Starting Seeds

In honor of the first day of Spring, I finally got my seeds started! Actually the season change wasn't the reason I waited this long to finally get them in some dirt. I fully intended to have them done a couple weeks ago, but once I finally got into town, it took me several tries to even find a store that carried the little seed starting pellets that I like to use. (If you remember in my post We Have Tomatoes!, I had much better success with these than when I tried using potting soil.) Two years ago I didn't start them until the first week of May, so I'll call this a nice, early start! 

Eating Alkaline

In an effort to include more alkaline-forming foods in my diet, I've been experimenting with my own new recipes and reintroducing other yummy foods that I don't normally purchase on a regular basis. 

One of my more delicious meals features a knock-off oatmeal - made with millet, and enhanced with cinnamon, butter, and maple syrup. I kind of happened on it by accident. 

I thought I was cooking quinoa but didn't realize until I had eaten most of it that I had grabbed the jar of millet instead. I thought the texture seemed different but figured it was because I didn't cook it quite long enough (though I followed the directions... for quinoa), and it didn't click how vastly different the flavor was! You'd think I had never cooked either before. Well ... I hadn't, but I've eaten them both a few times in my day. 

The blooper ended up being much better, and I think a far more pleasing flavor too, than it would've been had I grabbed the jar of quinoa. The unfortunate part of this dish is after checking the two stores in town that sell bulk grains, I realized millet is hard to find, as neither carried it. I would guess the health food store in the "city" might, but I don't know. 

I'm not an oatmeal person (unless it's baked), so this discovery may add a nice variation to my old breakfast routine, which was most often just eggs and toast. Pairing the millet with an egg and grapefruit gave me a bit of protein and made it a well-rounded (pun intended) meal. Another reason I give this plate such a great rating is because I felt absolutely amazing all morning. Breakfast didn't sit heavy and lasted me well until lunchtime. 

Duck Eggs

Lately I've been getting eggs from some Amish a few miles down the road. Yesterday when I made my egg run (because we only had one more dozen, which is basically the same as being out), I was informed that they only had blue eggs left, which made no difference to me. When she came back out with an armload, the top carton was so full it couldn't close. I had told the girl I was hoping to get 5 dozen if they had them, but she only had four dozen chicken eggs, so she brought out some duck eggs and said they only cost 50 cents more! With the size of them, it really wasn't any more expensive volume-wise than the chicken eggs. I have never seen duck eggs sell so cheap. $3.00/ dozen! While I wouldn't necessarily choose duck eggs over chicken (simply because I have no reason to), they are delicious and it has been good to be reminded of their flavor, as I hadn't tasted one in probably 10 years. It has been kinda fun switching up my morning breakfast some!

Here's a comparison between a regular-sized chicken egg (comparable to 

the grocery store Grade-A medium), and an extra-large duck egg. 

Poinsettia Progress

^ December 7, 2016

^ Today, March 4, 2017

When I posted about my flowering poinsettia nearly three months ago, it had one red leaf and visible buds promising more. It has taken way longer to flower than I expected! Now there is a nice cluster of red, though far from full size still, and the second "flower" has started to grow. I don't know if this is all normal growth speed or not, or if my house is too cold, or if it hasn't had enough light? I wonder if at this rate I might have a full poinsettia again by Christmas!

Mama's 'Lil Helper

I think people severely underestimate the ability of a toddler. 

They crave working alongside their parents and being involved in whatever we're doing!

Today Adam turned 18 months old. He is always at my side (unless he's tagging along with daddy), and would much rather be into my things than playing with his own toys. It's how they learn! When it's time to set the table, he takes care of the silverware. When I grab a pot holder to get something from the oven, he puts one on his hand, too. He is always at the sink rinsing whatever he can reach when I'm washing dishes. He helps gather the laundry and shoves the basket through the house to the basement stairs. If I run downstairs quick and tell him I'll be right back, he follows me expecting I'm doing laundry and he can help! He hands me clothes to fold, and helps carry piles to put away. His favorite though is sweeping the floor. It was one of the first household task he was interested in. He doesn't hesitate to pick up the broom as soon as he sees it - even if we're at someone else's house! I love that he loves being with me and helping.

One Month Old

 Such a bundle of cuteness!