Maybelline

Friends. Allow me to introduce you to Maybelline; the producer of the most delicious milk south of the Mason-Dixon line and a poster child for Latisse eyelash enhancer.

I ventured out to Amish country again this weekend (along with my co-op partners in crime Tammi & Jodi) for milk pick-up and a corn pickin' good time. We saw a rat the size of a cat cross the highway in record time, wild turkeys, tobacco drying in authentic tobacco barns, scriptures posted on ancient oak trees, gorgeous teams of draft horses hoeing corn and some of the most beautiful countryside in Kentucky.

The Amish are inspiring with their dedicated work ethic and resourcefulness. It's actually intimidating. I never know quite what to wear (how superficial does this make me sound?) on my trips to Amish country, so a costume change was voted necessary after Tammi & Jodi deemed my top (one I wear to church...) "whorish" for the Amish.

The picture to the left is of us carrying in the large cooler into the milk barn. The cows are milked in the morning before we arrive for pick-up and the milk is immediately put in a water-cooled refrigeration system. All of the cows looked very pleased with themselves when we pulled up (especially Maybelline because she is a Supermodel). Good job, girls!

Love,
bunny

The Land of Milk and Honey

I didn't realize how much I have come to depend on the raw milk that I've been getting since May until we had a botch in our co-op's ordering process last week and I found myself raw milk-less. After buying some "regular" organic milk (I feel like such a snob saying this), it tasted void of nutritional benefits and almost chemical. A friend of mine claims pasteurized organic milk tastes like chlorine to her after converting (reluctantly at that) to the raw milk ways. I tend to agree.

Another unexpected surprise from our partnership with the Amish family that we get our milk from is the amazing sweet cream butter and pickled organic beets they sell (I buy a quart jar regularly). My new favorite snack is beets, goat cheese, honey and pine nuts tossed together in a symphony of deliciousness... complemented very nicely with a Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon.

Though I've been trying to eat mostly raw (not as hard as I thought it would be), I'm actually following a half raw and half macrobiotic lifestyle (hey, you have to find what works for you!). I'm getting my whole grains through Ezekiel Bread (which my husband calls "Bible Bread") and feel great just knowing what the highly digestible, simple ingredients are: Organic Sprouted Wheat, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Spelt, Filtered Water, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt.

As far as the CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) program is going, I get so excited to pick-up my 1/2 bushel of locally grown, organic veggies each Wednesday. The investment has certainly not disappointed and the weekly yield is mainly comprised of squash, zucchini, corn, tomato, cucumbers, eggplant (multiple varieties), bell pepper, sugar baby watermelon, cantaloupe and okra (my favorite!). Delvin Farms is already planning their fall crops and in addition to a break in the 100+ degree heat index we've been having, I'm so looking forward to the potatoes, acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash coming in... Mmmm.

Speaking of the heat, my favorite drink to combat dehydration (preferably while poolside) is chilled Coconut Water. With health benefits like more electrolytes than the leading sports drink (i.e.: Gatorade) and more potassium than 2 bananas, coconut water is harvested from green coconuts (before the inside turns to "meat" and the water turns to fatty "milk") and contains high levels of lauric acid, what the body uses to make monolaurin, a disease-fighting fatty acid derivative (with anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that protect the body against various infections and boost the immune system).

I will say that I noticed how much earlier the sun is setting... and how school is about to begin again, so I'm trying to savor the last days of summer!

Love,
bunny