Why I Love Nebraska

I think the aspect I like most of being from a small town in Nebraska is the fact that no matter where I’ve been or who I’ve talked to, there is a tie back to my hometown area somehow.

While these appear to be your run of the mill seventies art deco, they are absolutely remarkable pieces to me. Pictures just like these hung in my childhood room and as a girl I laid on my bed staring at these.  They are just so colorful and so much activity going on in them.  I had saved these from my childhood room to hang in my children’s room.

However, after a garage sale I had when I was still living in Omaha, they were accidentally taken to a nearby Goodwill.  I didn’t discover the mistake until about six months after the fact and I wasn’t able to find them on a visit there.  I knew they were gone, I knew someone had snatched those right up.  I was bummed, but not devastated.  I just had to think of another way to decorate the nursery.  But, it was a little sad that a piece of my childhood I had kept with me for nearly 30 years had disappeared.

When my daughter was about 2 years old, she saw a Raggedy Ann doll at a flea market, wanted it and so I bought it for her.  Later I ran into some antique-y looking ceramic Raggedy Ann & Andy’s.  A cute toll painting of a Raggedy Ann and got to wondering about these pictures again as we seemed to be starting a theme.

My mom was with me during those purchases, so I must have planted the seed, and my daughter received the above pictured look-a-likes for her 4th birthday last year.  My mom was so pleased with herself to have found them at that same flea market we saw the doll and keeping it a surprise.


I knew them immediately.  Right above Raggedy Ann’s head, the blue sky was flaking off in the exact same place.  And…

…my mom had used these to lay something on to spray paint at one time.  (Why Mom, why?!  But, thanks for doing it!)  These are the exact wall hangings that went to a second-hand store 75 miles away and ended up in a flea market just 20 miles away about 5 years later.

They truly belong to me, they came home.  I’ve had way too many coincidences like this that have only happened around here.  No where else in the world or in this country could this have happened. 

I’ve been talking about a pull I feel to be here in rural Nebraska in recent months.  I feel like these pictures.  I had to go through all of these whacky adventures to find out that life has its own plan for me and I just need to enjoy the process.  Like these pictures, I may get hung up somewhere I don’t want to be for a while to finally get back to where I belong.

Wordless Wednesday–Beautiful Nebraska Sunrise

 

Just happened to wake up to see this beautiful sunrise last weekend. <3!

Plum Preserves–Easy, fresh and natural!

 

This might actually be the easiest recipe in the world!

Plum Preserves

Here's what I used:

• 6 starting to get overripe plums purchased from nearby Fontanelle Fruit Orchard in Nickerson, NE.  Pitted, but leave skins on.
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c. Brown Rice Syrup (could use Raw Honey as well)

Combine these items into a saucepan, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 40-60 minutes covered,  stirring and checking occasionally.

Allow it to cool and transfer preserves directly onto a toasted English Muffin slathered with real butter!  

Devour immediately.  

Enjoy!

This recipe can be experimented with in so many ways with different sweeteners, fruits or spices.  I love that there is no added sugar or preservatives.  Just fresh, natural ingredients.  Of course, you could more than triple this recipe when you have a large amount of fruit to preserve and it would be perfect for canning!

Also shared on Traditional Tuesdays and Real Food Wednesdays.

Nutrition Lessons Learned from Kids

 

Most of the time I think I am the all-knowing nutrition guru in this household, but here are a few lessons to be learned from my kids:

1.) “Can I be full?” 

I’m not sure as adults, we always are good about asking ourselves.  This, of course, is my 4 year old’s way of asking to be excused, but I noticed if I ask myself this, even if I haven’t had much to eat, the answer is usually yes.  I’m not into the uncomfortable gorging thing.  Things can be re-heated, shared or taken home, and most certainly almost never go to waste!

2.) I will always say no to veggies, feed them to me anyway.

I am probably an oddity, but put a plate of veggies in front of me and I will most likely choose them over anything else.  But, what I have learned from my kids is that they will almost always say no when asked.  But, when served and put in front of them, they will happily eat them.  All of the marketing and fun things they see with regard to other foods are simply that, so when they say no, I imagine they are thinking veggies are pretty boring.

3.) Self-regulation/Listen to your body

Both of my kids will self-regulate.  They’ll slow themselves down on dairy, grains or sugary drinks or snacks.  I ask them to listen to their body when it comes to other functions and they apply it here.  If I’ve got heartburn or a queasy tummy, I listen to my body and back away from things that I don’t need more of.

4.) Food should be fun

Things that are fun to eat or unusual new experiences are fun.  Working on something and pulling it out of the oven or having it turn out just perfect, makes it taste that much better for grown ups and kids alike.  Not only does it make for more fun when they are helping in the kitchen, but finding different ways to eat things or fun tools to use, new combinations and trying new things in general, makes it fun.  I still like to eat about anything with chopsticks and it makes it that much more fun!  We shouldn’t overly obsess, though, we just need to nourish our bodies and that is it.

