Klein Haus Happenings

So much has happened since my last post on here! 

Our chicks arrived:

Some of the chicks in the box they were shipped in.

We enjoyed a busy but fun spring break:

We added to our garden, and sampled a preview of our bounty:

Bub thoroughly enjoyed every bit of that tiny radish--leaves and all! And he'll typically turn down a store-bought radish, so that is a big deal!

My dad finished our cabinet doors, and they were installed!

We had a {semi-successful} yard sale, and enjoyed the company of family and some dear friends.

Apparently bunny breeding has begun...

Munchkin, one of our bucks, enjoying a relaxing afternoon  out of his cage.
 {He then proceeded to dig a couple holes in Sissy's garden, suspending bunny free-time in the yard.}

Spring is in full swing, as evidenced by possibly my worst seasonal allergy attack ever. That also means that Lily, our pregnant doe is getting ready to kid.

Sweet Mama

And our chicks (now 2 weeks old) are getting their big girl feathers!

I'll be back tomorrow with our meals for the week and the meatloaf recipe. Now it's time to buckle down and get back into the school mindset after our 10-day break. Happy Monday!

What's Been Hiding in My Closet {and our weekly meal plan}

Half of my KCC stash for tomorrow's sale

I have been busy, busy, busy the past few days preparing for the Kid's Closet Connection consignment sale. I have been saving the kid's out-grown clothes, toys, and baby gear for the last year in preparation for this sale. This is my third time participating (our move prevented me from getting in on their last fall sale), and I love it more every time! Each Spring and Fall, Kid's Closet Connection holds several sales around my metropolitan area. Moms from all over price and tag their gently used kids' items, and drop them off at their local sale. KCC takes care of the rest, advertising (often on the news, etc.), and manning the sales. Consignors can even volunteer to help out in exchange for a KCC gift certificate. At the end of the sale you have the option to pick up any unsold items, or KCC will donate the leftovers to a charity of their choice. In addition to the obvious benefit of de-cluttered closets, consignors can earn a nice return on their time & item investmen--a whopping 70% of their sales, minus a small ($12.50) advertising fee.

I LOVE these sales because I make money, but they're also great for saving money. With over 200 families participating in each sale, there are SO MANY great deals to be found, whether you are just starting your family, searching for maternity clothes and baby gear, or are outfitting your middle-or high-schooler. First-time, foster, and military moms, as well as volunteers are allowed to shop the night before. And if you like their Facebook page, you can get an early-shopping pass and enter to win a $100 gift certificate! {Click here to find a sale in your area!}

Unfortunately, I have really procrastinated this time (which I swore I wouldn't do!), and I have about 200 items to prep and drop off tomorrow afternoon--my local sale starts Wednesday. As a result, I have slacked a bit with my dinner planning for this week. My parents watched our kiddos on Saturday so we could go out on our anniversary date, so I didn't get to the Mongolian beef last week. We'll be having that tonight. Also on our table this week will be:

• Spaghetti squash with some Aidell's sausage I scored at Costco last week
• fish tacos
• ground {grass-fed} beef tacos (I'll have these & the fish on top of a salad. Kids will have them deconstructed, and Hubby will eat them with tortillas.)
• Orange Chicken (I'll sub coconut aminos for the soy sauce)
• Blackened Skirt Steak BLT Salad

{I am in no way profiting from this post--unless you attend the sale & buy some of my stuff this week!--and KCC has no idea I was planning to write this post. Just wanted to pass on some great deals!} Have you ever participated in a consignment sale? What's on your table this week?

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday.

Introducing Jax

We added another memeber to the family on Sunday. We actually were not planning to add a dog, as we've decided no more dogs indoors. However, our neighborhood--suburban though it may be--has an issue with coyotes, and we've toyed a bit with getting a dog to protect our livestock. Hubby mentioned this casually on Saturday night when we were visiting with friends who recently purchased a puppy. Although I detest cleaning up doggie messes in my house, I am fond of the creatures, and the kids have wanted a puppy for as long as I can remember. I took advantage of this opportunity and began searching my go-to online classifieds. We soon discovered that your typical guard dogs are not necesarily great at protecting livestock. Enter: Livestock Guardian Dogs.

I didn't even know these creatures existed before Sunday. There are actually certain dogs bred specifically for guarding goats and sheep. These are not sheep dogs, which look to the shepherd for guidance, but intelligent guardians who act on their own instinct to protect their flock. Since herding is not particularly widespread in our big city, we didn't find much in the way of Lifestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) for sale. We also were specifically searching for a puppy we could train around our own animals from the beginning, which further narrowed our search. Fortunatley, we found one litter of Anatolian Shepherd puppies for sale. We researched the breed, and were pleased with what we read. Anatolians are calm, loyal dogs well-suited for extreme heat (they originated in Turkey). Currently Anatolians are used by farmers in Africa as a non-lethal deterrant to keep cheetahs from taking livestock.

