Top Your Table this Friday! - Gooseberry Patch

Top Your Table this Friday! - Gooseberry Patch

Open Possibilities......

Where do I go from here?? When was the last time you asked yourself that question? When you sit at a table full of possibilities and options; how do you know you are making the right choices, doing the right thing, going in the right direction? Then when you make a choice how do you convince yourself that you made the right one? You know what I am talking about.....that ever so subtle feeling creeping up in the pit of your stomach.....oh lord, have I bitten off more than I can chew? Why does that happen when two days earlier, granted when you were in the middle of "A REALLY GREAT IDEA" you were convinced this was the way to go and you could sooo do all this!! I am going to reside myself with the fact that this is just the natural course of things, the way we keep it all in check. If I lived every day simply believing that there would never be a single challenge to any decision I made I would not be living in reality. I will ride the ups and downs of big decisions and give it my all and hope that on the other side I will see the outcome I desire. Isn't that what my Mother always said...."Life is a roller-coaster, you take the ups' with the downs and hold on for the ride. Scary at times, but always fun and full of new thrills around every corner"!! Well ain't that the truth...I do have five children!! But, I see these open possibilities as a spring board for all the things I would ever love to accomplish, so hang on tight I jumping in!!

These Things I Know......

As you all know I participated in the "30 Day Vegan", a journey to reset my body and give my system a break from the hard to digest things like meat & dairy. Well, we are approaching the last two days of this journey and I am amazed at all the things I have learned. I have gone over 8 weeks without a single bite of meat and only one "slip" on dairy....I poured myself a nice glass of almond milk and realized once I took a few good swigs that indeed I had grabbed the wrong carton and I was drinking Milk....whoops! I started this month long experience in a good place, I was excited and I was longing for the challenge; that is not to say I didn't have my concerns...I do have FIVE children and a Meat & Potato Husband - he thinks he is allergic to anything green!! I have always given my children a lot of credit on their eating habits, they are AWESOME eaters! They love dark leafy greens, pretty much any kind of veggie I give them, there is not a fruit they won't eat and they love trying new grains!! I wasn't afraid of this side of our new eating habits....it would be the things they might notice missing!! Believe me I got quite a bit of flack over that issue even before I changed our nightly dinner offerings, and it wasn't from my children!!! I received the lecture that it wasn't fair that I was pushing my eating choices on my children.....wasn't I already doing that?? Wasn't I the one who was choosing what to prepare and feed them every day and night? I failed to see the difference in whether I chose to feed them Hamburger Helper (yuck, just an example) or fresh, nutritious wholefood. There were nights that I did make a side of chicken or little steaks, some hamburger for them to toss into their rice and when we happened to order out my children were free to choose what they wanted! So I guess that leads me to these things I know:

• 1. My children are resilient, understanding, supportive and willing.


• 2. My children will devour "meatball's" and not even notice they are not eating meat at-all but mushrooms and grains! (they were amazed when I told them.....after dinner)


• 3. My children can benefit from all the amazing minerals & nutrients in seaweed just by throwing a piece of dried Kombu into cooking rice!


• 4. As Mothers were are ultimately choosing our children's "Eating Path" everyday just by the things we offer and prepare for them, that is NOT to say that they have no say in any of this...we all know better than that, otherwise it would be the easiest thing to get our kids to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time....


• 5. It is easier to smile and nod when someone is lecturing you about your choices.....then take a deep breath and calmly explain your views on how to feed YOUR family!


• 6. Earth Balance buttery spread will definitely quell your craving for a butter taste, it is very yummy!


• 7. My children pretty much only eat meat at dinner.....and the occasional bacon at breakfast! This some-what surprised me, for some reason I thought we ate meat all day everyday!!!


• 8. My husband isn't quite "THERE" yet!! He understands, but he is not an adventurous eater and these things we are eating....you know veggies, grains & beans.....those are definitely considered adventurous in his eyes!! He is too funny!!


• 9. Age, what you were raised eating, what you were exposed to as a child and your parents reaction to trying new things ALL have a profound affect on how you choose to eat as an adult!

10. The subject of food and eating habits is a lot like religion.....people have very strong convictions regarding their beliefs and at times it can create tension when you do not share the same "belief"!

• and last but not least......

