.:green(ish) thumb:.

i finally got my garden put together last night! i felt like it has been a long time coming, but i have been waiting to make sure the weather was going to cooperate.

even though we joined a veggie CSA, i have (slowly) fallen in love with gardening. last year, i had a small, easy garden filled with zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. it was pretty awesome to be able to cook with the zucchini that i actually grew or fill my salad with tomatoes i had just picked. remembering that feeling, i had been half-heartedly trying to plan what to harvest this year. here's the deal, i want it to be easy, but i also want it be worthwhile and fill it with things that we eat on a regular basis.

alas, here is the set up that i created last night:.

 

 

as i mentioned before, my planning was half-hearted - with the weather we have been having in MN, i feel like everything related to being outside is half-hearted.....

 

anyway, i drug drew to Menards to help me create on a plan on a whim. the only thing i knew was that i wanted to plant mostly starter plants since it was late in the season. i ended up doing 12 pepper plants, 6 brussel sprouts, 2 strawberries and planted some seeds for spinach and cucumbers. yes, i do realize they are planted close together, but i was trying to maxmize the space that i had. i also think this image appears smaller in this picture than in real life. fingers crossed they don't suffocate each other.

 

i wanted to do a quick how-to plant a garden - dummy edition. me, being the dummy gardener and learning things as i go, researching them later....it worked last year and i sure hope it will work this year.

 

1. preparing the soil - you can get really scientific with this, but i don't have time for that and my brain is still burnt out from college physics. so, with a hand rake (yes, hand, i did not want to spend money on a full sized one), i 'tilled' the soil. it was pretty packed down from the LOOONG winter and has a lot of weeds and remnants from last year's garden, so i turned over the soil and tried to get as many stick and leaves out of the way as possible. there were SEVERAL worms and centipedes which are good for the soil, bad for my anxiety - i tried to avoid them. also, i have been battling with this wildfire-like ivy that likes to wrap around my vegetables and suffocates them, so i tried my hardest to dig up the roots which were deep and stronger than i thought a plant could be - i would have skipped my pull-ups at the gym had i known the battle i was in for. anyway, once the soil was turned over and loosened up, i added a layer of "seed starting" soil - i used this last year just to give the natural soil an extra boost and it seemed to work well (i also had 1/2 bag left over from last year, another reason why it was perfect). i also tried to level out the soil as much as possible - it would be a nightmare to plant an entire side of your garden and realize 3/4 of your soil is piled up on the other half.

 

2. planning - again, who really plans? i looked to see how much space and sun each plant needed (these are printed on the little plastic sticks that label the plant). lucky for me, all of them needed full sun - sarcasm, my front spot is about the only 'full' sun place. oh well, it should do. i laid out the starter plants before i dug holes to make sure i gave them as much space as my little city-garden allowed.

 

3. planting - make holes big enough to COVER the roots of the starter plants and fill in around it. it is a good idea to 'firm' up the soil around the plant, by pressing the soil down. seeds are slightly different - on the package it will say how deep they need to be, typically around 1/2 - 1 inch. i just dig a little trench that depth, spread out the seeds and cover them.

 

4. WATER!!! one thing that i noticed last year was that my plants were almost always thirsty especially if it is really sunny or hot. try to water every other day or every day...although with the predicted forecast around here i probably won't need to water until August...

 

5. weeding - weeding is also important to make sure your plants get enough room and nutrients. i try to pick weeds a couple times a week. be careful of weeds that wrap around your plants, they will suffocate them! take the time to unravel the weed from your precious plant. also, try to pull out the weed's entire root, it will prevent the weed from coming back right away.

 

 

and you have a garden! easy peasy - i am probably making avid gardeners cringe, but i will be honest, i don't have the time or desire to spend weeks planning and researching gardening. sorry, not sorry.

 

last night, i also took my gardening indoors. i have always wanted a plant inside for decoration and oxygen benefits, but we have 2 furry toddlers to worry about, so i bought a big turquoise antique clay pot that (hopefully) they can't tip over and a plant that seemed durable enough to handle a few nibbles. again, i bought it based off its looks and researched it later. this here, friends, is a coleus plant widely known for its colorful leaves and a low maintenance plant which can thrive in the most basic environment.