We chose the breeder's favorite puppy, whose dad was a "gentle giant" at 185 pounds. Jax bonded with us quickly, and definitely identifies us as his flock. Now we are working to integrate him with his real flock. We're not quite comfortable leaving him in the pasture 24/7, as the pigs are a bit rough with him. Soon, though, he'll be big enough to avoid getting trampled, and he'll graduate from our porch to the pasture. Right now he's missing us at night, and tries to convince us to let him in. (Hopefully he'll soon notice that he only succeeds when he's quiet.) He has already figured out (just shy of 7 weeks old!) how to open our back door, which I am now keeping locked.

Do you have any dog-training experience, particularly with Livestock Guardian Dogs? Any advice for us? We are previous dog-training failures, so anything helpful is appreciated!

8 years with the love of my life {and our food for the week}

8 years ago, I married my best friend. We have survived deployments, major medical issues, several cross-country moves, unemployment, and philosophical differences. We have given birth to three {beautiful} children, and parented 12 children we did not conceive. Like any marriage, we have had our ups and downs, but I can't imagine life without him. I've written before about why I love my amazing husband, but today in honor of our anniversary, I'm going to give you the top 8 reasons I love being married to him.

1. He loves me--even when I act unlovable, and despite my shortcomings, hormones, aging body and physical afflictions.
2. He is a great father.
3. He is faithful.
4. He works hard to provide for us.
5. He loves our animals.
6. He humors me, especially when it comes to different food experiences. 
7. He respects our differences, and works to find compromise.
8. We have fun together.

I love being married to him, and I can't wait to see what the next 8 years have in store! We'll be having a flexible meal tonight (trying out a new Chiniese restaurant!) to celebrate our anniversary, but we'll be eating primally for the remainder of the week. On the menu:

• Chicken Souvlaki
• more Roast Chicken with Gravy
• Paleo Mongolian Beef, possibly with this fried rice
• Kalua Pig
• carnitas (with the left over kalua pig!)

I also have a lot in store for the blog this week, including a Sissy update, my long-awaited (and I think perfected) meatloaf recipe and a large, spur-of-the-moment purchase we made this past weekend. I'm also working on a review and giveaway. We have a busy and exciting week ahead. What do you have going on??

My Own Sneaky "Chef" {& our weekly menu}

So I'm having {what I think is} an unusual problem: My 2-year-old is sneaking food. I used to keep my apples, bananas, et cetera on the counter. He started pulling up a chair to get some. So I moved my produce to the cabinet above the sink. He started climbing up on top of the counter to access them. Then he graduated from fresh fruit to raisins, and, when available, Hubby's chocolate-covered raisins. This weekend I caught him sneaking some chocolate chips from the top shelf in my refrigerator! I have to say, though, I was surprised by his choice this morning: coconut oil and blueberry jam (made without refined sugar, of course). This kid cracks me up. And exasperates me. To no end. But I had to reward his efforts this morning--with a small spoonful of coconut oil. At least he chose something healthy today!

We had a fairly relaxed weekend. And we were a bit flexible with our food choices. Yesterday was the baby shower for my cousin's sweet baby, and I gave the kids a little freedom. Extended family gatherings are definitely the hardest place to eat primally. They did have a veggie tray, which hubby visited frequently. I indulged in my favorite Chiniese chicken salad (from a kit purchased at Costco), and a little cake. I allowed the kids some chocolate cake (sugar overload!), but was {thankfully} able to keep them from the jelly beans. We enjoyed the time with family, and I didn't see negative side effects in the kids apart from their sugar-highs right before bed.

Once again, we had one meal pushed into the next week. I'll be making my meatloaf tonight, and will post the recipe this week. (I'm still looking for a good pork sausage recipe--any suggestions??) I also was unable to make my flank steak recipe last week, as my butcher was out of that cut. I ended up with a few NY strip steaks instead, and made this recipe from Alton Brown. It was quite tasty, and even my steak-averse hubby enjoyed it. Yesterday I made this recipe from Nom Nom Paleo for roast chicken and gravy in the crockpot (minus the tomato paste--I was out). Delicious! I was actually planning on making the chicken tonight, but it fit our schedule better for yesterday. I'm going to use the carcass to make my first batch of bone broth this afternoon. I'm excited to get on with that aspect of the gut-healing process, but I'm a little anxious about it at the same time.

Other items on our menu this week include:

• Carnitas
• Roasted Stuffed Poblanos (based on this recipe, but with the leftovers from our carnitas)
• something with the leftover chicken from yesterday :-)
• Flank Steak from last week
• Curried Chicken (again--I'm craving curry lately!)

I'm also going to make these fudgsicles for the kids. What do you have planned for the week??

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com!

The Circle of Life {& our weekly menu}

Sis with the first Flopsy

I'm a day behind posting my weekly meal plan. Part of this is due to the unfortunate fact that we lost my favorite bunny last week. We know she did not escape, so we are pretty sure she became someone's dinner. The 3 remaining rabbits seemed quite terrified by the event they surely witnessed. None of them wanted to leave the hutch the next day, and 4 days later, Mopsy, the sister of the bunny who was snatched, still hesitates to come out, preferring to remain in the safety of their hutch.

Hubby and I are becoming quite attached to our animals; I think we were almost as devastated as Sissy was. Still, it became another opportunity to teach our kids about the circle of life. And an opportunity to improve our rabbit hutch.



