It shouldn't be this difficult...

to obtain good, clean, whole, raw milk.



I just got an email that our monthly (yes, monthly is all we can get) delivery of raw milk is not happening next week because we don't have enough orders. I'm not frustrated with the delivery driver because he's got to make a living too, but I am angry with the law that makes it illegal for dairy farmers to sell raw milk or for anyone to distribute raw milk in Georgia.

I just do not understand why in the world I, as an educated consumer, cannot purchase the kind of milk that I want. Does that mean I think that I should be able to go to any dairy and purchase raw milk...no. I want a certified raw milk farm. Most have higher standards than commercial dairies because pasteurized milk is heated to such high temperatures that the milk doesn't have to be handled as carefully as certified raw milk does. So I absolutely do not want to drive up to some commercial dairy and pick up a jug or two of their raw milk.

As long as the raw milk farms adhere to the standards placed upon them, why does it matter to anyone where I buy my milk. I seriously have to drive across the bridge to the next state over to pick up my milk. The driver can't even cross the border into Georgia or guess what? He could be arrested. And, that's not all. If I were to pick up a friend's milk on pick-up day and take it to them, I could get arrested for distribution. Really?

Here's a link to an interesting story about our tax dollars at work helping to keep raw milk "contraband" out of our homes. I'm just sick that we devote this many resources to preventing people who are just trying to be as healthy as they can for themselves, their family and their environment and world. http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/101709/new_505698081.shtml

I'd like to talk about why my husband and I decided to begin drinking raw milk. That's a much longer post for another day.
Here's a picture of when we visited the farm where my sister in law gets her raw milk. She's part of a cow share (wish we could find that around here).




Recipe bonus:
I've decided to add my recipes that we try out onto my blog as I can. I was going to try to have the recipes relate to my topics, but eh, I can do whatever I want because it's my blog, right? :)

This is a recipe I borrowed from a blog I'm following: http://cfscceat.blogspot.com/
We are following it because Wes wants to develop a Paleo/Zone diet (more on this later because honestly, I don't even know how to explain it myself yet) and this website has great recipes and pictures, which I love. I guess I'll have to get on the ball and take a few pictures to put with my meals, huh?


I was apprehensive about trying this out. Agave? A sweetener...on chicken? But then again, honey is often paired with chicken, so why not try? I'd say it landed somewhere between 4-5 stars, with 5 being the highest. What's great is that with the leftover chicken, my niece and I chopped it up the next day for lunch. I had a salad and she had a wrap. So tender and juicy leftover!

Mustard Agave Chicken with Veggies
Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (pounded and cut in half)
2 T olive oil
Garlic powder, black pepper, and sea salt
1/4 C chicken broth - best if you make your own
3 T agave nectar - we buy organic and keep it on hand to sweeten our coffee
1/4 C dijon mustard
2-4 cups broccoli crowns
1 small yellow onion - we cut into quarters

Sprinkle garlic powder, pepper and sea salt over chicken breasts and brown in olive oil, about 3 minutes on each side, then place in baking dish.
Deglaze pan with chicken broth.
Whisk together mustard and agave, and add pan juices!
Mix well and pour over chicken breasts.
Top chicken with broccoli and onions, cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

We had a salad on the side with homemade mustard lemon vinaigrette. YUM

Introduction to why

This is not your "must read" blog. It's simply a place for me to hold myself accountable and share different recipes, articles, etc. to friends and family who may be interested....or anyone else who may be addicted to blogs like I am!

Why I'm doing this blog:

- I need to get healthy.

I say this only because I don't want to say "I want to lose weight." Which is a goal of mine, but not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to be healthy, which in return, will allow me to lose this extra weight.

- I'm tired of eating junk.

My husband and I have begun reading labels....really reading labels. It's not easy when we've never done it before. But it's getting easier as each time we realize that we've been putting straight JUNK into our bodies with certain foods and realizing we're doing more harm than anything to ourselves.

- I'm tired of wasting money

Our society has this view that eating healthy is expensive. Well...we've been on a strict budget since April 2009 and actually love it (in our own nerd way). We've started comparison shopping and realizing what we pay per ounce, etc. Once we started realizing that the fresh, whole foods eaten in the correct servings and paired with other foods that help give you the energy, fiber, fat, etc., that you need, we see that we were paying waaay too much for food before because we'd need to eat more of the junk to keep our energy up.

- I want to set a good example to our son

Yes, I'm that mom. Our 18 month old son never had refined sugar until he was 1 year old. He has never had juice of any kind (other than that which comes from his fruit that he eats). He drinks water, raw whole milk and breast milk only. Yes, still breastfeeding him! We made his baby food...all of it. I think he may have had 2 jars of commercial baby food total. And that was because we were in a pinch. I want to instill in him good eating habits and allow him to get a taste for fresh, raw veggies and different textures, tastes, etc., before he becomes too opinionated! I'd rather him do this now rather than wait until he's in his 30's and realizing that maybe his diet isn't the best!

Now...we're not perfect. We give him the occasional "bad" or processed food. However, if we do that, I try very hard to be the one to make the cookies, bread, pie, etc. That way, I know everything that's going in. He does eat processed food - some cereals, graham crackers, fruit leather, etc. And occasionally he gets commercial milk (when our r aw milk runs out for the month)

- I want to be in better physical shape

You would think after running around after a child for almost a year that I would be in great shape. Especially since my son does not sit down...ever. Okay, maybe he sits for his meals, but that's only because he's strapped in his chair! Seriously, I have kept this weight on since having him. I actually lost down to my pre-pregnancy size almost immediately...within 2 weeks I'd say. BUT no one told me that things would be this different! I look back at pictures of myself when I was 3 months pregnant and look thinner than I do now!

Sure, it's vanity, but I also feel better and have more energy when I'm in shape. I was in better shape when I was pregnant and miserable.

My husband is a freak. He is lean, muscled, and does ridiculous workouts everyday - some of which include 150 pull-ups...really? He's into Crossfit, which I must say is definitely a great way to workout. It includes competition, which is a motivator for me and definitely for him. In fact, he's already competed in one competition and has signed up for two more. Such fun to watch. So now I'm embarrassed because he is in such great shape and I am most definitely not. I just did my first Crossfit workout yesterday in hopes of starting this healthier lifestyle...more on that later.

- Back to basics

We're learning more and more in our reading and just opening our eyes that much of our society does things the hard way, which wastes time and money and resources and our environment. We are slowly realizing that some of the ways we looked at things in the past don't really make sense. Most of it comes from our society in the past 30-40 years and how fast-paced we've let life become and expect it to be now. Much more on these many topics later.

Well....this is much longer than I intended this intro to be. So I'll stop for now....besides it's almost lunch time for my little guy and two nieces. Not sure what we're having yet. Perhaps some leftover Mustard-Agave chicken with broccoli and onions....

Oh, I'm Dusti. 30+ years old. Husband, Wes, of 3 years. Son is 18 months old and the cutest thing ever. My paying job is a realtor - although I typically just wait for referrals now. My primary focus is on our son. My husband is a firefighter and has the best shifts possible! He works 24 hours on and 48 off. He gets so much time at home and we love it!

Okay, now I'm really done.