We have been back home for four days and boy, is it nice to feel settled in. North came down with a fever the same afternoon we arrived home, so while it was nice to stay close to the house, it wasn't as fun to have a sick kid either. I clued into North's needs a little late into the game but by day two he was laying down for a nap in the morning in addition to his normal afternoon rest. The extra healing time got him perked up enough to expel the germs. Now he is back to his feisty self.
Tuesday, I picked up our first veggies from our summer share on Eddie's farm. That night for dinner we ate a brown rice stir-fry with an egg scrambled in. Yummy! Shopping at the grocery store with many local farmers contributing to the fresh produce section is nice but not comparable to eating veggies the same day they are picked, grown by a farmer who knows his gardening. That is good food.
The next night I was inspired by a Cynthia Lair cookbook and made a polenta crust vegetable pizza. Reed is introducing more of his allergy foods into his diet, but he is very minimal with the gluten. The polenta crust was an awesome idea for a pizza! I roasted summer squash and kale with onions/garlic in chunky-canned tomato sauce with basil and oregano. The roasting with the herbs added an amazing depth to the pizza sauce.
Eating our veggie pizza made me remember a commercial I saw recently. In the clip, a man looks totally depressed as he picks at his over-boiled green beans. Over his head is a zero. After he drinks a v-8 fruit juice his number changes to a "1". The poor guy has to drink a sugary juice because no one can grow or cook veggies properly! I wish I could have shared our food from the farm with the poor guy, I think we ate at least five servings with the pizza.
On the juice front, I ordered a juicer from Amazon the other day. With so many vegetables coming into this house, I thought the summer would be the perfect time to experiment with juicing.
More changes are on the horizon for my family. A few months ago the current teacher of my preschool job asked me if I would be interested in working two mornings a week. I had an interview with some of the parents and was offered the job yesterday evening. So this fall, I will be working again.
I approach this transition with much nervousness. On one hand, I welcome and love, LOVE, the idea of working at this parent cooperative preschool. The inner workings of this school are amazing and so rewarding. Yet I also feel concerned about my own personal limitations. It is important to me that the job be only two mornings a week. I hope that the wonderful stay-at-home vibe manages to continue for my kids throughout this change. The easy flow of our days together is what makes this childhood time so rewarding and special for us all.