We finally bought a car seat!

We now own the Britax Roundabout 50 in Pistachio (beautiful tan color with light green dots). I’ve been eyeing it for sometime, but last week I saw it was on sale at Amazon! The seat is like the original Roundabout except for being more adjustable in the seat, and giving Clara 10 lbs and 10 inches more to grow before needing to upgrade to a booster. It could have comfortably held her since birth, since it starts a 5 lbs, but we appreciated our Graco SafeSeat for it’s comfort and convenience many times. We haven’t tried this one out yet in a car, but I think it is going to be a winner.

We are seriously considering buying a second car seat for the other car. We drive both regularly (we aren’t a mini-van family quite yet, my car is more roomy, his gets better gas mileage), and this seat will be difficult to move back and forth. Anyone think we should go for the “Cowmooflage” version? I think it would look terrific against the Saturn’s black interior. :)

Fresh Farm Veggies

This is 1/2 of a CSA share that I received last July! We ate so well last summer!

I just received an email from Spring Creek Farm saying that they still have CSA openings for this summer! If you don’t have an opportunity to grow a garden and live in the Anchorage or Valley area, please consider this! It is such a wonderful resource.

Here is the information from the email:

Spring Creek Farm 6404 N Lossing Road Palmer, AK 99645

What is Spring Creek Farm?
We are a 4 year old micro-farm providing naturally raised produce and pork in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley on Alaska Pacific University's Kellogg Campus.

What is a CSA?
CSA stands for community supported agriculture. Local food lovers pay the farmer up front at the beginning of the season in exchange for a weekly basket of vegetables grown on the farm.

What’s in the CSA basket? It will provide a week’s worth of vegetables for 4 people for about 19 weeks. Depending on time of the season, it will include lettuce, radishes, Asian greens, carrots, beets, peas, squash, tomatoes, and the like.

What are my options?
Full Share: $555
Salad Share: $135
Pig Share: selling halves and wholes for about $5/lb hanging weight

Where and when do I pick up my basket? There are pick up locations in Palmer and Anchorage on Monday afternoons May 31st to October 4th.

How do I sign up? Contact Mimi Rooney at 907-746-2795 or email at mrooney at alaskapacific dot edu (replace the “at” and “dot with appropriate symbols—this is to thwart spammers)

* * *

We have bought into this CSA for two summers now and have loved it. Each weekly share comes with a newsletter and recipes that use the organic, locally grown veggies in creative and delicious ways. There are two pick up points--one in Palmer (at the farm) and one in Anchorage (at APU). The cost for a full share is $555, but both years James and I split a share with a friend, 50-50, and had to work hard to eat all the vegetables. I have to say, it has challenged me as a cook, but just last week I pulled out my arugula pesto from the freezer that I made fresh last summer (their recipe) and made Chicken Pesto Pizza, and I was thankful all over again for fresh summer bounty.

I hope the farm always sells out of their shares! I am so thankful that we have something like this available in Alaska! Oh, and if you sign up, let me know. We can swap recipes and ideas and marvel over the delicious goodies together!

Clara learns how to eat a banana

I am so far behind in blogging—well, I’m so far behind in everything, so who’s surprised about blogging?—but there is so much to share with you about her and about our lives. I give up. I’ve got cute pictures, and I’m going to share them. : ) So here you go.

One of the amazing things about being Clara’s mama right now is just how much she is learning, growing, and changing everyday. I can’t keep up with all of the new things she is doing and trying and mastering! I forget that one week ago I wondered if she would ever do something, and here she is, doing it like a little pro. Still, on the other hand, there are so many things she has yet to learn. So many, many, MANY things! Like, for example, eating a banana.

“ No, no, Sweetie. Not like that. Let’s try another way.” (For anyone cringing at this photo—the banana IS organic, this happened for a split second while I took the picture and no longer, and I had handed the banana to her and SHE decided to put it in her mouth).

“Alright, Clara, you have your bib on. Are you ready for the banana now?” Can you tell that I am not a fan of my highchair? Oh, and the outfits were because we had TWO banana eating sessions on different days.

“Here you go!”

“Do you like it?”

I think that’s a “Yes.”

Banana cheeks!

“All done!”