Over the weekend, we turned this:




into this:


















We also added two new {replacement} bunnies to the mix.

Munchkin

Flopsy II

We framed out our chicken coop, and hope to have the exterior finished in the next day or so. I ordered our chicks on Saturday, and they should {hopefully} arrive next week. 

We gardened, finally roasted the turkey from my freezer, hit up Market on the Move for more piggie food, and wrapped our pine tree in burlap to deter the goats from eating the bark. Overall we enjoyed our long, productive weekend. Unfortunately, my house is suffering a bit from my ourdoor productivity, but I suppose that's par for the course. 

Last week's menu didn't quite turn out as planned. Hubby took us out for Valentine's Day, and my turkey was still frozen (I had to turn down our garage fridge, as it wasn't thawing!), so I improvised a bit. As a result, this week's menu has several items from last week. For Monday's dinner I heated up some of our leftover turkey for the kids, diced some for my salad, and used some in Hubby's quesadilla. On our menu for the rest of the week:

• Buffalo turkey salad/wraps using this recipe, but with my leftover turkey
• Turkey burritos (again, leftovers from Sunday)
• Flank steak (subbing out the brown sugar)
• Salmon patties
• Meatloaf (hopefully posting on this)
• Turkey shepherd's pie

What's on your menu for the week??

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday!

Making Progress and Probiotics

I have been noticing several changes in Sissy lately. I think some of her white spots are starting to repigment, though that can be difficult to judge. More notably, though, are her food preferences. My daughter, who has been averse to most veggies (and some fruit), now enjoys eating carrots, mixed greens, tomatoes, squash, and watermelon! She also has decided that she no longer enjoys drinking grape juice, because it is "too sweet." I see this as HUGE progress. In addition to an increased intake of veggies, Sis has been taking fermented cod liver oil and probiotics. I've know how beneficial probiotics can be for awhile now, and have discovered that they are very important when it comes to gut-healing. I ordered Sis a powerful probiotic capsule (more on that later), but I've also been researching kefir (pronounced kuh-feer).

Kefir is a made from "grains"--actually a colony of good bacteria and yeasts, fermented for probiotic goodness. It also contains many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. {Check out the list of bacterias and yeasts typically found in kefir!} Milk kefir tastes similar to sour milk or a tart plain yogurt, but water kefir has a sweet taste. In fact, water kefir can be used to make lemonade (just add lemon juice!) or even a "soda" replacement. Since I knew it would be difficult to convince my family to drink sour milk (unlike my piggies!), I opted for the water kefir. 

Dissolving the sugar

Water kefir is made by combining the "grains" (not actual grains) with sugar water, and letting it ferment for a day or two. It's really easy and quite foolproof. I ordered my water kefir grains from Cultures for Health (the most reputable source I found for cultured/fermented starters), and received them in a few days. Once they arrived, I realized I didn't have any sugar in the house to feed my kefir grains. So after my next shopping trip, I rehydrated my grains. (Grains are shipped dehydrated, and it takes a few days to get them ready to use.) Once my grains were ready, I dissolved some sugar (half a cup if you're going to make 2 quarts) in hot water, stirring with a wooden spoon (you want to avoid stainless steel with the kefir). 

Filling with Berkey water

After the sugar was dissolved, I added more water, leaving and inch or two of headspace. It is important to avoid tap water when making water kefir, as it often contains chlorine . Well or spring water is preferred, due to the high mineral content. We purchased a Berkey water filter last year (LOVE IT!), so I used my Berkey water. Berkey filters do not remove the good minerals, unlike conventional water filters. When I ordered my kefir grains, I actually purchased the starter kit, which includes a small strainer and trace mineral drops. Even though my water probably has enough good minerals in it, I add a few drops of the trace minerals in ensure we're reaping the benefits to the fullest. 

Straining the grains

Once the water is at room temperature (mine was already), you can add your grains. Simply strain the grains out of your previous batch (which is ready to drink!), and add them to your new jar. Top with a cloth or coffee filter, secure with a rubber band (or in my case a canning band), and let it hang out on the counter for awhile. The kefir takes 24-48 hours to ferment; the longer it sits, the more sugar is consumed by the yeast. At first I was using a quart jar, but I have since purchased half-gallon jars so I can let it sit for two days, but still have some everyday (4 of us are sharing this). 

Adding grains to the sugar water

I am not seeing much carbonation at this point, but apparently it can take a couple of weeks for the grains to "wake up" and start producing reliably. I am going to try using rapadura, sucanat, or turbinado sugar, as their molasses content produces more carbonation. Once my grains are working at their peak (in a month or two), they should start to multiply, and I can get a couple batches going at once (or share with a friend!).

Hanging out

Now, I know kefir is technically not paleo, or even primal, but most of the sugar used to make the kefir is consumed by the yeast, so the amount actually being ingested in negligible. Water kefir can actually be made using coconut water (with no added sugar), and I want to try that eventually. Still, that costs money beyond the initial investment, so I'll probably just use my Berkey water most of the time. For now, we are enjoying our "special lemonade" and the benefits it is providing. 