 

here is my indoor creation (note: the furry toddler hanging out on the couch already eyeing it):.

 

 

 

i am excited for this to grow in height and volume with hopes that it will fill a particular corner of our house....

 

this post may be boring to many of you if you are not into gardening, but if you want to give it a shot, it's a cheap hobby to take on. last night i bought the big turquoise pot, 2 - 6 packs of peppers, 1 - 6 pack of brussel sprouts, bag of cucumber seeds, bag of spinach seeds, 2 strawberry plants, another pot for garlic (more on that later), a bag of potting mix and a new pair of gardening gloves for $38.  i didn't even have a coupon - that's less than what i spend per week on vegetables! and seriously, it is pretty darn cool to see these things grow over time.

 

i am hoping that i will have a lush garden to show you in a few weeks....

 

always striving for more,

dee b. 

 



.: i am :.

i am...

these three letters, two words are extremely powerful. what follows these two words can either be empowering or destructive.

how many times a day do you end 'i am' with something destructive? how about empowering?

last night on my way home from work, i stopped at target to get a few things. as i was walking around target, i instantly felt exhausted. the workout that i had carefully constructed for the evening seemed insurmountable. how could that be when i was just so antsy and energetic at my desk? through the exhaustion, i got annoyed with myself. here is how my mind works - i had an open evening with NO plans, if i didn't make it to the gym, then it would be a waste of an evening, right? well, what if i went home, rested for awhile and then went to a late night class? but that would most likely ruin my plans of getting up for a 6 am class (i am having friends over after work and don't have time to workout). heaven forbid that i don't work out tonight, accidentally oversleep tomorrow morning and NOT WORKOUT for 2 whole days. then come saturday, i have the Heart Walk all morning for work which will definitely end in appetizers and drinks which may eliminate any type of motivation to work out on saturday. I CANNOT TAKE 3 DAYS OFF. why didn't i get more sleep this week so i had more energy to workout tonight?!?!

i am lazy. i am unorganized. i am unmotivated. i need to do better.

this is literally how my brain works. on my way home from target, i texted drew to see how his day went and to let him know how TIRED i was and that i needed him to keep me motivated to make it to the gym. his response, less than minute later "whatever you want. i just wanna live life...with you"

simple as that. he clearly did not put himself through the entire thinking process that i had - i spent the rest of the drive home wondering why i put myself through this? when i got home instead of running around the house and cleaning (which i typically do until drew gets home from work), i sat down. yes, SAT DOWN and decided to flip through the archives of my blog. i don't know what i was hoping to find by reading about the past, but i was hoping for some perspective - something that would stop my brain from rationalizing not going to the gym or only working 8 hours at the office when i had an open night and could have worked longer. perspective is exactly what i got.

here is a copy and paste of my goals from my VERY first blog post:.

•**run the boston marathon-which means i must qualify, which means i must run another marathon, which means my knees have to cooperate for training (at the rightful age of 22, i have expensive knees that still suck, more on that later....i suppose)
 •get up tomorrow morning at 6:15 and go for a run.
 •start practicing yoga at least 3 times/week
 •figure out what the heck i want to do with my life (career-wise), more on that later as well....i suppose.
 •clean my room
 •be a good momma and tame my kitten somehow.....
 •become a certified yoga instructor
 •volunteer

going through that list, i have almost accomplished all of those goals. running, let alone running the Boston marathon isn't in my cards anymore. in ways, i am pained by that fact, but in other ways, i feel grateful. grateful to have given up running to allow my body and knees to heal. grateful that i can remain extremely active and that i only had to give up running. yoga has become 'my thing', i practice at least 2 times a week. clean my room - drew and i do a pretty good job with keeping our place organized and clean (with 2 cats, it is absolutely necessary to vacuum several times a week). speaking of the cats, i believe i have done a good job 'taming my kitten' who is now 2 years old and a big brother. yes, i know he is just a cat, but i am really glad that he has Helen now - they are complete besties and take care of each other (see recent Instagram picture on the right). become a certified yoga instructor - wow, looking back when i wrote this post, i always thought that was going to be something further down the road. today, i have been a certified yoga instructor for over a year. volunteer - this one isn't as impressive, but i am volunteering tomorrow at the American Heart Association Heart Walk and i plan to continue volunteering at several events hosted through St. Jude.