Bananas are really a neat invention of God. : ) They are soft, sweet, and lightly flavored and perfect for little people. Plus, LeiLoni Bowlus taught me this trick, they come in thirds. Did you know that? Take a portion of banana and gently press into the center of the top and tug down on a section of the banana and it will neatly divide into three sections. Amazing. : )

Well, that’s Clara’s post of the day.

Clara’s 6th Month

From July 8 to August 8, Clara did quite a bit of learning, growing, and changing.

During this time, Clara gained true mobility when she learned that she can roll over more than one time in any direction. In this way, she rolls, with ever increasing precision, to any particular corner of the room she wants to and get into whatever she can find there. With her rolling, a blanket on the floor didn’t cut it anymore, so then we began using queen sized sheets. Now, I have to be more diligent on just vacuuming the whole room because she’s going to just roll all over the floor anyway! She particularly likes to roll over to the fireplace hearth, book case, desk, and easy chair so she can explore those interesting surfaces with her feet. Those little toes like to explore too!

Clara has also become more vocal this month. Strings of adorable babbling syllables, “Wuwuwuwuwu,” “Mamamamama,” “Babababa,” and even a whisptered “Papapa” are tried out one at a time then discarded for the next new sound. “Mama” seems to be the only one she shortens, but she tends to reserve it for grouchy moments. When I KNOW she’s using it to call me, I will dance for joy, but right now I’m just quietly celebrating her growing verbal skills. Oh, and her favorite sound over all, is still the raspberry. : )

On August 8, her six month birthday, I measured and weighed her and found her to be 27 inches tall (measured standing against the bookcase, Aw!) and 20lbs!

So, here is Clara in pictures. These photos are strictly in sequential order, so although they may appear extremely random, this is how our girl grew this month.

Clara and her daddy cuddle and reconnect every day when James gets home. It is very sweet to see their excited reunion. I never get tired of it!

This picture was taken when I was getting ready one morning and left my night nursing *ahem* bra on the bed. Clara in her curious way had to examine it, of course, and ended up putting it on! It was backwards and upside down, but I had to get a picture anyway.

And here’s a levitating Clara in her bouncer. She really loves it.

Here is one cool chick in her Hawaiian shirt, sun hat, and shades. Grandpa Glenn brings home all kinds of adorable clothes and gifts from his many trips all over the globe.

Gran Sally and Clara. Too bad the clouds are grey outside!

This is my front porch after a typical Monday run to get our fresh farm veggies and groceries from Fred Meyer and Costco. This is what I end up toting up to the front door. Surely my arms must look like Popeye’s by now! (The blue bag on the end is full of spinach too : )

Here my little model is trying on some Baby Legs with a little jumper Grandma Carol picked up for her. No, you’re not leaving the house with that on, Young Lady. ; ) But she sure is cute!

Happy Birthday, to Mama! It’s so much nicer to have a birthday as a mother. I got to cuddle my little girl and get wet slobbery kisses all day. I think it gets even better when your children actually know what a birthday is. : ) Here we are at Red Robin for my birthday. Isaac and Adam were spending a couple of days with us and we all met James for lunch. I got a free burger, but I DID NOT get a free sundae, would you believe, I stayed completely sugar-free through my birthday?

So I did a naked baby photo shoot. She was so adorable! I have to have SOMETHING to embarrass her with when she’s older. : )

“Happy Six Month Birthday, Clara!”

A quick family photo while packing to go to our party.

Our two families assembled (except Grandma Carol who was in Ohio) to celebrate my birthday. Aspen and Dad took over hosting duties. It was a lot of fun.

Starting on the left, there was Sheila, Sheila’s Mama from Peru, Sally, Glenn, Robert, Brady (the silhouette), Aspen, me, Clara, James (taking the picture), Drake (not in the photo) and Jeremy.

The “kids” table: cousin Niqui, Uncle Adam, and Uncle Isaac, with cousin Drake in the background in the highchair!

My little Family. Aspen made the cute cake. I also finally broke my sugar fast with a little cake, some homemade Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (I own the recipe book!), and a wonderful vanilla ice cream made with maple syrup. Yum!

I had fun making sure that Clara had gifts to open too. She did great with the tissue paper. She got an organic bamboo stuffed bunny to cuddle, a phthalate free squeaky ball, and a wonderful wooden and rubber string flexible toy. She’s six months old now! It was time for real toys! She loves them all. . . .

Especially to eat!

But Grandpa Glenn’s security tags work well too!

