Our visit to Dickey Hill Farm

Last weekend my family visited Dickey Hill Farm, my sister Noami and my brother in law, James’ farm, in Monroe Maine.  My sister Shana, her boyfriend Hallel, and my cousin Tisha also joined us.  It was a fun filled, extra special family weekend! 

We always have a blast going there and helping out with farm chores. Last weekend, we fed the cows hay, hunted eggs for breakfast, helped open and close the two high tunnels, stacked fire wood to heat the house, and cleaned and weighed 60 pounds of carrots.   The carrots are so sweet and keep well all winter long.  It always amazes me the difference in taste between fresh and store bought carrots, among many other foods as well.  The girls got to pick and sample some sweet baby kale which Ayla said was her favorite part of the whole weekend!  Simple pleasures. 

I love that my girls have the opportunity to experience farm life, learn about where our food comes from, and learn to appreciate all the hard work their Auntie and Uncle do to provide food for people. 

We, of course, always eat well when we visit.  Fresh eggs for breakfast, chicken sandwiches and carrots for lunch, an amazing kale, butternut squash,  sausage soup, and a roasted chicken, with mashed squash, and a rooted veggie bake.

It is amazing to think that Noami and James rarely go to the grocery store, especially since I go at least twice a week.  They are fortunate to grow all their own veggies, and raise their own cows, chickens, and sometimes pigs.  They do weekly trades with other farmers at the farmer’s markets for their cheese, yogurt, butter, bread, flours etc.

Oftentimes, I find myself picking convenience over fresh and local.  But after a quick visit at the farm, it reminds me that buying my meats and eggs especially from a local farm is important to me and is worth the added trip. 

Chocolate Pudding

I love making desserts that taste delicious and are healthy but don't taste "healthy."  I also love ways of sneaking in added veggies whenever possible.  This pudding was a hit among everyone in the family.  It is sweet, creamy, and free of dairy and refined sugars.
This recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked sweet potato, peeled
1/8 cup maple syrup (May need more depending on your taste preference.  The sweet potatoes already add some sweetness.)
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of your favorite unsweetened nut butter
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra

Topping Suggestions:
fresh berries and unsweetened shredded coconut
sliced almonds
homemade grain free granola

Instructions:
1. Bake the sweet potato at 400 until softened. Time varies depending on size.
2.  Peel the sweet potato and put in a food processor or blender.
3.  Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
4. Taste and adjust the sweetness if desired.
5.  Can be served right away or placed in the fridge to chill.
Enjoy! The pudding is very rich so a small amount goes along way!

Dinner with Kids!

Dinner with kids. Enough said! Some nights I feel like I have it all figured out and I’m winning at family meals.  Other nights, I feel completely frustrated and I’m ready to feed them sandwiches for the rest of their lives.

I have gone through periods where I decide to completely cater to their needs.  When this happens, we end up eating pretty bland, simple food.   I quickly lose my joy preparing meals, but the girls are happy and well fed.  Thankfully, my husband Larry is pretty easy going, and is just happy to eat anything! Other times, I cook meals I know Larry and I will enjoy. We end up being well fed but dinner isn’t nearly as enjoyable because the girls are complaining and end up eating a hard-boiled egg, veggie sticks, and a rice cake sandwich, our “go to” dinner when they have tried what I cooked but don’t like it.

After a lot of trial and error, I finally realized that compromise works best for our family. The girls choose one or two meals a week that they are excited about. The other times I choose the meals and end up modifying the girls’ dinners. My goal is to not cook two separate meals but to use the same ingredients to create slightly varied dishes.

Tonight, for example, I made chicken noodle soup. I started with two pots, a small one and a big one. In the big pot, I sautéed chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, broccoli, carrots, and peas. In the small pot, I sautéed chicken, carrots, and peas. I added bone broth at the end to both the pots. In a third pot, I cooked millet rice ramen noodles so they wouldn’t get soggy as leftovers.  I then added the noodles straight to the appropriate bowls as well as the broth, chicken and veggies. The girls also enjoy a spoon or two of hummus to their broth which quickly dissolves and adds a mild flavor they love. Larry and I add hot sauce for added spice to ours. This way everyone is happy. This method requires one extra pot but little extra effort and everyone enjoys mealtime!

Here are a couple other dinners I adjusted to help please the four of us.  The first picture is a bowl of cauliflower rice with chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, and cashews drizzled with a stir fry sauce. The plate is rice, chicken, peas and broccoli.  The second picture is a bowl of carrot noodles, chicken, broccoli, scallions, cashews, and pickled cabbage.  The plate is brown rice pasta with pesto (in case my girls didn’t like the carrot noodles since this was the first time I offered them), broccoli, chicken, and carrot noodles.

For now, this method works for my family.  For the most part, all of our plates get cleaned each night and we are all happy and well fed!