Please share what you’ve learned from your child/ren!

I wrote and shared this post on Mamavation Mondays!

Feeling a bit Inspired…

 

This week, I participated in Unite NE, an event that brought together 80 of Nebraska’s finest minds ages 20-44 into one room for about 48 hours and it was quite an experience.  Of course, I am sincerely humbled and honored to have been a part of it.  I left there completely energized and inspired!  We had all taken a survey prior to the conference regarding challenges, unique points and suggestions for the state’s future.  This gave us some working points on what we wanted to take from the conference and work on. 

We were fortunate enough to have Joe Gerstadt as our facilitator.  (Click on his name and watch his video, to get a little taste.)   Joe took us through a process called Decision Accelerator.  Any other geeks out there ever participate in Future Problem Solvers in Middle School and Junior High?  It felt reminiscent of that, an adult version if you will.  It was uncomfortable, some people even got angry, some might have even fallen love! (No, not really, but became friends at the very least.)  It was amazing to be part of a dialogue about issues that most people I know aren’t talking about.  And they certainly aren’t talking about making things happen or don’t know how they can.  I’m excited to continue my writing journey with a whole new portfolio of projects that I’ll be working on. 

And I’m excited to be working with these new partners on something I feel like I am really “doing something” not just floating around doing philanthropy and enjoying it.  I mean really doing something positive and making an impact for the future of this great state where I live.

I’m proud that we are agriculture, the Cornhuskers and the home to Omaha Steaks, ConAgra, and the Omaha Oracle.  But, I doubt many of you have been offered the opportunity to be wowed by Nebraska.  I intend to fix that by shining a spotlight right on it and blowing your mind.  That’s right.  So, follow along to spite me if you will.

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The little girl who never stopped asking, “Why?!” (ahem, Me) still asks it.  I’m glad that in spite of many of my life’s hurdles and barriers, I have not lost that luster through it all.  I’m able to enjoy the beautiful flow of life (a very learned skill) and all that it throws my way, so when opportunities like these occur, I can embrace them and run with them.

Stemming from this week’s experience, I thought about all the work that I do.  Paid and unpaid.  What I choose to get involved with and why.  It comes down to passion and a feeling that I am being called to do something. 

If I am passionate about something, it’s exciting and enjoyable even if it’s hard and frustrating.  It is still fun to me.  Even if someone else looks at it and voices to me how much it must suck, how much I’m going to fail, how much they don’t see it ever working in my wildest dreams, it doesn’t take away my joy and zest.  (Besides, you can’t let joy stealers have that kind of power, they are negative for their own reasons.) 

Passion is the fuel that drives inspiration and energy.  And I consider why I haven’t allowed myself to gravitate towards more work that embraces that philosophy.

I’m learning to not believe in coincidences much anymore in my ripe, old 30’s, but love that this was the first quote I ran into today:

“If you’re not enjoying the journey, you probably won’t enjoy the destination.” ~Joe Tye

More from rural Nebraska later.  My kitchen missed me and I must go stoke my grass-fed beef spare ribs that are slow-roasting as I write.  I think they need a slathering of my new BBQ sauce.

In the meantime, please share what inspires you!

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

I was inspired to create my own version of this recipe when I stumbled across Local Kitchen’s recipe for a Rhubarb BBQ Sauce and Free Coconut Recipes’ recipe for Homemade Fresh Tomato Ketchup, which, amazingly, is sugar free!

This recipe is a wonderful way to use rhubarb away from the desserts, pies and bars – which, I can’t deny, I would never turn down.

I feel pretty cool right now, because it turned out so freaking great! It will be perfect for grilling and roasting, but thick and savory enough to be used as a dipping sauce. Creating it with all natural ingredients and only brown sugar, is a bonus! The taste is unique and extremely flavorful.

Adding just a bit of oil to this recipe made it closer to the viscosity of Italian sauces using olive oil. I used Virgin Coconut Oil which lent to the sweetness of the fruits in this recipe without tasting “coco-nutty.”

Here’s how it turned out:

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce
INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 medium red onion (size of a baseball), diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 cups raisins, chopped or run through food processor
• 2 cups brown sugar
• ½ c raw honey – Could use 3/4 c raw honey & omit syrup, but this is what I had.
• ¼ c brown rice syrup
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2-3 cloves garlic, ran through garlic press
• 2 T Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp all seasons salt

METHODS

1. If canning, prepare canner, jars and lids.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Lower heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, about 30-45 minutes. Once the fruit has softened enough to crush easily (about 20 minutes), blend the sauce with an immersion blender, or by transferring to a blender or food processor.
3. When sauce has reached desired thickness (leave it a little thinner than you want, as it will thicken on cooling), taste and adjust seasonings. Note: original recipe called for no garlic, but a habanero, so feel free to adjust the heat!
4. Ladle hot sauce into jars and allow to cool completely before labeling and storing.