Uncle Isaac and Uncle Brady entertain Clara too.

And later, James had a little birthday just for me. : ) Aren’t those the prettiest roses ever? They opened and dried so lovely too.

“In other news . . .”

Our non-Clara portion of the month was busy too. To highlight a few things . . .

Our CSA share of farm fresh veggies has been going great this summer. I think it peaked at the end of July with a beautiful, Alaska grown variety of fresh yummies, but I expect it to go through September, ending with more root veggies like potatoes.

James and I hosted a very authentic Greek birthday dinner at our house for Granddaddy Robert (cooked by all the ladies of the family). Did we get a picture of all of the wonderful food that we slaved over? Or the (almost) immaculate house that we haven’t showed you yet? Oh no. But we did get a picture of the baklava “cake” and the impromptu “birthday candle” that we used. : )

Clara and I also met a few members of Sheila’s family. You may not know that James’s sister-in-law is from Peru, and this summer both her mother and her sister (who actually lives in the Netherlands now) came to visit her in Alaska. Sheila’s mother didn’t speak any English, either, that’s why Clara looks so confused in this picture below. : )

A big part of Clara’s six month was taken up by her mama stressing about, preparing for, and teaching a VBS class on God’s Amazing Creation: Insects. I focused on butterflies and bees, although I really could have gone HUNDREDS of directions. I also am very aware that spiders are NOT insects, but the web added a cool effect. These are a few pictures of my classroom, and the 4 and 5 year olds who came to see it on the last day. Oh, while Mama was teaching, Clara stayed with Grandma Carol, and they had lots of fun together.

That’s about it! Whew! With the marathon out of the way, I hope to feel more free to just post more about our day to day life. I’ll try anyway!

July 18: D-day (or CD-day)!

July 18, Clara wore cloth diapers all day long! About a week ago, I made my last cloth diaper order, and Friday, our last cloth diaper box arrived (the most important one, containing the recommended detergent to use to wash them!), so finally, Clara was able to be a cloth diapered baby all day long. There were no leaks or issues at all. Clara seemed happy with the whole experience. I was tickled pink at the adorable covers and the ease of using prefolds. I am hoping that right now as she is sleeping in the one sleep diaper we bought for the occasion, she will be equally as happy (and dry on the outside) in the morning! I am hoping even more that on Sunday with our full day of driving an hour to worship with the church, services, and other activities that the cute covers will do their job well. I'd love to discourse with you on my new favorite subject: prefolds & AIOs, sized & OS, newspaper & twist fold, and on and on, but I need to go join my darling daughter in dream-land.

. . . oh, and Happy Birthday, Dad/Granddaddy Kuenning!

Note: Nighttime and Sunday went like a dream! No leaks yet. Yay! If only we could now solve all of our sleep issues as easily. : )

Sugar Free Summer

When I first heard that Laura at HeavenlyHomemakers.com was doing another one of her wonderful challenges, I thought that I'd probably just observe silently and learn from her experiences and others. However, through a round-about way, I did take up her challenge!

Back in April a combination of issues reminded me again that sugar is really bad for me.


* Sugar causes us to keep or put on excess weight.

* Sugar corrodes the enamel on our teeth and causes/allows cavities to form.

* Sugar inhibits minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium from being absorbed by our bodies and steals those minerals from healthy cells in order to process it..

* Sugar feeds yeast (which in nursing mommies and babies shows up as thrush).

* A life long sugar habit can lead to diabetes, hypoglycemia, and gallstones (among other things).

* Sugar highs lead to sugar crashes.

* Sugar is addictive (some even say it is drug like in its addiction).

* Sugar (which has been stripped of all of it's nutrients) often takes the place of other nutritious foods.

* Not to mention that all of these problems could potentially pass on to my completely-depending-on-Mama's-breast-milk baby!


I believe that some natural, God given forms of sugar--like honey or unrefined maple syrup--do have redeeming qualities and can be used by people in moderation with good results. But personally, I knew that going from too-much to moderation wouldn't work for me. I needed to call a sugar fast.

So, for the month of June, I am doing what I can to kick the sugar habit. Maybe after this, I will be able to eat some desserts in moderation. We'll see. Now I am avoiding all sodas, cakes, cookies, chocolate, candy, sweets, and sugary foods (some salad dressings, sauces, etc.). I am allowing myself one or two servings of fruit a day and a glass of milk on occasion (we still have a gallon of the good stuff coming to us each week!). I am also trying to avoid white flour, white pasta, bananas, and potatoes. I do have a good serving of brown rice, oatmeal, or whole wheat each day, but I try not to let the starches take over my diet.

