The Story Of Stuff

Ok, so I know this video is a little long, but I feel it's worth watching.

So, whatcha think?

A little controversial, huh?

But really good points, and lots of information, right?

I think the main point is that we all need to be more conscious about the products that we use, and the amount of them we consume.

I know I personally have lots to learn, and that there are many ways I can decrease my carbon footprint and reduce the amount of waste that my family and I produce.

Visit the story of stuff website for more information.

My First CSA Produce Box {and a pesto recipe}

You may remember from a few posts back

that I was looking into a local CSA.

If you're not familiar with CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture

and it's a really great program.

Basically, you {as the customer} give a local farmer money up front at the beginning of the farming season,

and in return,

you receive a box of fresh produce each week for the entire season!

I was trying to decide between a few local farms,

when a friend of mine

{who happens to have a gigantic garden}

offered to be my 'farmer' and supply me with a weekly box of fresh, local, organic produce!

I couldn't turn her down

{I mean, could you?!}

and today was the day I received my very first box of produce!

Take a peek at the goodies I got:

yes, those are eggs

from chickens that aren't genetically altered, or crammed in some nasty hen house or fed disgusting food

{ok, you get the idea}

these eggs are from happy, healthy, free chickens

and I couldn't be happier to give them to my family!

So, there's celery, red and green lettuce, spinach, broccoli, eggs, kale and a lemon!

Along with some herbs too:

basil, thyme, oregano and sage!

I'm seriously so excited to keep getting amazing produce like this all season!

Since I already had part of a container of basil, I combined it with my fresh basil and made pesto!

Here's the recipe

{I didn't measure anything, so these aren't exact measurements...}

1 1/2 cups basil

1/2 cup nuts {I used hazelnuts, but you could use traditional pine nuts or whatever kind you have}

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves

about 4 tablespoons olive oil

a dash of salt

a tablespoon or two of water {optional}

Place all ingredients in a food processor, leaving out the olive oil and water. Once the food processor is on, stream in the olive oil until the pesto is at a consistency you like. This is where you can add in some water to help your olive oil go a little further.

And that's it!

Fresh, homemade pesto...easy as that!

I also think this would have been great with a little squeeze of lemon too!

I roasted a bunch of veggies last night, so tonight I threw the left over ones in with some quinoa and pesto for a whole new meal!



I can't wait to try out new recipes with all of my fresh produce!

Yay for supporting locally grown!

If you want to locate a CSA in your area, check out this website!

CSA {community supported agriculture}

Remember my post about eating organically?
 

Good news!

I've done some research and there are several farms in our area

who participate in this program!

Not-so-good news...

It can be stinkin' expensive!

Now, I understand that eating healthy, organically grown produce is great,

but upwards of $600 for a season is a little steep!

Mind you, this does include a box filled with fresh produce

{and, depending on the farm, even eggs, cheese, meats and flowers}

delivered to your door or available for pick-up at local markets

each week from about June until October

It really is such a great program!

So, my findings have led me to Fry Family Farm

They are a local farm located in Talent

They offer tons of options for CSA

and even break it down in to full and half shares!
making it much more affordable!

Also, you can choose to receive your "harvest box" every other week instead to cut down cost even more!

{and I love that they include fresh flowers!}

They have an entire section on their website dedicated to CSA

and spell out every question you may have about how the process works

{such a great resource!}

Since I do have a small

very small

garden of my own, I'm really interested in the every other week option!

I'm already getting excited!

One of my followers recommended a website

http://www.localharvest.org

and it was a great resource and starting point!

{Thanks, Aubrey!}

Well, the rest of the week is forecaseted to bring in lots of snow,

I thought I'd post some pictures of our

President's Day trip to the park

Have a wonderful day!

Buying Organic {The Dirty Dozen}

Buying organic

Who wouldn't want to buy organic?

pesticide and chemical free, safe for your family

But it does come at a higher price.

Ever since I became a mommy

providing my baby with the best food possible became a priority

So, it came down to this

is buying organic worth the added cost?

And honestly, I had no idea!

{it can get a little expensive!}

And so I did what I always do when I need information...

I googled it!

and I found this amazing website!

They've broken fresh fruits and veggies down into two groups

"The Dirty Dozen"

{foods that still have pesticides even after being washed - worth buying organically}

and "Non-Organic Foods"

 {foods that are safe to buy non organically}

The part I cared about most was "The Dirty Dozen"

Here is a list of foods that should be purchased organically

{when possible, of course}

Apples

Cherries

Grapes

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Raspberries

Strawberries

Bell Peppers

Celery

Potatoes

Spinach

This website also recommends a program called "farm fresh to you"

This is where the customer provides cash upfront

to a local farmer

The farmer then uses the cash

 to purchase seeds and other materials needed to produce the crops

As each variety of produce comes into season

the farmer will deliver a box of fresh produce to the customer

throughout the entire farming season!

How cool is that?!

I'm looking into local farms to see if any farmers in our area provide this service

I'll let you know what I find out!

And, because I can

And, because he's cute

Here are some baby boo boo pictures :)

Looking forward to some more spring-ish weather!