Have you tried milk or water kefir before?? Would you ever consider making your own? 

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, or even given a free sample to try. However, if you choose to purchase kefir grains or a starter culture using any of my links, I will receive a small commission. 

Searching for Sour Milk (and our weekly menu)

We had a pretty productive weekend despite the chilly weather. We framed out half of the chicken coop, finished the rabbit hutch and their play area (don't they look happy?), and I hung a tire swing (that I scored for free at Discount Tire!). We are also excited to see some of our seeds sprouting already.

Last weekend we moved the pigs' shed out to the pasture so they have more grass to eat, and (bonus!) we don't have to deal with their excrement anymore. Everyone seems to be loving this arrangement. There's been a bit of drama with the goats head-butting the pigs, but it's mostly because Zoey (our youngest doe, at 5 months old) wants to play with them. Maybelline is growing fast, however, and soon she will be able to give Zoey a run for her money. We're confident she can stick up for herself.

One very productive aspect of our weekend was hitting up Market on the Move. Have you heard of MOM? It's a non-profit that salvages produce that has expired or is about to expire. For a $10 donation you walk away with about 60 pounds of produce! The best produce goes first (obviously), and since we didn't get in (there was a long line!) until about an hour after it started, there wasn't much we were interested in eating. Fortunately, our goal wasn't to feed our family--it was to feed our pigs. We came home with 2 1/2 boxes of squash, tomatoes, and a few bell peppers. Hubby and I cut them and stuffed them into 6 gallon zip baggies, 2 plastic containers (about 18"x12"x6" each), and still had about a gallon leftover that we fed the pigs over the weekend. We are weaning them off the pellets, supplementing with dairy (homemade yogurt, some milk past its "best by" date, and cottage cheese that my kids leftover), and letting them graze and root in the pasture. We believe this will save us a great deal of money, as well as resulting in healthier, tastier pork. We're hoping to find a good local source of dairy, no longer intended for human consumption.

I found that with all the work we've been doing outside, I have had a hard time fitting in meal prep. This resulted in two quick take-out (though Paleo, except Hubby's) meals, and I want to try to cut that down a bit. I planned our meals for the next week with the intent on cutting down some of that prep time. On the menu this week:

• fish tacos (I'll make similar to this recipe, adding diced jalapenos, but prepping the fish in this fashion--not "breaded")
• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps, though I'll probably eat mine as a salad, topping with blue cheese crumbles
• turkey (didn't get to this last week; my turkey is taking forever to thaw in my garage fridge!)
• turkey burritos (I'll probably have a burrito bowl/salad, though Hubby will eat his with tortillas. He'll probably have tortillas with his fish tacos, too--gotta have some give and take, right??)
• shrimp scampi (and salmon for the Hubby who isn't a huge shrimp fan)
• Buffalo Chicken Wings
• salmon patties
• roast chicken 

I've been using my {small-ish} crockpot to make yogurt several times a week for the piggies, and this has caused me to switch up my menu a bit, since it wasn't available when I'd intended to use it. I think I'll be investing in a larger crockpot this week, big enough to accommodate a whole chicken. Planning to hit up Goodwill or Savers to see if they have any for cheap. I plan to start making yogurt for the kids and I soon, so it will be good to have two on hand. 

I'm seeing some improvement in Sissy, which I'll share later this week. For now, do you have any recommendations for my dairy quest? 

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday!

Playing with our new toys...

The blog has been quiet this week, as it's been a little crazy around here. On Saturday Hubby and I splurged for a miter saw and a skill saw. The bunnies desperately needed a new home, so weattempted to build one. I scoured the internets for plans, but didn't really find any that fit what we had in mind. In the end we built something similar to this, though about double the size. We're also in the process of incorporating a fenced area, inspired by this picture from Pinterest (follow me!). The ramp is not finished (or attached to the hutch), and we still need to build the fence. Hubby has to level the ground out a bit first, but that should be done in the next few days. The bunnies are already enjoying their new home, and I am excited to give them a little more freedom.

This week we also purchased lumber to build our chicken coop (can't wait!!). Hopefully we'll get to work on that this weekend. Local folks, do you have any connections/recommendations for {cheap} tin roofing material? Hubby struck out looking for some at Home Depot.

We've also been working on our garden this week. No pics yet, but I am so excited to see how it fares this year. We haven't had much luck in the past, but we're confident this year, in this house, will be different! (Hubby blogged a bit about our gardening endeavors last month.)

I've been playing with some recipes this week. I tweaked my old meatloaf recipe, and we really enjoyed it this time. I am working on a new sausage recipe, as well as homemade lara bars, and a grain-free banana bread recipe, all of which I will share once they are perfected.

The in-laws moved into their own apartment this week, so we've been in a bit of transition. They still have a few closets worth of stuff here, and I'll be reorganizing our stuff over the next week or two. Yesterday, though, the kids and I enjoyed a slow day, spending a good portion of the day outside, enjoying the beautiful spring weather we've been having. I even used our new tools to build the kids a swing to hang from our Chinese Elm! (Though I discovered I need to work on my knot-tying skills.)