Yields about about 4 pints. I didn’t can mine, as I intend to share right away, so I will refrigerate. When using from the fridge, please let set at room temperature about 15-20 minutes and stir before using.

Bonus: Receive a Free Book which includes 85 kitchen-tested recipes using Virgin Coconut Oil, when you click on any of the ingredient links and make a purchase! And I receive a reward for referring you!

Also shared on Real Food Wednesdays

Simple Summer Supper

For a quiet pre-4th of July evening, I prepared something I didn’t consider too fancy or too difficult for a night in. I just had wholesome in mind and the simpleness ended up being almost elegant.

Wordless Wednesday: I’m in Love with my Vine

The difference between last week and this week on the third year of my Clematis Vine – so lovely!

Why Traditional Foods?

A few weeks ago I was asked by someone, “Why are you interested in doing things that are different from what everyone else is doing?” in terms of going back to traditional foods.

I can honestly say that I became interested in eating healthier with my first pregnancy about 8 years ago.  Of course, I wanted to have the healthiest pregnancy and baby on the planet!  But, I also knew that eating fast food, boxed food, and food with pesticides and chemicals sprayed on them (no matter how safe we are assured they are) was inconsistent with my upbringing.

I began to see the foods I grew up on, were not the foods we now bought in the stores.  We were not homesteaders or “naturalists,” but farmers who saw the value and worthwhileness of growing a garden to nourish our families.  And by value, I mean not only the nutritional value, but the economic value.  Growing up in rural Nebraska, it was a given that my parents would feed their own family as much as possible.

In my adult years when the word “organic” first came to play in marketing of foods, it seemed odd to me.  I grew up trusting my food sources and I began to see that I was naïve to do so now.  We are told so many chemicals and additives are “safe,” but I felt that was inconsistent with my own good common sense that I should not be consuming these on a regular basis.  I wish I could say at all, but it is just not always possible where I live.  Sometimes, I have to live with something undesirable on the label.

Grass-fed Raw Milk, Organic Potatoes, Organic Cauliflower, Organic Pastured Soy-Free Eggs, Lentils, Beans, Quinoa, Nitrate & Antibiotic Free Bacon, Organic Salted Butter and Dried Apricots. 

What is frivolous about these foods I ask? And why do I have to ask for them to be free of so many things?

In my world (in the middle of industrial ag land), words like organic and all-natural are frivolous marketing catch-phrases.  My father, who was a hog farmer for most of my life will be the first to tell you, “Pork has always been all-natural.”  Which would be true, if we didn’t pump them full of antibiotics. 

This is the type of food that people buy when they have a lot of time and money on their hands.  Neither of which I possess.  Food for “health nuts” or “crazy liberals.”  I’m not even all that hung up on having all organic and all-natural foods.  While the USDA organic seal used to be one of the ways to guarantee that foods did not contain GMO’s, it’s no longer the case if the ingredients themselves contain GMO’s.

Traditional Foods with a short list of ingredients that I know, understand and can pronounce are what I’m after.  They support what I believe is the sustainable way of life we have supported here until about 30 years ago when people were led to believe that bigger was better in farming.  Yes, eating more traditionally does require me to cook often and more than others, but not more than I did when I was living at home and in charge of meals for my three brothers.

And yes, the food sometimes does cost more, because it costs more to produce.  But, my medical bills are low.  My children haven’t had the need to see a physician in over a year.  We have not taken prescription drugs in our home in two years.  I also now know how to treat a variety of ailments with nourishing foods, herbs and spices used in cooking.  Not because I refuse treatment, but because our immunities are high from nutrient dense foods. 

I may not have the healthiest babies on the planet, but I can tell that what we are doing certainly is best for us.  So, if that is different from “doing what everyone else is doing,” I’m totally ok with it.

Also shared on:

Real Food Wednesdays

Mamavation Monday

How have you recently stepped up to support someone in your life?

This is the question that I am supposed to blog about and answer today for this week’s Mamavation Monday post.  But, I find I have an ongoing dilemma with this topic.  Remember those Little Miss Sunshine books?

I loved them by the way.  Devoured them in fact.

But, I’m likening myself to her crabby friend that no one wants to talk about.

Little Miss Stepper Upper. 

Is there a project that needs to be done?  Who else will do it?  Who else will do it well?  If I don’t help, who will?

Oh, for pity’s sake.  I have trouble balancing philanthropy, parenthood, a career and everything else in between.

My name is Sandra.  Which comes from the Greek name Alexandra.  Which means, “Helper and defender of all mankind.”

Apparently, I take this to heart.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t rescue every lost little puppy or kitty.  But, if it has to do with being civically involved with a project I am on board with, I am in and I know I am relied upon to do so. 

I am now beginning to learn the art of saying no, less I will be an ineffective parent, friend, daughter, neighbor, individual.  My life is in transition and I rarely know what’s best in terms of nurturing myself.  But, I am finding that people do understand and other people know how to do this “saying no” thing!

So, this week, I am learning how to step up to me.