i realized that i missed one, but i purposely left it for the end:. figure out what the heck i want to do with my life (career-wise). reading this just about brought me tears. the couple posts that followed overviewed my new job as a temp on the phones at UCare and how i was extremely motivated to work hard and earn full-time status. speechless. in a year and a half, i got hired on full-time, was promoted to a quality advocate and made a life-changing career move into my dream job. could i seriously be any luckier?

i was instantly humbled. here i was, beating myself up about not working out that night (especially after eating Blue Door chicken strips and an Izzy's ice cream cone 2 days before), when really i have so much to be thankful for.

i will never be the type to 'settle' for anything, so i realize that i may never give myself the opportunity to relish in my accomplishments, but i can help myself along the way with three letters, two words...

i am hard working. i am healthy. i am motivated. i am safe. i am fed. i am strong. i am talented. i am supported. i am happy. i am blessed.

don't be destructive, empower yourself.

always striving for more,
dee b.

now what?

many people have asked me if i will continue any of the 'habits' that i have learned through .:get balanced:. my answer to that is, ABSOLUTELY! i would be stupid not!

my first day off .:get balanced:. happened to be the day that drew took the GMAT, so we decided to go out toThe Blue Door Pub followed by ice cream at Izzy's icream - it was unbelievably good!

there were a few reasons why i decided to DIVE back into 'conventional' eating:.

1. i could not take any more hives - even though i drastically cut down on my coconut intake, i was still suffering from hives. couldn't do it any more.

2. i kind of wanted to test how it would feel to go from one end of the spectrum to the complete opposite. before .:get balanced:. i typically ate healthy - which meant i ate mainly veggies and lean protein, but i also treated myself plenty to lots of sugar whether it was desserts, fried food or carbs (bad carbs).

3. my cravings had gone away for the first week and a half of .:GB:. but they were back in full-swing. i really struggled the last few days between the hives and feeling sluggish and unmotivated to complete the full 15 days. i felt like i 'deserved' the splurge.

4. i wanted to celebrate with drew - not only had i been completely disciplined for 15 days, but he had been incredibly discplined studying for the GMAT - he did well and i wanted to treat him to a dinner where he wasn't forced to eat something vegan or gluten-free. we both deserved it.

maybe these rationales sound like excuses, but i really don't care.

throughout the 15 days, a lot of people to me 'i could NEVER give up bread' or 'i could NEVER give up my daily cookie'. well, people, i thought that too. i used to think - 'no matter what
i do, i never lose or gain weight' (yay and nay), 'i workout plenty and am fine with the way i look, so these workshops weren't made for people like me'. WRONG - there are so many physiological
responses to what you eat! it doesn't matter if you can eat whatever you want and stay stick thin or if you look at a cookie and gain 5 lbs. food goes way beyond the physical realm!

going foward for ME:.

i kicked my sugar cravings, so i fully intend to not let myself indulge back into sugars, so i can keep it that way! i am going to be more mindful of gluten and cut it out where i can. i don't believe i need to go completely gluten-free at this point in my life, but i do see and understand the benefits of monitoring it. i am definitely going to continue making a lot of the recipes that were shared and try to expand my recipe repertoire. lastly, supplements. the .:GB:. ladies suggested several supplements to help with digestive health, blood sugar regulation and adrenal health which i plan to try a few out. i actually already bought a probiotic from Whole Foods and am excited to see what benefits it can provide.

for you:.

