Loving My Domestic Life: Lots of Stuff

With the Peanut's birthday quickly approaching, I find myself preoccupied with party details. I have created this list of things to get done and somehow, although I am accomplishing some of those during nap time, the list just keeps getting longer. I don't know how that happens. Perhaps it's because I want it to be perfect with all those little details that only me and a handful of others will notice. The Peanut will have fun regardless....and I need to remind myself of that.

But please check back because there are some pretty cute party ideas I've come across and I can't wait to share them with you all.

Anyhow, that said, I haven't posted in forever.

We have spent many a warm summer evening this week at the park....DH and I have figured out that the key is to go before it cools down too much, because once it does, the mosquitoes like to munch on all three of us. I don't do well with bug bites. First, because I don't like anything with more legs than I have, second, I don't like things that bite, and third, I don't like things that sting. Ladybugs are about the only bug I don't mind. Everything else grosses me out. Yes, I am one of those girls.

The Peanut was a big fan of the quesadillas and grilled salsa I made the other night. I think she is beginning to think like her mama that...yes, sour cream is in fact, a food group. Yum!

And last, but not least in this round of updates, we are going in with my sister and brother-in-law and buying a half beef. Grass fed beef. With all this spare time I have (I kid, I kid...sort of) I have been reading all these posts on real food from here, here, and here. Then with our Netflix, we also watched the documentaries Food Inc. and King Corn. All of these have really opened my eyes to how important it is to understand where our food comes from. It makes you think twice about what you eat.

In all my "research" in pricing out organic foods, the least inexpensive way to purchase grass fed beef that is not full of hormones, antibiotics, and antacids is to purchase a side of beef. Yes, the initial cost is certainly more, but in the long run, it is much, much cheaper than buying grass fed beef from the grocery store. (At the store, grass fed ground beef runs around $6-$7 a pound and is around $10-$14 a pound for the pricier cuts. We are getting all the meat for $3.20 a pound.) And we will get cuts of meat that we ~~don't normally~~ never purchase. Cuts like steak and prime rib. Yum.

So all of that said, we get to pick up our beef in a couple weeks, but the rancher wanted us to come down and tour the ranch. He insisted upon it, as he was really proud of his operation. He wanted us to be comfortable with our purchase, knowing that the animals are treated and cared for really well.

Can I just say--what a nice man. He was absolutely right, he runs (from what we city slickers can tell) a great ranch. He was very forthcoming (and patient) with all our questions and wanted to give us the full tour--like full as in this is where we slaughter our chickens and this is how we slaughter our cattle full tour.

I declined. DH probably would have liked to see it, but me, notsomuch. I know what happens and that those big brown eyed bovine aren't always in butcher paper like I like to think....but some details for me just aren't necessary. And he didn't press it.

And they have this great view....

We got to see the chicken and turkey coups, the ~~pig~~ hog pasture and all the stables where the sheep, horses, and cattle get to huddle when it gets cold. We saw the hay storage and learned that they get two "cuts" of hay a season. The first they sell, and the second they store for the animals in the winter. We learned that a typical cow will birth about 12 calves in her lifetime. Ohmylanta. Twelve...really? So glad I am not a cow. I chose not to have an epidural with Peanut, but at least I had the option. They don't get that choice. And 12 of them...wow. But I guess they don't know the difference either. Anyhow, I digress. We also learned that the variety of chicken determines the color of the egg. So interesting...I told you we were city slickers.

I had been communicating with the rancher via email before we went down and had asked him if he would have some pastured eggs available to purchase. He said he would, but then when he was done with the tour, he gave us a dozen eggs, and he wouldn't let me pay him for them. He said that that was for us making the trip down. Now, I'm not blind--he's trying to make me a customer for life. I get that, but he had me at hello if you know what I mean. His operation spoke for itself. He didn't have to give me free eggs to sell me. But what a kind, kind man.