We are the Food Police!

Ahhhhhhhh.....the wedding is over!!!  My sis just got married last wedding and I swear I did and spent more than my own wedding!
Anyway onward!  So we are getting all the bikes ready and will be making our annual bike ride to church just in time for Mothers Day.  Yes ecogeek me only asked my family to take the long 40min ride to church for my Mothers Day gift and maybeeeee some annuals in a hanging basket would be nice too(Hint Hint!!) I love my bike, if I have to chose between my bike and my van I would chose it every time.  Ahhh yes.
So this Thursday I am very excited to be participating in a food related Social Justice group in Fond du Lac. I am hoping this will begin to educate our community to really what they are eating and why it is so important to eat organic whole and real food.  My focus is to perhaps revamp the school lunch program here in town that is need so badly.  Not so much for my own children but rather for the children that ONLY  get food from school.  The reason I feel there is a need is once a week I would join my two youngest children for breakfast.  The balance is really lacking.  So do you think a sweet roll and piece of toast is balance?  Or perhaps a soggy piece of waffle and a piece of toast is?  Oh they have fruit available but hardly none of these kids even pick it up.  This is very troubling to me.  So we have kids that tend my be overweight but undernourished.  This is why it is important.  We are in charge as adults, to care for the children of this community, and I plan to do my best!

How can I afford not too!

Monday, my Mom, her friend Diane, my daughter and I went to a Semina's, a new restaurant in the old Retlaw hotel serving local, virtually all organic food.  My daughter had the grassfeed beef burger, I knew it was as that is what I give my family at home.  I had the free range chicken unwich.  It was wrapped in lettuce!  I love that as I am watching my carbs.  They are doing more and more research and findings all those carbohydrates are really what is making us fat.  But everything in moderation.  Anyway, it was good.  I am giving them a plug because I would really like to see an organic local food movement start in Fond du Lac.  Our fine town has some very picky eaters so having a restaurant go over is big.  Good luck to them and please patronize them.
So when I was having this lovely dinner, my Mom's friend  says to me:  "how can you afford to feed your family organic food?"  I said:  HOW CAN I AFFORD NOT TOO!  Really, with having the knowledge that I have about conventional food laden with artificial colors and flavoring using some word I can't pro nose, high fructose corn syrup, antibiotics,  GMO-genetic modified organisms,  BGH,  vegies and fruit full of pesticides, herbicides and who knows what else.  Really, how can you afford not too.  How could I feed my kids stuff I knew could lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity the di-sease goes on and on.  I feel we have an obligation to our creator to take care of the children we created.  It is really caring for the earth as a whole because we are part of the whole.
We all have our priorities, things that we find of importance in our lives, things that we feel we can't live without, and this- good healthy natural living, to me and my family is what I put of great value.
-Namaste

Holy Week Minefulness

Be mindful in everything you do.  We all would love to do this right?  I did just that as I cleaned my outdated upstairs bathroom.  I prepared my cleaning solution, water, vinegar, drop of all natural dish soap and a drop of essential oil.  Went up a went to work on my beautiful home.  Things I took for granted,  I have a home to clean. I have running water.  I have a husband that works hard outside the home so I don't have too.  We don't think of our lives like this everyday.  This mindful thinking helped me to be more mindful of what our Lord wants us to be.
I song comes to mind, "If we are the body" by Casting Crowns.  "If we are the body, why aren't these arms reaching, hands healing, why aren't these words teaching...,  we need to be the body of Christ, in our words and actions.  In everything.  Jesus said(Matthew  25:42-45_For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.  he replied I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the these, you do not do for me.
What I am trying to get at is my mindfulness made me think of how fortunate I am in my life and how I need to be the body of Christ in my life.  The Lord made us stewards of the earth, to take care of it and to care for the people on it. Be mindful and your life will be lifted in everything you do.
Namaste!

