Milk Man

We found out the a creamery nearby delivers fresh milk and products from the farm. I looked into it and it's about the same price as organic milk in the stores. So why not? We now have a Milk Man named, Warren who brings us milk every Friday morning from, South Mountain Creamery. 
We leave the cooler on the porch and he leaves the milk!

This is Warren and the milk truck

I really wanted to give Owen the best milk and eggs possible after going through all the weird rashes and digestion issues lately. The Allergist never found him to be truly allergic to dairy products, but said he could have had a slight sensitivity.  Thank Goodness! We are clear to enjoy EGGS once again! And we've been eating them daily!

Fresh milk (pasteurized) in glass jars

Owen is going on 3 weeks with no colds, runny noses, allergies or rashes! I've gotten very strict with his diet and he isn't getting any snack foods (gold fish, puffs, crackers those sorts of products) Trying to keep refined foods out of his diet.  He gets about 2-3 animal crackers a day and that's it. And this is just until we polish off this massive bucket I bought awhile back at Costco.  I can't throw them out!   I will say, it's very hard to be uber strict, especially when we are out  and someone offers him an Oreo cookie.  What can you say to that? :) I'm not flipping out about it. I figure I can't control his diet forever, but at home I can do my best to see that he's eating well.  I will say, he LOVES pasta and James and I do as well, so that is one thing I can't completely take out of his diet.  I did find some sprouted grain pasta in the organic section.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't white pasta either.

Since making these changes he's eating so much better at meal times.  He's throwing less food around and trying so hard to use a spoon to scoop.  He's  eating meats much better now. He likes a little ketchup on it :) Don't we all!  Speaking of throwing food around.  I thew 3 lbs. of dried spaghetti on the floor! Why?  Well, it was an accident!

It was very artful.  It looked so cool!

On this new journey....I've started making my waffles homemade and any bread that Owen eats has a fat served with it (fresh butter, peanut butter,cream cheese, hummus with olive oil). I hope in the months ahead to get some veggies planted in the back yard, learn to make homemade breads, ketchup, mayo, and my own butter and jelly. Mom, you'll have to give a lesson on this when you come up.  James, if  you are reading this...Where can we put a small garden in the back yard?  I just thought of this yesterday and forgot to mention it to you.

All of my ideas are in line with the nutrition class that I attended a few months back. If you are interested in the information I can e-mail you a handout on toddler snack food suggestions. The website is here: Simply Being Well 

The information from the lecture comes from the GAPS diet.  I have read up on it.  There's some great information there, but I DO NOT follow it. I'm not going to give Owen raw milk and I'm not going to keep him from getting his vaccinations every few months.  To each his/her own there, but it's not what I feel is safe for Owen. I'm just putting it out there. I'm not pushing anything, I'm just trying to make my own way :)

The class was very informative, but it was also quite overwhelming for me at the same time.  I felt like I was doing things all wrong.  Then I took a deep breath and said, I'm doing what every other Mom is doing.  I'm feeding my kid and the best way I know how.  I don't have all the answers, but I do my best.  I can make a few changes here and there, but I can't flip out about all this new information.  It's just information.  Take it or leave it!  And after looking closer I do not agree with ALL of the information.  So that's where I am now....

Monica Carrado teaches people how to get back to the basics and how to heal the body through diet.  And it's all such old-school techniques and applications like,  making your own salad dressing ect.  I know it can be done....It just takes time!  Where is the time? I think when Owen is a little bigger we can make it educational for him and he can help me in the kitchen or garden (this dream garden that we don't yet have).  I look forward to those days!  But for now, we are starting out very small.  Making a few changes here and there and seeing where this all takes us.  It's extremely hard to abandon everything you know and trust about food, diet, nutrition and cooking and take off in a totally new direction.  I'm willing to stay the course and see where things go.  It's important to me, so much so, I can see one day all of this coming full circle and it becoming a career of sorts. Don't hold me to this statement, ok.   But it's a goal, a dream, and a hope.  I know this way of thinking is going to catch on with Mainstream American before long.  I foresee it coming.  It's going to be The new thing. Look at Founding Farmers in DC.  That place is packed daily.  BTW, Skye and I finally ate there after trying to get in for 3 years and it was excellent.

Steak N Eggs from: Founding Farmers

This is the direction we all are headed one day. Grocery prices are constantly increasing along with gas...they go hand in hand.  We all know that.  So if things keep going up, we'll all be forced to make our own Mayo, Ketchup and breads.  And on that note, I'll give a shout out to Micheal Ferguson and his family for doing these things even when they probably weren't considered cool or trendy. Keep it going! :) Pass it on to Aidan!

Right now, I'm like a sponge and taking in as much information as I can....just enjoying, learning, and trying new things. And hopefully improving our health and longevity along the way.  You all know I'm passionate about food and cooking so this is just another little avenue I'm currently exploring.  Hope I didn't bore you to tears on this one....it's all about Owen.  He's the star of this show.  He makes me want to do more, to be better, and to learn.  What more can I say :)

He's a  HAM Sandwich!

LOVE YOU OWEN