On June 1st, I went to Costco and bought big bags of multi colored peppers, sugar snap peas (okay, so they are sweeter than many veggies!), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, apples, and strawberries. I also went to pick up our first CSA share of the season which included bok choy, mustard greens, and two different kinds of lettuce.

So, at the end of day 4, I have been eating big green salads and handfuls of peppers, tomatoes, and peppers all day long and eating a few strawberries after dinner. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but except for some strong pulls towards the candy basket on the second day (it's really slim pickings, but I was feeling desperate!) I haven't wished for any of the stuff I have been avoiding. In fact, it's early to tell, but I think I have more energy and am clearer headed than usual. I hope the rest of the month goes this well.

I am really happy that this decision is helping our whole family (all three of us : ). My eating healthier is forcing me to be more on top of the planning and cooking of meals than I have been since Clara's birth. We are forced to not rely on fast food for a quick last-minute meal (especially since our recent move has brought us within a mile of both McDonald's AND Wendy's along with about 10 other places!). James has joined me during the meals, of course, and now has veggies to take with him to work to snack on. He even encouraged me to make us a "to go" meal for the hour long drive to church on Wednesday night. It worked pretty well. And I feel so much better about myself being the homemaker I so want to be and am even more productive with my time--all just because I dropped sugar from my diet! Amazing!

So, my tip for those doing an eat more fruits and veggies challenge is to eliminate, avoid, or extremely limit all forms of sugar in your household. Yummy fruits and veggies will step up to fill the gap right away. Many of you are way ahead of me, but I'm excited that this is so doable. Let's hope I still feel this way on June 28th!

For the Love of Pie . . .

Laura, at HeavenlyHomemakers.com, has put together a beautiful eBook featuring trusted pie recipes that were sent in by people all over America. This book is free for anyone who is interested in downloading it and features a recipe or two from you-know-who. = )

While you are there, please check out Laura's blog and all of the wonderful resources for healthy home living and raising a godly family on the website. Her blog has become one place I visit daily for a dose of encouragement and blessing as I strive to make my home more godly, peaceful, and healthy. I also recently discovered that Laura is a York Christian College alumnus, and I know if we scratched the surface a little bit we'd probably come up with quite a few friends we have in common.

Enjoy!

Baby Stuff

So, I'm 24 weeks pregnant, feeling great, and finally showing a positively pregnant belly (although ladies at church have been rubbing my midsection since August). I've received no comments from strangers yet (a suggestive smile was the closest I got), but as I wear more maternity clothes, maybe that will change. If I get desperate, maybe I'll buy one of those shirts that says "Baby" with a big arrow. I'm personally amazed at how long I've been able to creatively wear my skirts, jumpers, dresses, and tops since my in-laws were suggesting that I'd need a new wardrobe soon in my second month! But since I'm not petite and skinny, maybe the baby doesn't need to push out as fast. I'm sure I'll be plenty big enough in a few months to leave no one in doubt!

I don't blame friends for rubbing my tummy when I can't help but rub it myself. Especially when the baby is kicking or fluttering against me, I feel a surge of maternal connection and rub my belly, or even rock, and coo to my little one. It's so amazing to be two people at once. Voting in the primaries, I told my baby to appreciate it, because this November would be the last time they'd get to vote for the next 18 years! Most days sitting at work, I smile to think that I get to bring my child along with me each day. It's something like having an invisible friend. I'm a mother hen. I remember cold nights as a child when I'd get out of my warm bed to gather all of my dolls and stuffed animals to tuck into bed next to me. My favorite pretend games involved small, tented spaces where I played mommy and cuddled my dolls in safety pretending to be in a cabin, wagon train, boat, etc. I feel something like that now. As much as I look forward to the day when I can see my child's face, I feel content having my little one close by ALL the time.

* * *

I have been so thankful for the internet this pregnancy! From googling "early pregnancy symptoms" (from back when James was more clued in than I to what might be happening) to determining the estimated due date of the baby to dealing with uncomfortable symptoms, researching pregnancy and baby gear, and communicating with other expectant women--the internet has been a valuable tool for me.