Thoughts of an old friend dying of cancer today stirs my brain today.  You don't have to dig deep to find that nutrition is the heart of our vitality.  Being that said I strive everyday to feed my family and myself a healthy balanced diet.  Today this is my breakfast,  quinoa with blueberries, applesauce and some walnuts to garnish.  No added junk!!  For those that don't know about quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa) it is a wonderful asset to any one's diet.  Considered a whole protein(like Meat!!!!) if you want to be a vegan you can get all the protein you need from this grain that originated in South America.  This is also a really awesome breakfast for those of you that have a gluten allergy as it is virtually gluten free.  The reason I say this is because when processed it may contain traces of gluten for those who have a severe allergy.  You can get it at most supermarkets and my favorite place to go Village Market (http://villagemarketfdl.com/ ).  They have it in the bulk bin, way cheaper that way.
People need to realize we do have alternatives to meat and potatoes and we all need to break free of the typical American diet consumed with meat, corn, dairy, sugar, and wheat.  The old rules of a proper diet is dead wrong.  We need to eat more vegies and fruits and grains.  We need to eat more whole foods.  Our bodies work better when we fuel it with wonderful things.
I can always tell how I feel in the morning after having excess.  My fingers are swellen, I am groggy and lethargic.  I frankly have a food hangover!   You really are what you eat!
Namaste

Having thoughts of spring...

I didn't log in last week, wow a stay-at-home mom busy, no way!  We bought an almost new(2012) Dodge caravan, very nice but virtually the same van as we had but newer, nicer less miles you know!!  Anyway, this is our only as Christian my hubby rides his bike to work, that's right, in Wisconsin winters he rides to work.  I do drive him occasionally when the weather is not favorable for riding but he really likes it AND he wanted a Les Paul more.  You know priorities.  Anyone that don't know what a Les Paul is, its a guitar!
Anyway I have been really biting at the bit to ride my own bike.  I am not that daring to ride in winter.  It rained last night so I am hoping spring is just around the corner, but alas I should know better, I do live in Wisconsin!  So my munchkins are little yet, 4 and 7 and riding a 4 year old on a typical toddler bike seat is no longer an options soooo,  see the above,  We are building a rickshaw bike for the littles!!
Last fall we bought a adult tricycle and we are hoping it looks like the one above.  It would be plenty of room for my little man and woman to ride!  I told the hubby this is top on my list.(honeydoo)  It is just not a good idea for my Tristan to ride his own bike on busy Fond du Lac streets and Ivy is still too young for the tag-a-long bike. Tristan still has a problem at times,on the tag-a-log so this is our best bet.  I will post a picture when we are done!
We are moving right along with our 4/1 Earth at church.  I have to get together all the books, DVD, documentaries and magazines that reference being ecoconscience by Thursday when we have our next meeting.  I am in charge of of 2 movie nights.  I will let my local friends know when we will be having it and I am doing a presentation on natural cleaning products.  I got Christian in on the act.  A few year back I asked for a rain barrel for my birthday.  I never ask for normal stuff!!  He did such a beautiful job I volunteered him to do a presentation on it, and you know what?  He actually don't mine.  I guess I am rubbing off on him!

Thinking out loud

Yes this is the typical Wisconsin winter, heavy snow and alot of it.  It was my workout today, shoveling.  The kiddos have a two hour delay so my little girl, Ivy will not have school today as she is a 4ker.
I thought I would touch on my world a bit and talk of yoga.  I have been doing yoga for 12 years now, total dedication for the past 4 years.  I love it!  When you are over 40 and have creeks and aches you didn't have before it is a blessing, and the spiritual side to it is an added bonus.  I have been mostly doing routines online with a guide.  But my guru Rodney Yee,(never meet him, but would love to!) said until you do a yoga session alone...well it was wonderful!  I felt no pressure to do certain asana a certain way, no rushing.  It was great.  I even sat in meditation for a bit longer.  Now after I do my stationary bike I do some sun salutations.  I don't feel achy after and I feel more grounded throughout the day.  This is one of those moments when you just know you are doing the right thing for your body.  I am taking care of the temple that divine has giving me to house my soul.  Isn't life wonderful!

My life is never dull

My church Pilgrim UCC has a wonderful adult education program.  It is held during Sunday school.  I occasionally go, that is if the subject peaks my interest.  The last two weeks has been on local food and where to find it.  Of course that interested me!  The first class gave reasons why, such as fresher, using less resource to get it to you, knowing where your food is coming from etc.  Well that really was exciting.  Paul and Sara Huber, the couple that did the presentation is starting a CSA  farm this summer.  Those of you who are not familiar with CSA it is community supported agriculture. You get a "share" for an annual price, approximately  $40 a week.  So I know I spend way more that that a week on produce!  This is the exciting part, I am going to work the farm for me share!  For each share it is 4 hours a week.  I can handle that!  I love gardening and to work with a young couple that has even more passion that me that is a bonus.  I will be starting in April, I am sure I will have plenty of fun stuff to say when that time comes.