most people don't do these type of nutrition workshops because they either think they know enough about food and nutrition or they are afraid to figure out truly how bad their diet is. there's always more to learn and knowledge is power! whether you are looking for a complete lifestyle change, want some new recipe ideas or are just curious to learn more about a hollistic approach towards health - check out Prescribe Nutrition either on Facebook or click here for their blog. i could not say enough good things about these ladies - they are sweet, extremely supportive and they meet you where you are in your journey! they make everything accessible and understandable regardless if you are a youthful and running marathons, a health nut or have 4 kids needing to lose 60 lbs. do yourself a favor and check them out - you truly have nothing to lose.

i am off to drink some newfound (and tasty) aloe vera juice - happy almost weekend!

always striving for more,
dee b.

buffalo chicken quinoa:.

i'll be honest and let you all know that i saw this recipe on Pinterest - who doesn't get inspiration from Pinterest?

i seriously LOVE anything related to buffalo chicken, so i was excited when i came across this recipe. i changed up a few things to not only make it easier for me (we were trying to watch The Office at the same time......priorities) and i wanted to make sure that i used up some produce that was on the edge of going bad!

so, here is what Pinterest and i came up with.

>> 1 cup quinoa
>> 1 chicken breast
>> broccoli
>> shredded cabbage
>> shredded carrots (i just cut up carrots really thin - who buys shredded carrots?)
>> kale (i have to throw kale in everything....drew hates it)
>> 1/2 cup hot sauce - i used Frank's hot wing sauce because i put that sh!t on everything
>> 1/2 cup olive oil
>> blue cheese crumbles - i skipped this since i was on my last day of .;get balanced:. and also because i hate blue cheese.

cook the quinoa as you normally would (if you need help check this out). cook the chicken in a separate pan with a little bit of olive oil and in another pan or wok, start to cook all of your vegetables - you want them tender, yet still pretty firm because the sauce is going to make them even softer. while everything is cooking, whisk together the hot sauce, olive oil and a dash of salt. when the chicken is almost done cooking, cut it up into bite-size pieces, put it back in the pan with 1/4 of the hot sauce mixture - this will allow the chicken to soak up some of the hot sauce. once the chicken is completely done, the veggies are tender and the quinoa is cooked, combine all of it in either a big wok or bowl and add the rest of the hot sauce. stir until evenly mixed. top with blue cheese crumbles, if you're into that.

as with most of the recipes that i post, please feel free to mix things up - add different veggies, use more or less sauce, add more chicken, use beef or tofu, add ranch seasoning or dressing - literally whatever you think would be good with buffalo sauce (almost anything) would go well with this recipe.

let me know how you've decided to make it your own and as always, enjoy!


always striving for more,
dee b.

.: almost there:.

ok, so i have 1 1/2 days left until i am finished with .:get balanced:. intended to blog a little bit more about my journey as i went, but i was spending a lot more time in the kitchen trying out new recipes than on the computer. sorry, not sorry.

after 12 1/2 days, i thought i would reflect on the pros, cons, successes and challenges throughout this workshop. my concluding post regarding .:get balanced:. will include LOTS of pictures and a couple of my favorite recipes that i will incorporate into my recipe routine going forward.

let's start with the cons, so i can finish this post on a positive note.

cons:. 

cravings: my cravings have exponentially decreased at this point, but there are still some cravings. like alcohol, i am not big drinker, but i do enjoy a beer while we are out for dinner or a glass of wine at the end of a long day. chocolate - this was a killer at the beginning, but i had the mindset that cheating wasn't an option, so i got over it pretty quickly. coffee was another tough thing for me to give up, not because i NEEDED the caffeine (which i definitely did, as well) but because i simply love the taste. drew and i really enjoy spending time together while drinking coffee whether it's out on a walk, catching up after a long day, reading or sitting around our living room just talking. drinking water or green tea has been just fine (and cheaper).

ease:. eating healthy can be easy and difficult at the same time. it is easy if you prepare and have an appropriate mindset, but difficult if you make excuses. talking specifically about eating while following get balanced, all my go-to snacks were pretty much off limits. for instance, pre-workout and post-workout routines had to be changed. it became easy as i got used to it, but eating an apple with almond butter, does not feel the same after a workout as a protein shake. also, drew and i went on a LONG bike ride (44 miles long) yesterday to soak up the long-forgotten MN sun and i stressed about what i was going to pack in the small bento bag attached to my bike. i ended up bringing a Larabar and a packet of almond butter and things were OK. like i said, eating healthy is only difficult if you make excuses.