This is by far the best thing that I have done for myself and my body! I feel connected, awake & present....not foggy and unable to concentrate! I am amazed at how my body doesn't miss meat or dairy...I have yet to crave it! I can't say for certain if I will continue a Vegan way of eating but I also can't say that I won't! I guess I will continue to eat what makes my body feel it's best....I will eat ME-gan!!!

Room full of information....

Well....I went to a local Health fest this weekend and I just LOVE going to these kind of events! It is like being surrounded by people who know exactly what you are thinking and you don't even have to speak a single word! There is always something new around every corner; along with friends or people you know. It is like a reunion of sorts, form a class of like-minded people. Every person at each table has something interesting to offer or show you. It is a huge room full of information that you are just waiting to find! My girls and I walked around for over three hours and ended the day with a great Drum Circle led by the sweetest women, Mary. It was just icing on a great-day-cake!!! I cannot wait until September for the next BIG event!We started the day with a wonderful brunch of Vegan Pancakes with Blueberries, Sprouted Whole Grain French Toast, Farm Fresh Eggs with Home-fries and Real Homemade Hot Chocolate at a Funky Eclectic Cafe' and finished the day with a bunch of laughs and memories of the day we spent together doing and enjoying things we love!

A change in the Weather.....

Well.... today the weather was beautiful and tomorrow is suppose to be even better! I have a love hate relationship with Spring!! I love the warmer weather but oh my how I despise the mud! Oh well we deal with it, right? I am still enjoying my Vegan journey and I am impressed at how my body has accepted these changes in my diet. I feel more connected - both good and bad - to every situation I am in. I feel calmer under pressure and more confidant in speaking my mind. I was surprised this weekend when we went out just how few options there are for people who are avoiding meat let alone dairy......I did get a yummy Veggie Burger sans the cheese. I loved the look on the women's face when my 6 year old proudly stated "She will have NO cheese because she is a Vegan"!!!! I wondered if she would have been more accepting or more apathetic if I had said I had an allergy to dairy? I thought about how difficult it must be for someone who CAN'T have dairy...the simplest thing like a cup of coffee....imagine if it weren't a choice, very interesting to me. Hey.....what if I was a Vegetarian who was allergic to dairy?? So this is my case and point about Speaking my Mind!!

Does the food taste different.......

I find myself asking the same question quite often lately...."Doesn't this taste different.....it tastes amazing"!! I am working on three weeks of Vegan eating and 3 days into my Vegan Journey with Heather, and the food just tastes so much better! I was quite afraid of ow my kids were going to react to of the dishes I was going to put on the table, but they are all adjusting quite well. My brother-in-law is loving it and my husband will have nothing to do with any of it! I can't say that there is anything that I am "missing" as of yet...I am just enjoying the ride! I feel fresh and vibrant each day...clear...grounded. I don't use much salt anymore, and I haven't had sugar in three weeks and boy do I feel good. I am so excited to have this opportunity to re-set my body and feel this good! Last night's Chili was fabulous and no one missed the meat for a second! Although my middle daughter did say "Isn't there meat in chili?" and I said "No, not this one" her reply "Oh....Vegan Chili"!! They are so funny! Tonight is Lemon Garlic & White Bean Pasta...my youngest has already had a bowl without the pasta and says it is really good soup?? I will let you all know how the rest of the family likes it....this weekend I am making a Vegan Chocolate Cake, Yumm!!!

The Link of Ladies.....

Have you ever stopped and wondered where you would be with out the link of ladies in your life? Every once in a while I stop dead in my tracks and thank the stars above for the women in my life. I may not be able to get-together with them as much as I would like or even have the time to chat on the phone...sometimes there are months between our conversations, but when we see each other it is like no time has passed and we are right back into our comfortable exchange of words. The unspoken understanding you see in their eyes, the gentle hand on your shoulder and the hug that lasts long enough and tight enough to let you know they are there for you. Because at one time or another they have stood in the exact same place you are standing and even if their situation may have been different they know what you are feeling and what you are going through....but they also know exactly what you need! Those are the ladies in my life that I am so thankful for, the kindred spirits that will forever hold a place in my hearts memory forever!! So to all my wonderful Link of Ladies......Thank You, you all mean more to me than you will ever know!