We're having a fun week--what have you been up to??

Weekly Menu - {Primal} Freezer Shopping

As I've blogged our weekly meal plans over the past month, I've noticed that we are typically replacing one of the scheduled meals to eat out. Usually it's Chipotle, and I'll make something easy (typically omelettes) for the kids. This past week was no different, though I did finally make a meal that I've been putting off--Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I didn't end up making the blue cheese dressing, as Hubby requested topping his with cheddar. I also used *gasp* tortillas. I figured I needed to throw Hubby a bone here, so my mother-in-law picked up a package of our favorite Tortilla Land tortillas. (I ate one & didn't feel any repercussions.) I also used thighs in place of the breast, as I've discovered that I don't typically enjoy crockpot chicken breasts (maybe because I over-cook them?). I've decided to make these again this week, only I'll eat it as a salad, and I'm going to make a version of this dressing.

I've also found that I need to get a little more creative with breakfasts. The kids and Hubby are getting a little tired of omelettes and scrambled eggs. (I usually top my eggs with the previous night's veggie leftovers, and I'm still enjoying them thoroughly. See my open omelette topped with cheddar, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower? YUM!) I'm trying to limit the pseudo-grains (cashew waffles, coconut flour, etc.), so I need to find some new options. Since my kids are still opposed to veggies for breakfast, I'll have to get a little creative. I think we'll try this French Toast Breakfast Scramble and some Two-Ingredient Pancakes. This breakfast porridge sounds yummy, and I'm going to try it with butternut squash. I'll also be making some more egg muffins with some sugar-free bacon I scored at Sprouts on Friday.

I'm trying to use what we have in the house this week, so we'll be having:

• Turkey (been in my freezer since Christmas)
• Pork Chops
• Turkey Shepherd's Pie (using more of that turkey!)
• Meatloaf (I'm going to modify my old recipe, adding the bacon like Hubby requested. I'll post my recipe later this week.)
• Slow-Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken and Veggies (I'm repeating this from a few weeks ago)

I'm going to try shopping at Trader Joe's this week. We used to shop there weekly before we were married, but since moving back (and eating healthier) I haven't scoped them out yet. Do you frequent Trader Joe's? Any favorite items I should check out?? What's on your menu for the week?

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday!

{Primal} Dinner Party

 Last Friday we hosted a {primal!} dinner party to celebrate Sissy's 7th birthday (and my 28th). I am quite disappointed that I didn't get a good picture of the food, but there were almost 20 people here, and I was busy! (My father-in-law had his camera out and captured the party, so all photos are courtesy of him.) My main goal of the party (besides celebrating birthdays) was to introduce my family to our new way of eating, and to show that it really is not that extreme.
The dinner menu included salad, boiled carrot medallions, steamed broccoli, mashed sweet potatoes (sweetened & seasoned with coconut oil, honey, and cinnamon--til it tasted right), and baked chicken thighs.

Distracted by a new toy...

I found the recipe for the chicken at The Food Lovers' Primal Palate, modifying it slightly. I had never worked with chicken thighs before, and was very pleased with the juicy, flavorful outcome, not to mention how EASY it was! First, I preheated the oven to 425. My mother-in-law minced garlic (one clove per thigh), and sliced up some green onions (one for every 3 thighs). I {not so}carefully separated the skin from the thigh (though not completely), and stuffed some garlic and green onion underneath. Then I quickly brushed the tops with olive oil, sprinkling with a freshly ground pepper medley and Real Salt. We baked them for about 45 minutes, until the juices ran clear. I loved the thighs, and heard many compliments on them. When I asked Hubby what he thought, however, his simply replied, "it's chicken." What can I say? He's hard to please....

For dessert I modified Elana's carrot cake recipe. In a large bowl, I combined 3 cups sifted almond flour (thanks to my mother-in-law for sifting--it takes forever!), 2 teaspoons Real Salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg. In a separate bowl, I combined 5 eggs, 1 c. agave nectar (if you make this, only use HALF a cup--I mixed up my frosting and cake recipes, but it ended up turning out alright), and 1/4 cup melted coconut oil. I stirred in 3 cups of shredded carrots and a cup of raisins. These cooked in 2 round pans for about 40 minutes at 325 degrees. For the frosting, I followed Elana's recipe for Vegan Coconut Cream Frosting. I really enjoyed the cake, but I didn't care for the frosting. Several guests actually commented on how much they liked the frosting, but it was just a little too coconut-y for me!

Overall the night was a success! We enjoyed great company and delicious food, and my family learned that we in fact haven't started eating "powdered alligator bones and liquidized cheek fat from a possum."

Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail & Peter

Cottontail's ride home

Sissy has been pining for a bunny for awhile now, and when she woke up Saturday morning, she informed us that she wanted to use her birthday money to purchase one. Since we'd planned on adding bunnies to our "farm" eventually, we were open to the idea. So after her party, we pulled up our trusty online classifieds. We found Cottontail a short drive {in the pouring rain} away. I was very impressed with the family who had raised her. The young girls were very active in 4H, and were saving to buy themselves cars (they also raised swine!). On the way home (much smoother than the ride with Maybelline!), I discussed with Sis the possibilty of turning bunnies into a business. She loved the idea, and quickly informed me that she could turn her birthday money into much more. There is already a possibility that Cottontail is preggers, and we started actively searching for a Mini Rex buck to be her baby daddy.