hives:. yes, i have had a case of the hives. not horrible, so don't get the picture of me walking around like a leper. at the beginning of the week, i noticed my skin especially on my forearms and legs were itchy and when i scratched, large mosquito-looking bites would appear and itch EVEN more - lotion wouldn't even touch the itchiness. after 3 days, i immediately started to rule out possible topical issues (such as new detergent, lotion, etc), well i buy everything in bulk, so that was easy to rule out. i emailed my get balanced gurus and they asked me to look at what i was eating a lot more of such as nuts or coconut. i was eating exponentially more coconut than before, from flour to butter to milk and flakes. this was something that has been really frustrating the past couple days because i had made several batch recipes with coconut in it and couldn't let it go to waste. while this was extremely irritating, i didn't call it quits - i decided to become amazed at how what you eat can truly influence your body.

pros:.

feeling:. i feel really, really good at this point! i can tell that my body knows exactly what to do with the food that i am giving it. i have endless amounts of 'natural energy' from the time that i wake up until bed time without coffee. yes, without coffee - if anyone knows drew or i, we rely on coffee whether it is straight espresso or French press and the need for coffee and caffeine was gone, literally overnight. there were even some nights when i couldn't get myself to wind down and needed to resort to Melatonin. while i didn't do this to lose weight, a few people have asked me whether i have lost any weight. no, i literally have not lost a pound which is OK  - i feel better, i feel more fit. i went shopping with my friend last weekend and it was one of those days where everything fit. i even bought 3 pairs of shorts - i HATE my legs (specifically the 3 scars on each knee) so the last time i bought shorts was a couple years ago when i was training for the Twin Cities marathon (do i dare say that these were all a size down?)

portion control:. this could be considered both a pro and a con, but i haven't been mindful of portion control since i started .:get balanced:. everything i eat is basically made from scratch, so there isn't a nutrition label to use as a guide for calories, protein, sugar, etc. i have learned to trust my body with the food that i am giving it - stop eating when i am full and wait to eat until i'm hungry. i feel like my portions are a lot bigger than before, but i am also eating more veggies and fruit, so i suppose that may take a little more to fill me up.
 
favorites:. i have relied on a few favorite foods - some new, some old.

>> cooked oatmeal or quinoa with raw honey or maple syrup, flaxseed and cinnamon. you can do so many different things with this, it's scary - add dried cranberries, bananas, bake it will apple chunks. you can eat it for breakfast or as a pre or post workout snack.
>> gluten free banana bread - stay tuned for this recipe from the .:get balanced:. gals. this was even hit with drew.
>> quinoa granola - again something that you can really mix up to fit whatever you would like. this should bake similar to regular granola, so if you have a favorite granola recipe, switch up the oats with quinoa for added protein.
>> SPICES! this isn't a recipe, but i have really loved playing around with spices such as basil, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and curry. i literally had to buy all of the spices because we didn't have ANY aside from salt and pepper. you can get some really awesome, low-cal flavoring through spices!

will i continue this lifestyle after the 15 days are over??? no.

i have learned an INCREDIBLE amount through this workshop, not only about food and the science behind it, but my relationship with food and even about me, in general! it has exposed how often i truly 'treat' myself to dessert and how often we go out to eat to make things easier. with that being said, i feel like i had well-rounded diet before. i love dairy, but enjoyed it in moderation, same with bread.  i eat plenty of fruits and veggies and 'clean' meats. however, i will be more mindful of my gluten intake and i will know where to start when (not if) i have that crash and burn effect again.


i miss Chobani yogurt. i miss chips and salsa. i miss our waffle sundays. i miss my protein powder after workouts. i miss having an Izzy's ice cream cone after a 45 mile bike ride.

one. more. day.

always striving for more,
dee b.

