still can't believe that a whole year has gone by since we lost Liliana - and that we planted this garden for the first time only 3 weeks after we lost her.
Anyway - here are some pix of the garden....

Here is Karen's visit...she's picking out her tomatoes to take home!

Broccoli doing well - funny that only a week later it is now big and ready to eat...yummy!

These are some shelling peas that are blooming (again, only a week later they are more than a foot taller) and promising lots of peas!

The last of the celery (top row) - we just removed this to prepare for the summer tomatoes!

This is an old photo of Mike and his baby tomatoes (out of 120 seeds planted, over 90 made it). They are all 6 inches or taller now!  We've been giving them away and planting them.  Mike even dug up 4 rows for 3 tomatoes each in the front yard!!!