We picked up that search after lunch on Sunday. Typically, our local feed store carries several bunnies, but for some reason all of the neighborhood was out in the rain searching for rabbits. Though the parking lot was full, the bunny cages were empty (of bunnies, that is--they were filled with roosters!). We set out for a new feed store I had passed earlier, and I pulled up the internets again.

Flopsy

This time I really scored: the night before a man had posted an ad for free bunnies, just a couple miles away from us! He told me he had 4 or 5 left, so we went to search for a buck. The man brought us into his backyard, where we saw dozens of bunnies hopping around! These were lionhead rabbits--not exactly what we were looking for, but the price was right. These bunnies were a little young, so it was difficult to determine gender. We searched around for a buck, but had some trouble finding one. (In fact, we were told Mopsy was a buck, but upon further investigation we are pretty sure he is in fact a she.) So Sissy picked out another bunny (Flopsy), and I chose Mopsy for Bubba.

Our kids are absolutely in love with their new pets, though I have had to give Cottontail a little extra attention, as there has been a lot more of this:

Flopsy

and this:

Mopsy

than this:

Cottontail

Yesterday morning we finally found our buck. Peter was waiting at our local feed store with 4 of his brothers and sisters. He was the only bunny really stood out, and Sis was happy to see that he is a boy. Unfortunately he hasn't been handled much, so it may take awhile before we can hold him like we can the does.

I am excited to build our bunnies a hutch and run, and get them out of this:

While they seem happy, I know they will be much happier in their natural habitat, enjoying plenty of sunshine and fresh air. Not to mention the fact that I am apparantly allergic to this timothy hay...

So far, Sis has spent $85 of her birthday money: $40 on bunnies, $25 towards the cage (mom and dad sprang for the food and hay), and another $20 toward a princess dress. She only has one dollar left, and I am pround of how she is choosing to use her funds. Teaching our children responsibility through the rearing of animals and {some} financial freedom works for me! {Come join the party at my favorite blog!}

Gearing Up... {A Sissy Update}

Several people have asked me if I've seen an improvement in Sissy's condition since we modified our eating habits. My answer has been no; in fact, her vitiligo has actually gotten worse, as I noticed a week or two ago that some of her eyelashes are turning white. But we really haven't made the necessary changes in her diet to see improvement yet. We took away grain and limited refined sugar, but we haven't begun to actually heal her gut.

These past few days I've allowed some grain and sugar. On her birthday (Friday), Sis had a giant soft pretzel and a few bites of pizza. Yesterday she had a small slice of cake, some lemonade, and ice cream in a waffle cone. Yesterday I saw the effects. I wouldn't say that we've had a very noticable improvement in school performance the past few weeks, but we haven't struggled as much in math as we had been in December. Yesterday was so much worse. Simple addition that she was breezing through last week was baffling her, and taking several minutes to complete. This is reinforcing the need for healing. It is so frustrating for both of us when she can't concentrate or remember how to do simple problems.

Although I've done thorough research on the GAPS diet online, I just finally ordered the expensive and elusive book (c'mon, public library!). I will be starting probiotics and limiting fruit tomorrow. I know this won't be a very fun process for her, but it is so important. In the next few weeks we'll start her on bone broth. Now to gear up for the next stage...

Have you tried the GAPS diet? Any tips for me??

Weekend Wrap-Up, Weekly Meals, & a GREAT sale!

Overall we had a pretty successful party weekend! Friday night we had dinner with family. I had a full day, so there was some rushing around beforehand, and my mother and mother-in-law where lifesavers--prepping food, setting up, even cleaning my bathrooms (thanks, mom!)! The food turned out great, and we had fun.

Saturday morning was pretty busy. I had intended to finish a gift for Sis that I didn't get to, but she didn't miss it. We had 6 little girls come for the tea party. All had fun, though Spiderman over-ate and got sick over all gift-wrapping mess halfway through the party. I did NOT enjoy explaining this to the parents, but at least it wasn't something contagious.  After the party I took the kids out to spend some of Sissy's birthday money. Instead of giving her money to a big box store in exchange for another toy to clutter her room, Sis made a great investment that will teach her responsibility. I'm excited to share her purchase with you later this week!

{I'll also be blogging about both parties later this week. Unfortunately, my CD drive has pretty much given up, and I can't access the CD the pics are on right now.}

Yesterday was my nephew's birthday party. We decided to hit up Scooptacular on the way to the party (instead of today), since we were in the neighborhood (half an hour from home) and Hubby wanted to join us. My sweet sister was gracious to have plenty of fresh fruit and veggies on hand, as well as {healthy} turkey slices and cheese cubes! I did, however, let the kids eat some cake, as their eating was already compromised for the day.

