Menu and to go Raw or not

Raw milk was on my mind and I was seriously thinking of changing to a farm that a friend of mine uses. I still will most likely but it's going to have to wait a few months. Why? Because my mother saw a movie the other day that involved a woman losing her child to Listeria infection from raw milk. This lead to research into the risks while I'm pregnant. Well, there is nowhere out there with great central data but my bottom line at the moment is to wait until the baby is born to avoid what appears to be a slightly higher risk exposure to Listeria with raw milk. There you have it!!!!

As for food we have a ton of good veggies from the Grant Family CSA so here is our exciting menu including a camping trip at the end of the week.

Look at the beautiful Beets(red/white stripped), Zucchini, Kale, and herbs that Sam and I prepared for dinner tonight!!! All courtesy of Grant Family Farms:)














Mon - Chicken nuggets, sauted beets and Chard
making Kvass and Kimchi

Tues - Gnocchi w/ veggies and pesto

Wed - Lamb Burgers; Potato and Fennel on the grill

Thurs - Crock Pot Collards and turkey

Fri - Taco Salad

Sat - Buffalo Burgers; grilled veggies including zucchini, squash chard, pepper, onion

Sun - BLT; Baked Fries

Next week try
Crock pot cabbage rolls
Chard w/ Green Chili

2 great gifts and 3 things thursday

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Cribley for the wonderful presents, a high tech swing for the new baby and a Fun Pod for everyone!! The fun pod will be a chair for Sam, highchair for the baby, and a stand for all kids to help out in the kitchen or wherever. My mom made a great connection in the UK with the mom-inventor of this great product and had her ship it over!!! Check it out at Little Helper!!!
























My sister has started a new weekly meme....or something to motivate blog writing and link back to learn more about others. It is a fun way to write Three Things Thursday and who knows maybe learn more about ourselves as well.

This week it is Three Things from childhood that make you who you are today!

1. As a new mom myself I learned through recent discussions about parenting that my mother made sure to enforce my dad being involved in my growing up. I must thank them both because I truly believe that it incited in my character the positive qualities of both, my passion and analytical rational.

2. At 13 I was becoming overwhelmed and so competitive that my parents made me choose between ice skating and horse showing. I took a month off from ice skating and loved the sleeping-in (skating was every 5 am) so much that I never looked back. I'm a great sleeper to this day and also seem to be very focused on my direction in life and lack any clutter in time or space. Thank you Mom and Dad.

3. The horse show decision led to a purchase of a fancy horse with my college investment. Not only did the investment pay off, I had a great time showing Willie, but I am very financially savvy and frugal.

Challenges to come

I'm watching a couple of kids for some friends tonight...a 4 and 1 year old. I quickly learned a big challenge coming in the near future......

letting the toddler play with her toys while keeping the baby in check around the big kid toys.

Notice how tall the 1 year old appears!!

Gram G

A Tribute to AJ's Gram Galluccio, Sammi's Great Grandma, mother of Gramsi Sandy:

AJ wrote these memories and read this at her memorial.

I confess that I have been selfish, I thought Gram G would be with us forever, that she would outlive us all. Gram G stood about 5 feet tall, but it was her heart that was larger than life. Speaking of her heart, after her bypass surgery the doctors said it would be good for approximately 10 yrs, that was 30 years ago. It was her brain that Alzheimers may have taken, but it never claimed her heart.

Things I remember about Gram G:
She was....
never in a bad mood
always smiling
never cussed or yelled at her mischievous grandsons, the worst she would say was that we were being FRESH!!!!
incredibly generous and money to her was not to spend for herself but so that she could see others smile

Her laugh always encouraged Tim and me to joke more. She had this picture of me from college graduation with the dean handing me the diploma and I have this huge smile. Gram G would reminisce about how happy I was at that moment. My response to her was "Gram, I was only smiling because I had fooled them!!" and Gram would laugh and say how proud she was. There was never a doubt of how proud she was of Tim or myself. I could have been a mass murderer and she probably would still say how proud she was! She was very easy to please and extremely patient. The way to her heart was as easy as York Peppermint Patties and Hot Tamales!

Final note to Gram:
You would be happy to know that your granddaughter Sam loves to dust all like you, and yes she settles me like you always tried.
You probably already know this but I'm still cussing and acting "Fresh," at times, but it is still an ongoing process. I hope that you and Aunt Lorraine can be advocates for Tim and I to the man in charge, or el Jefe, to consider lowering the bar for admission before we apply. You and Lorraine would always say when someone was being rude or brainless, "It's hard to be perfect like us!" You were right in soooo many ways.

Baby O'Brien

20 weeks!!!