Here are just a few sites I have found fun and helpful over the past five months:

A great site with real pictures of baby's development from conception to birth.

An interesting comparison of fruit to baby's developmetal size (goofy, but helpful).

A huge reference site for home birth. Reading people's home birth stories all over the net has been great therapy for me.

A friend brought me to the Mothering community. Although I do not agree with everything, it is a wonderful resource for natural birth and parenting and has an extensive online forum.

Speaking of natural, The Soft Landing is a terrific resource for "safe" plastics in the baby world. This blogger has done extensive research on everything from bottles to bibs.

There is also a cute meter at the bottom of this blog that you can check out to see how far along the baby is.

Anyway, that's just a start. Please feel free to share with me any great online pregnancy resources that you like.

* * *

One more quick thing-

I want to share something with all of you pregnant ladies and new mommies. I think this is worth paying attention to.

A couple of months ago I ran across an article very similar to this one, this one, and this one. In my mind, linking fire retardant chemicals in mattresses to SIDS makes a lot of sense. I strongly suggest that you read the articles above and think about it. I don't know why this information isn't more widely spread. I'm not a conspiracy therorist, but I have to believe that it must not be profitable to someone for this information to be shared. Unfortunately, not only baby mattresses have these chemicals, but they are in all mattresses and some pillows and bedding as well which makes it challenging for the co-sleeping parent.

Thankfully, in New Zealand parents have effectively been wrapping their baby mattresses in polyethylene (polythene) sheeting (NOT PVC plastic!) and using pure cotton bedding with the result of 100% SIDS prevention rate among mattress wrappers! There are instructions for doing this here. There is also a NZ manufacturer that sells rather reasonably priced baby mattress covers. These are available all over the net and have an extremely high rating of success.

Another thing that's important is to keep synthetic materials out of the crib and off of the baby while sleeping. No fleece blankets on top or plastic pads underneath as they too have chemicals in them. I obviously haven't done this yet and don't know how hard it will be to find natural fiber pajamas, but I do know that children's sleepwear also has fire retardant chemicals in them. Grr! One of the things that makes this so much more dangerous for babies is that they are not able to get up and move when the fumes develop.

~

Being a natural mama in this world where everything is chemically tampered with is not going to be easy, but I want to try my hardest to keep things simple, old fashioned, and safe for my children.

There's a Bassinet in the Bedroom!

Oh, it's still empty, and it's not pink or blue, but it effectively symbolizes that a very important person is coming to join our family next February. Yes, we're going to have a baby!


We discovered that we were pregnant the night of Brady and Aspen's wedding. On our way home from cleaning up the church building we picked up a pregnancy test and a bottle of folic acid (I was sure!) and confirmed our suspicions the next morning. We are officially due February 6, 2009, which I believe is just three days before Mike and Lucy are expecting their second! However, first babies run late and very few babies show up on their due dates, so we might have to start a guessing raffle. Plus, so many people have told me that they have birthdays in early February too, that I just might have to give a little prize to the person we know who shares our little one’s birthday (although, isn’t that amazing fact in itself the biggest prize? ; ).


I am just about four and a half months (20 weeks) pregnant, and I am feeling great. The mild queasiness of the first few months has subsided and my energy has returned along with a strong desire to prepare our tiny home for our little son or daughter. James is a sweet dad-to-be and concerns himself with taking care of (or lovingly putting up with) my pregnant self, planning for our future, and accompanying me to a 12 week long Bradley birthing class. I am so thankful for his humor which helps me relax and laugh at the funny little bumps and hiccups of my pregnant life and for his sincerity when I earnestly beseech his opinion on all things from stroller design to parenting methods.


As many of you probably suspect, we are approaching this whole baby-growing thing as naturally as possible. We have hired a midwife, will not have an ultrasound unless it becomes medically advisable, and are planning a home birth as long as all continues well. So, our baby’s gender will be a surprise! I am feeling the baby kick and move everyday and we have heard the baby’s heartbeat on Doppler since the 12th week—what a sweet sound!


Please keep all three of us in your prayers. Now that the big news is out, I hope to be more regular with blog correspondence letting you know the updates and maybe even including a few belly pictures. = ) I have never been so proud of a tummy pooch!

Milk and Honey

Did you know that honey is good at curing burns? Check out this interesting blog (Note: I cannot vouch for the quality of the comments). Two things come to mind: "Wow, God is amazing" and "I sure have a lot to learn."