We had a fun birthday weekend, and I am happy it is behind us. I think we're all looking forward to having a little less on our plates this week. Tonight the in-laws are watching the kiddos so Hubby and I can go out for my birthday. Carrabba's is our typical date venue (though we haven't been out in months!), and I think that's probably where we'll end up tonight. I am especially looking forward to the Calamari Ricardo appetizer. {YUM!} I also really enjoy their bread and dipping sauce, though I will probably limit myself to one slice, due to the reaction I've experienced the two times I've eaten bread this month. Carrabba's has a gluten-free menu that looks delicious, so I most likely will order from that tonight.

Most of the meals on the dinner plan for the week are repeats. I will be repeating the delicious chicken thighs I made for our {primal} dinner party (I'll share that recipe on Thursday). I'll also be making carnitas again, along with some salmon later in the week. The one recipe that will be new for us is one that I've had on the "plan" for several weeks now, though I have yet to make it. (Remember the flexibility I mentioned??) Tomorrow I'll finally be making the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps, though I will probably use our mainstream mayo (that the kids and I are avoiding, but is still in the house) to make the bleu cheese dressing. The kids and I won't be having the dressing anyway, and those who will have it are allowing quite a bit of flexibility in their eating.

I also want to mention that Tropical Traditions is having some great sales today. Tropical Traditions sent me coconut oil to review (watch for that next week), and I just purchased 2 more jars (BOGO!) with FREE SHIPPING today only! (Use code 28113 for free shipping until midnight EST tonight!) I highly recommend taking advantage of this deal, as it is cheaper than shopping at most grocery stores. (This is also where I buy my coconut flour, which is also on sale.) I am quite excited about this today, as the free shipping really multiplies your savings. If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

We'll be having a low-key week to recuperate from the craziness of last week, with some fun play dates mixed in. What do you have going on this week? Trying anything new??

7 years ago today...

‎7 years ago, early in the morning I arrived at the hospital to deliver my firstborn. After 18 hours of intense, induced labor, too many drugs, and THREE hours of pushing, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. If I had to do it over again, I would have done it SO differently, but I would never change the outcome. Today she adds so much joy, beauty, and fun to our lives. Happy birthday to our sweet, smart, sassy, thoughtful girl!

Birthday Girl in her birthday dress!

Today is pretty crazy for me. We were up before 5, getting Hubby out the door. All the kids woke up early today, so we had an early breakfast, with the traditional {though primal} birthday pancakes and she opened one of the gifts from us. Then I had to make her birthday dress (should have done that weeks ago), and we did some school. I'm about to sit the kids down to a movie so I can finish sewing her other birthday present (for tomorrow's party), and then we're off to a playdate with her school friends. Tonight we're hosting a birthday dinner for our immediate family (parents and siblings with their significant others), which will be close to 20 people. So I have a {primal} dinner & cake to prepare, along with cleaning bathrooms and floors, and general tidying of the house. Sis has also requested streamers, so those must be hung, and her dress for tomorrow needs to be picked up from the cleaners. Not to mention the preparations still to be made for tomorrow morning's {primal} princess tea party! My mind is spinning, but it's going to be a fun day and weekend. I can't wait to share about our parties next week.

What do you have going on this weekend??

My cheating stomach

I wanted to revisit the subject of "cheating", as I've been a bit lax lately. I was harping on my husband for his "flexibility", so I thought I'd share mine as well. :-)

We spent quite a bit of time in the car over the long weekend. When we drove to pick up Wilbur, I brought fruit and nuts to snack on. I added a dozen egg muffins Monday morning in lieu of breakfast so we could get out the door quickly to get Maybelline. (I'll share my egg muffin technique soon, as I followed the recipe exactly before we went to the snow, and it was almost inedibly salty--ick!) Since I had served breakfast before we headed to the snow, I brought apples, a few clementines, and a bag of trail mix for each child (and one for Hubby and I to share). I meant to grab a bunch of bananas for after the snow, but I forgot {and they were sorely missed}. I did, however, start the carnitas in the crockpot before we left to insure a nutritious supper. We planned to stop for lunch, and I knew I would have to be somewhat flexible.

We were happy to see a Chipotle in town near the snow (I can eat there without cheating!), but the kids don't really like anything there. I asked them if given the opportunity to "cheat" what they would choose. The response? Cheeseburgers and fries. So we stopped at Five Guys. Of course they expected to get soda, too, since they were cheating anyway, but I quickly shot that down. I'm pretty sure all three of my children finished their burgers (the older two scarfed them down, but I think Bud finished his in the car). The boys finished off their fries, too, but Sis only ate half of hers. I didn't really see a negative reaction in the kids after their splurge. I, however, definitely felt one. Even before we left the restaurant my stomach started aching. I left like I had eaten a rock larger than my fist. Fortunately it only caused discomfort.

I am going to allow one more "cheat" before we go really hardcore. It has been our tradition for a couple years to go to Scooptacular (our favorite local ice cream parlor) on the kids' birthdays. Sissy even wanted to have her birthday party there this year. (I'm glad she changed her mind.)  I'd already decided to wait until after her birthday (tomorrow!) to start our intensive primalish regimen for her, so we are going to allow one more trip to Scoop on my birthday (Monday) before we implement the extremes. (The extremes being NO sugar, limited fruit, probiotics, kefir, fermented cod liver oil, bone broth, etc.) Now to decide what flavor I'll enjoy...

