While Visions of Vegetables Danced In Her Head

Three weeks from today, I will pick-up my first bounty of fresh picked, organic vegetables from a local family-run farm that practices sustainable agriculture. This makes me (almost) a farmer. I have prepaid for a weekly 1/2 bushel (See? I even know the lingo...) during the 23 week growing season and expect an abundance of tomatoes, okra, kale, cabbage, peppers, potatoes, carrots, corn, onions, garlic, tender, baby lettuces and an assortment of berries from sun-kissed May to chill-infused October. I can taste them now.

I'm imagining my drive to the pick-up location: Putamayo's "Music From The Wine Lands" playing while the sunroof sucks my hair out the top of the car; I get out, French straw market basket in-hand (see above), wearing a lovely botanical print dress (see right), smiling ear to ear (while remaining completely calm and cool) and skipping to the produce tent (or truck... or whatever they transport my delicious renderings from God's miracle concoction of seeds, water and sunshine in).

Why don't I feel this euphoria when I go to the supermarket? Well, maybe because Publix doesn't allow me the opportunity to get to know the people who are growing my food - I don't get to feel personally involved with the growing process and have a "partnership" with a family that benefits greatly from my interest in knowing where my food came from, how it was grown and who grew it. Plus Publix has never invited me to a picnic with hayrides, bonfires and garden tours.

Eating "with the seasons" is something I have never really done in my adult life because of the availability and growing practices of commercial producers. I'm not opposed to having "sun-ripened" tomatoes year-round, but something feels slightly contrived about it, not to mention it's not sustainable to my local area and I don't feel a personal connection to the source of something I take such pleasure in consuming.

After watching "Food, Inc." last week on PBS (which I highly recommend everyone I know to watch), I went to www.localharvest.org/csa and printed off a list of local growers. After settling on one that I felt excited about partnering with (you buy a "share" in their growing season), I'm also considering other ways to get involved with my food source locally - a "cow-share" program for raw milk (find out about the benefits of raw milk here) is my next mission. Stayed tuned... that could be a great adventure - with a totally different soundtrack, outfit and accessories.

flatout fantastic

"Ahhhhh! The cumbersome task of sandwich making!"

No, not really. But flatout has new Foldit Flatbreads that do make sandwiching less messy and for the truly lazy or sandwiching impaired, easier (I love the instructions to "make it, then fold it").

And for those of us that love lots and lots of veggies in their sandwiches, the Foldits are particularly handy (less spillage only if you don't eat the "closed" side of the bread - duh!).

For today's creation (a beautiful avocado, compari tomato, clover sprout and cheddar sammich), I tried the 5-Grain Flax bread. At only 100 calories, 8 grams of fiber and 8 grams of whole wheat, it's guilt free deliciousness.

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

I heard a quote that said, "You don't take a photograph. You ask, quietly, to borrow it."

In seeing these pictures of my grandmother, Edith Matthews Sadler; my grandfather, John Sadler and my great-grandparents Sam & Edith Matthews; I feel like I've borrowed a mere second in their lives. A day that was lived long before I, and even my parents, were born. I will never know what they did that day; their conversations and anticipations or what inspired the person behind the camera to take the shot, but I love knowing that shortly before or after this picture, there was a laugh let-out, a comment made, plans carried on with.

I had the opportunity to know my paternal grandparents, John & Edith ("Edie") Sadler, very well. Their presence in my life no doubt shaped who and what I am today. But as I've grown older, I've forgotten those subtleties about them that I failed to take permanent note of when I was very young. What I do still remember is Granny's lilting, mellifluous voice ushering us to take our shoes off at the door and Pop-Pop's irrefutable presence; steady, seasoned, certain. Granny's signature Estee Lauder pink lips and life-long love of the water as a true Floridian. Pop-Pop's always present coffee mug and just right dousing of Old Spice.

My sister is the spitting image of Granny. They share the same graceful manner and assertiveness. I don't know that I have any outstanding characteristics of her, other than my love of music and the very "Edie" way of walking sideways into someone when walking and talking to them at the same time. I remember her teaching us scales on the piano with the gentle tap of her finger nails on the keys and the painting of the girl on the spiral staircase that hung above the piano.

But all of these memories were things about her from later in her life. I love that these pictures show a shadow of people that I remember well, but who I did not know when these moments were captured.

Edith Matthews Sadler - Stewart, Florida
August 14, 1947
Edith Matthews with a friend
John Sadler Little Edie Sam Matthews (with his foot on the car)
Sam Matthews

Don't count your chickens before they hatch...

I did not know I wanted chickens until I saw this. Let me introduce the Eglu Modern Chicken Coop from Omlet (ingenious name!). "It's an ideal way to keep up to 10 chickens in a town, city or on a hobby farm. It features slide out dropping trays, hose clean surfaces, twin walled insulated, no maintenance and No Foxes Allowed protection. The eglu cube makes is easy to keep a large number of hens and leaves you with more time to enjoy the pleasures of owning chickens."

And what's THIS? That's right... it's a rabbit habitat from Eglu. The company promises happier bunnies and happier humans. Sounds pretty good to me...

But, wait... it gets better. These come in 5 colors to suit every fancy. I love this little company and it's mission to help those with limited space enjoy the benefits of rural life!