So, last night I made my first batch of yogurt. I do believe that James and I could do the amazing thing (for us) of drinking a gallon of milk in a week (neither of us are milk drinkers naturally), but for the past several weeks, the milk has gone sour on day four, and we are left with half a gallon of unappetizing milk. Thankfully, raw milk that has soured is not like the clotted, putrid stuff processed milk turns into when it goes rancid. Sour milk can be used in soup and baking without ill effect, and I probably could drink it, but don't really care to. So, in order to alleviate waste, I decided to turn half of my gallon of milk into a delicious morning treat and make my own yogurt.

Most of the information I gleaned about yogurt making was from several helpful websites. Words like "sterilize" and "inoculate" and tools like "thermometer" and "incubator" scared me into feeling like I was about to do some weird science lab experiment that might succeed in killing us all, but I determined to be very careful and put my full attention into cooking, for once.

After dishwasher and hot-soapy-water-handwash sterilizing the stainless steel pot, thermometer, spoon, measuring cup, and 9 1/2 pint canning jars, I slowly heated eight cups of raw milk on the stove to 180 degrees while stirring to make sure that the milk on the bottom didn't scorch. It smelled heavenly and made me think of sweet custard. Then I set the pan of milk in the sink which was half filled with cold water. It took two minutes for the temperature to drop down to 110 degrees (the perfect incubating temperature) when I quickly removed it. I then mixed a portion of the cooled milk with a half a cup of Nancy's Organic Whole Milk yogurt until smooth then added the mixture to the pot of milk and stirred well. I ladled the warm milk into canning jars, tightened the lids, and set them in water in my slow cooker had already preheated to "warm." I then put the thermometer in the water, put the lid on, set a timer for three hours, and walked away. Or, I wish I had . . .

Anxious fluttering cook that I am, I put the lid on, took the lid off, turned the heat up, turned the heat down, and THEN walked away. However, my unfortunate decision to turn the heat up to "low," however briefly (maybe 10 minutes), resulted in the heat gradually continuing to rise to 130 degrees which killed the yogurt culture and prevented it from working on the milk. Who knows, probably all the fiddling with it didn't help much either (I read that the milk should not be bumped or disturbed while incubating). Three hours later, the milk tasted like a sweet, warm drink--but definitely not yogurt.

Then I got the bold new idea to try again. I poured all of the milk, still warm, into the pan added ANOTHER half cup of active yogurt, stirred it all together, ladled it into the jars, set the jars in the still warm slow cooker, stuck in the thermometer, put the lid on top, and did not touch a single jar (although I peeked through the glass at the thermometer now and then--it stayed constantly in it's correct temperature range). Three hours later, I gingerly took out a jar and gently tilted it back and forth. I was happy to see the thick liquid giving way to soft globs of congealed yogurt. I tasted it too, and although it retained some natural sweetness, it also had that very distinct yogurt flavor. Yay! My cow made yogurt!

Although my yogurt can be eaten with a spoon, it also tasted delicious as a thick yogurt drink. I added a teaspoon of grade B maple syrup (I have read that fruit sugars can interfere with the ability of the yogurt to "do its job"), stirred well, and drank up. A sweet success.

Next week, I hope to do things differently:
--Obviously, I don't want to kill my starter by over heating the yogurt!
--I will buy more yogurt starter that is as fresh as the store can provide (once I get a good run going, I can use my own yogurt for starter, but with my unorthodox beginning, I wanted to try again).
--I will look into the possibility of adding a small quantity of powdered milk to my yogurt to add more thickness and consistency.

But for now, I have eight beautiful jars of yogurt to eat for breakfast and a half gallon of raw milk to drink before Sunday. Moo!

Locavore Inspiration

Just letting you know that the Barbara Kingsolver book, Animal Vegetable Miracle, is available in paperback now. As I wrote in my earlier post, I do not agree with the author in her complete disregard of the Creator in her marvel of creation. Politically, we would probably find ourselves in different camps as well. However, I believe that most Christians would agree with me that we (as a nation, as a world, as individuals) have been woefully negligent in our care of the planet that God has given us stewardship of and even our own bodies. Going back to whole, locally grown and produced foods is a healthy and fulfilling way to reverse that. Besides, this book is a fun and inspiring read.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think.