1/3

i am 1/3 way through .:get balanced:.,  ONE THIRD.....not that i am counting...

there have been a few challenges along the way - for instance, i can't mindlessly eat - i ate a handful of pistachios before i panicked and checked the ingredients (thank God, they are gluten-free). drew and i met some friends in Uptown the other night for drinks - he ordered a burger and french fries, i got a water and i had to mindfully NOT pick at his french fries. it wasn't that hard, but it was something that i had to be mindful of. also, CRAVINGS - sugar cravings, carb cravings, the things i would do for a frozen pizza or a beer right now. i am sure my .:get balanced:. senseis are cringing at this, but i have yet to cheat! i have learned a lot of new coping skills with these cravings and they have worked! i have dreams about cheating and then wake up in a cold sweat (kidding.....kinda).

seriously, things are going really well and i am thoroughly enjoying all of the new recipes and trying new stuff! AND, i have honestly broke my addiction to coffee. i literally RELIED on a French Press or an Americano every morning - high octane stuff and if i didn't, then i was left in a fog with an insane headache.

i posted a picture of our dinner last night on Facebook and Instagram and a few people asked for the recipe, so here we go!

.:grain bowls:.
the idea of grain bowls was in the guidelines of .:get balanced:. so this is where my colorful wok started!

1:. pick a grain - you can use brown rice, but this is a great opportunity to get creative. finally try quinoa, lentils or millet. any of these will work really well as a base.

2:. vegetables - don't overanalyze this part - what do you have in your pantry or fridge that needs to get used up. get out of the box and throw vegetables in that you typically wouldn't put together

3:. want to up the protein? use quinoa or lentils as a base or add some chickpeas and beans. if you are a meat eater, throw in some meat or poultry.

throw it all together! do yourself a favor and buy a massive wok for things like this! i bought mine at IKEA for $30 and it has a lid - i seriously use it 5x a week, well worth it!

worried about it being bland? play around with spices! they are SO many types of herbs and spices out there, you just might be surprised by what you end up liking!

i have mentioned before that steamed veggies, quinoa/rice are staple side dishes for drew and i, but thanks to .:get balanced:. i switched a few things up and ended up with an even more robust and healthy side dish that we both like!

here is my example of a grain bowl from last night:.

FIRST - if i am making any type of stir fry, steaming veggies, etc., i ALWAYS heat up my wok with a few TBS of coconut oil and freshly minced garlic (typically a couple cloves). it seriously smells so good! it also creates a nice, flavorful "environment" for whatever your a cooking!

base:. organic Basmatic brown rice and lentils - these were leftover from big batches that i made earlier in the week, but both are super easy to cook. the grain base needs to be cooked before you throw it in the wok. refer to this post - it mainly focuses on cooking quinoa, but i hav realized that brown rice, quinoa and lentils basically cook the same way!

vegetables:. purple cabbage, brussels sprouts (both whole and shredded), carrots, green pepper, sweet potato, kale and black beans (i know it's not vegetable). some of these were cut fresh, some were leftovers from the grain bowl that i brought for lunch. did i mention that you can just about throw anything into a wok and it works???

seasoning:.i have become obsessed with cajun seasoning and i HATE spicy stuff, but it a nice change-up from the regular sea salt and pepper
sauce:. tahini sauce - i have also become obsessed with this as well thanks to .:get balanced:.

recipe for tahini sauce courtesy of .:get balanced:.>> 2 Tbs tahini
>> 1 Tbs lemon juice
>> 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
>> 1-2 tsp raw honey (depending on sweetness)
>> 3 Tbs water
Hefty pinch of sea salt and pepper
>> 1 clove of garlice, minced
>> 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
>> 1 Tbs finely chopped chives (i skipped these, not a fan of chives)

whisk together tahini, lemon juice, vingar, honey and water. mix in garlic, salt, pepper and drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. add more water if you would like it to be thinner. mix in the chives last. store in the fridge in a jar.

i instantly doubled this recipe because i had a feeling that i would really like it! i have used it mainly in my grain bowls, but it could be use with almost anything - on top of burgers, steaks, porkchops, in sandwiches or wraps!