Welcome to the chaos...

I've done some crazy things in my life, though nothing I would consider too extreme. Up until now the "craziest" thing I've done (at least according to mainstream society) is birth my son at home. What I did on Monday rivals that. In fact, since I don't really consider having a home birth crazy, I'd have to say it is craziest thing I can recall doing.

It all started a few weeks ago when we started seriously considering adding a new member to our family. Craigslist has become our standard means to grow our {animal} family, and we started scouring it for pigs.

{Please keep in mind that we are not purchasing animals just for pets. We purchased our goats for their milk and yard control, will purchase our chickens for eggs and meat, and the pig will be no different.}

We considered getting a small Hampshire pig, and then settled on persuing a pot belly, as we figured it wouldn't grow beyond what we can manage. We had trouble finding any, and went on with life for a few weeks. On Saturday we started browsing Craigslist again, and found a 3 month old pot belly pig. Since we didn't own a proper pet cage, we wanted to find a small animal we could fit in a crate. "Norman" (now known as Wilber) was a perfect match for us. He was friendly and accustomed to plenty of atttention. He fit well in the crate and sat nicely for me on the long (hour and a half!) ride home. On Sunday we noticed that Wilber was showing signs of going through puberty, and decided to find him a friend (in hopes that he would stop jumping up on us).

We found a lady selling "piggies", and made an appointment to visit them in the morning. We set out for a long drive (again), fulling intending to bring home another pot belly about Wilber's size. Unfortunately, the woman had grossly misrepresented her "piggies"--these animals were already overweight at 5 months old, and lived on a diet solely consisting of dog food! Anyone who knows pigs know that is not healthy, and since I planned on feeding this pig to my family, I wasn't interested.  Already far from home, we were determined not to come home empty handed. I called another man with piglets (this time only 6 weeks old), and asked how big his animals were. He assured me they were small, maybe 11 inches long, and we set out for another hour-long drive. 

The piglets' daddy--weighing in at 450 lbs.

These pigs were not pot bellies, but Hampshires. These are the hogs who easily grow double Hubby's size. But we figured we could always slaughter a bit early if the swine got out of control, and we were set on finding Wilber a friend. I'm not sure what it is with people misrepresenting the size of their beasts, but we fell for it again. These piglets were much happier and healthier than the last we'd seen, but they were definitely longer than 11 inches. Nonetheless, we picked out the cutest girl, and I headed to the car with the kids while the farmer tried to catch our new pet. Boy, did she squeal--and give him a run for his money! He finally caught her and tried to calm her down a bit. She was still young, and had minimal human interaction thus far. He tried to put her in the crate, but it wasn't going to happen. She was much too large. The farmer assured us that I could hold her on the way home. {Do you see where this is going?} He showed me how to hold her back legs, telling me not to let go no matter what.  I could have changed my mind right there, but if you know me you know that I am too determinded to give up without a fight. So we set out for home.

You can tell by the picture that I let go of her back legs.... Not even a block away from her mama, our new piggie began snorting and wiggling around. I held her as best as I could, as tight as I could, and told Hubby my strength would not last an hour and a half. Five minutes down the country dirt road was a feed store, and Hubby jumped out {car still running!} to buy a cage. No such luck. They referred us to the Pet Club in town. A good 20 minutes away. It's quite amazing what the human body can handle when faced with no other choice. I gripped that piggie as if our lives depended on it (and they probably did--I can only imagine the damage she would have done had she been let loose in our sedan). We finally reached the store, and Hubby ran in {car on, again}, and I tried plotting how we would get her in the cage without sacrificing my ribs to her back legs. Hubby came to the rescue with an over-priced (yet worth every penny!) pet taxi and a store associate to help. I instructed Hubby to control her legs from the driver's side, and the young man helping us (who didn't bat an eye at our crazy) held the cage while I guided our girl in. We settled in for another hour, Miss Piggy voiding in the pet taxi, unable to get her footing, and finally calming down while I gently stroked her nose. Somehow, we made it home in one piece, though I probably should get my car detailed due to flying debris.


Little Miss (who we've affectionately named Maybelline--May for short), has settled into the family and seems to enjoy her new home {much better than the bare, dirty pen she previously called home}. She grounts around all day, and became quick friends with Wilber {once he realized he was too small to make her his girlfriend}. Altough skiddish at first (especially of me, poor girl), she has quickly warmed up to the family. The boys are still learning to be less intimidating, but Sis especially is loving on these new friends.

It could be quite awhile before little Wilber is headed to slaughter, but we already have plans for Miss Maybelline, probably around the beginning of August. Hubby even found a mobile butcher with great prices, so we don't have to worry about transporting our little girl again. As crazy as my weekend was, I love the chaos we're living in, and I am so excited to become less dependant on grocery stores to feed my family. Raising our food works for me!

Do you have any hog experience? Any advice for me?

Today I am linking up at my favorite party, Works for Me Wednesday!