Weekend Ramble

With the weather reaching near spring time temperatures this weekend, I spent a portion yesterday transferring my ready(and some not quite ready) compost to our raised beds,mulching,raking and generally getting ready to get ready for spring!
I am sooo ready for the higher temps of spring,to open windows and air out my home, to enjoy the birds,flowers and all the new growth of spring! Now, if we could just have all that good stuff without the reemerging bugs and skyrocketing pollen counts. Well, one must take the good with the not so good I suppose.
I did plant some of the really early stuff-peas,lettuces,green onions,and parsley. Next week-plant the potatoes in the potato box,and maybe even the second raised bed as well. That's a lot of potatoes if I do! Not that we won't eat every one,mind. In my mind, there is no such thing as a bad potato recipe.
Speaking of food, our Real Food Challenge,here, www.realfoodchallenge.com is going surprisingly well. I actually think I am having the hardest time adjusting to less processed foods, if my ransacking the kitchen in hopes of chips last night was any indication. I have learned a couple things in the last few weeks,though. Such as:

1. Processed is REALLY convenient. Rice-A-Roni, for example is as simple as your can get and takes almost no time. Making it from scratch takes only 15-20 minutes longer, but if you're like me and it suddenly occurs to you at 5:34 p.m. that you need to get dinner, timing can be an issue,not to mention actually having the ingredients to make from scratch. I'm learning to take a minute or two during breakfast to think about what to have for dinner. Imagine that-me, thinking ahead! Wonders of wonders!LOL

2. It amazes me how much longer the kids(and adults) stay full when we eat things made with whole wheat,etc. The kids normally eat 2 full bowls of cereal for breakfast and are hungry in about 3 hours. This week we had whole wheat blueberry buckle, and both kids had two pieces and were full until lunch, 4 hours later. Of course, I had 4 pieces and couldn't move for the next hour.

3. If deprived of chips and snack foods, my kids will eat fruits and veggies as snacks-voluntarily! They keep doing this and it's freaking me out just a little bit. Salsa is this weeks dip of choice. Equally good with tortillas and apples, I've been told.

4. This last one has surprised me. I find the kids have not asked for chips,candy,cookies,etc. I thought they would be begging me for snack foods, but much to my surprise, they have not asked for anything. They have been asking for me to make various homemade goodies, which I gladly do most of the time. Both the kids and Husband have stated they prefer homemade to commercial made almost every time. I do take this as a great compliment, but I also keep in mind they will pretty much eat anything that can't run fast enough. Remember these are the kids that have eaten earthworms,pill bugs, and an occasional spider in their toddler years. So there is that.

5. We have started getting deliveries from Nature's Garden Delivered, a company that will deliver fresh organic, and when possible local foods right to your doorstep. It's amazing how much more interested the kids are when they can pick the fruits and veggies we get! Now if I can only get them enthused about hauling compost for me....