back to the grain bowl/stir-fry - again, don't overanalyze it! get creative - you can almost put anything in there and it will work:. flax seeds, peas, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, jicama, the possibilities are literally
endless!

enjoy!

always striving for more,
dee b.

p.s. there is still time to join us for .:get balanced:. seriously, with this MN weather, who doesn't need a little help with their energy?! anyone around the WORLD can join by either visiting this website:. https://coursebeyond.com/course/8/30/ or emailing hello@prescribe-nutrition.com.

all about CSAs

some of you may know ALL about CSAs, some of you may know about the idea, while some of you may have NO idea what the heck CSA stands for.

let me break it down for you - CSA stands for community supported agriculture. you can purchase 'shares' from local farmers and receive timely packages that have fresh and responsibly raised (most likely organic) produce, poultry, eggs or meat. i heard a lot about CSAs during my nutrition class last Fall - i always thought it would be a great idea to not only support a local farmer, but receive responsibly raised food. plus, drew and i almost always buy the same stuff from Trader Joe's. this 'spring' (if you can call what we are having here in MN, spring), we decided it was time to get serious about researching and finding one that would work for us, our budget and our diet.

there is a lot to consider when looking into CSAs:

diet:. do you want to do a CSA that offers just produce, meat, a mixture of both, jams/honey, herbs and spices - the combinations are almost endless.

price per share:. some CSAs offer 1/4 share, 1/2 shares or full shares depending on your household size. drew and i decided on 1/2 shares for both the meat and produce. not only because we wanted to make sure we are able to eat it before it goes to waste and plus, the price. we wanted to stay within our regular budget.

seasons:. some CSAs go year round, while others are just during 'growing' season. this may also be dependant on if you have your own garden.

location:. even though they are called 'dropoffs', most CSAs do not actually deliver right to your door. they select several locations around the Twin Cities and MN where you can pickup your 'dropoff'.

i cannot tell you how excited i am about the 2 CSAs we joined!

we joined a meat CSA called Sunshine Harvest Farm. this is a 1/2 share where we receive a monthly dropoff of a dozen eggs, 1 full chicken, 3 lbs of ground beef and 4 lbs of various pork and/or beef cuts. we just picked up our first 'dropoff' last week and i was really impressed. along with what we expected, our various cuts included a steak, BACON and a roast. it was the real deal - good looking, healthy meat! (that's what she said - had to do it. we've been watching a lot of The Office)

for produce, we joined My Minnesota Farmer - they also offered a 1/2 share for a good price. this is a weekly 'dropoff' for 18 weeks. they were unable to give us an exact amount of what we would get each week because you never know what you are going to get especially with the MN weather! the produce will follow with the seasons starting early with kale, spinach and routabagas and ending with squash and 'fall produce'. we will get our first drop off June 17th!

CSAs can be really beneficial whether you have a big family, just a couple or by yourself. the opportunities and varieties are endless! plus, instead of paying Whole Foods prices, you get a better deal - trust me, drew and i (ok, it was all drew), did the math and by joining the CSAs we are saving about $30 a month from the groceries we are currently buying. the fee can seem like a lot at first, but seriously, you are getting MONTHS of food and you are saving time/gas money by not having to go to the grocery store as often! also, i am excited to try and figure out how to incorporate new produce into our diets and my juicers!

check out this great directory for CSAs around MN. http://landstewardshipproject.org/stewardshipfood/csa

for followers outside of MN, 'Google' CSAs near _____ and type in your location. CSA directories seem easy to find, no matter where you are!

support a local farmer - they can never have enough support!

even Women's Health supports CSAs!

random note:. SUPER BIG SHOUT OUT to my Mom who literally just finished the BOSTON MARATHON! i JUST received the text saying that she crossed the finish line at 3:58:52 - unbelievable!!!! (i started and ended this post well before the explosions happened - both of my parents are OK, but they were VERY close to it. my mom finished 12 mins before the first explosion)


always striving for more,
dee b.