Thank you so much Tara! There is no silver bullet I know, but it was so encouraging to hear your reflections as someone who has been in the trenches of chronic illness and come out the other side. I am so looking forward to being strong again, and it is happening slowly but surely! In the meantime it was reassuring to hear that there is nothing (or everything!) to do but 'stay the course'. It's true, modern convenience eating is just not an option, and once that is settled we just have to keep getting on with the business of nourishing, even if it looks like we have lost our minds :)
I was so interested that you mentioned the 'clear messaging' that our body is able to give us when it's not mixed up with the static caused by sugar/dopamine. I feel like that is happening slowly! It is liberating for it to not be a sin to not feel like eating vegetables!! But my body is saying no, or at least not much, just now. And I am sure the dopamine thing is such a massive piece to healing both with food and physical nourishment, but also in settling the hyperactive static in my mind which is why I'm so excited about the bullet journal!! In 2 short weeks I have learned that I'm a chronic list 'box-ticker' (dopamine much!), I survive on adrenalin trying to be a useful person for a small part of the day, and then fall in a heap... so now I'm de-toxing from this lifestyle too :) (I am sure there is a physical detox going on!!) Can it be true that being busy doesn't necessarily mean productive, and that productivity isn't a good metric for self-validation nor is it necessarily meaningful or helpful to me or my family?? How nice to be learning this when my personal 'productivity' is at an all time low! And what a comfort it is to dump my millions of crazy plans in there for safekeeping, percolation and reflection down the track!!
So... there has been a lot more enjoyment in the tasks of the day when the focus is not solely on ticking them off, and lots more 'unproductive' time resting, enjoying the sunlight and the company of my family even when things are a bit of a mess. Wow. What a cascade of life changing micro-events your essays and audios trigger, Tara! Ha! Thank you again :)
What great reflections to read. I love this, Liz. I'm so done with categorizing things, too. "Productive/unproductive" seems like we're machines or something. I think a lot of exhaustion comes from a busy mind and sedentary body. It's a friction. Take for example, watching t.v. There's dramas and stressors and story lines and incredible visual/audio stimulation, that we are actually experiencing but our bodies remain lumps. Same with scrolling social media and all the other "relaxation" things we are told help us "chill". Now imagine all the "unproductive" things like lying in a sunbeam (my word, the stuff that's going on in our entire bodies as we lie there resetting is miraculous!) or taking a herbal bath with the water washing over our skin (how could a pill ever measure up?). And on and on it goes - alignment of body/mind/spirit/place.
I am so glad you are finding the bullet journal/deep work idea useful. It has transformed my relationship to myself, my farm, and my days. I think it's been more powerful to my peace of mind than my regular meditation practice.
I am a waiter in my city and served an all vegan family today. The children were of course super skinny, deformed face and jaw bones etc.
Not sure why I felt the need to mention that. I eat four steaks a day, raw milk and raw eggs in protein smoothies. Potatoes added on gym days. Still a teenager and I’m so glad to be able to support you Tara. God knows I’m not pickling asparagus any time soon but perhaps a farm is in the near future. Thanks again for this post, much enjoyed listening to it before bed :)
Love hearing from you, Logan. It makes me so sad that in this world, where it's already a challenge to find healthy food and water and the toxic onslaught is steady, children are further depleted at such a crucial time in their development by well meaning, but misinformed parents. Keep eating your steaks, raw milk, and raw eggs. The world needs more well nourished humans!
Can you send an email about the marriage discussion thread? Married 10 years with 3 kids. We are in a sweet spot right now but have made it through some tough times. Love hearing advice from you and other couples. Particularly interested in any couples who have made it through alcohol and substance abuse. We are freshly on the other side of it but nervous what it will look like going forward. I love love the man who is sober and present for his family. It is so hard when he falls off the wagon but I always hold onto the man I know is underneath the alcohol. Hoping for advice along the lines of everything to do with this space.
Thanks, Julia. A couple ways: I pour gallons into glass and put them in the sun and I also make herbal infusions that go directly on the ground, under the sun. I also have an Analemma wand that I use when out and about or ran out of structured water that I use to stir a vortex into the water while I send love to the water. Weird, I know, but I swear the water softens and sweetens :)
Thanks Tara! You answered my questions so well. I appreciate the advice for butchering the goats, that was a question I should have asked! They are Nigerian dwarfs, so not a meat breed and not big. Bone in chunks is what I’m going to ask for.
Re conifer tips, I have seen the syrup recipes, and I figured you’d have some better ideas. I’ll definitely try drying some for seasoning :)
Thank you! sorry for asking for recipie, not guidelines, method or directions (:))- I forgot you are not recipie person and this is much better.
I was intrigued to try salty-savoury cooked down fruit&berry preserves this season. Was experimenting with such simple pastes as raw rowanberry puree+some honey, tkemali ( wild plums cooked and pitted, salted and herbs added) but these went into a freezer.
And probably stay with frozen no sweetened berries as basic item as my family “tolerate” zero sugar very well!!!
Tkemali is cooked sauce, can be canned if cooked properly.
I cook not long and freeze.
There are many recipes and they originate from Caucasus and tkemali traditionally eaten with shashlik (sheep shashlik is the best).
Basically you cook in water the wild (small) plums, say 1,5 kg and mash them through the sieve to remove pits. And then add : 7 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tea sp ground coriander seeds, 1 tea sp ground fenugreek, 0,5 tea sp chilli, 0,5 tea sp dried mint, bundle chopped fresh coriander, parsley, basil leaves, salt. That's the local ingredients I have, but according to the original recipe they add ground black pepper, fennel seeds.
If your cow calves on 15th June , you can also use my name :):):) when you wrote about that day planned, I thought wow, mine and Tara's calf birthday might be the same, ha ha
Thanks! I assumed that you did heat the milk, I was just curious how much since obviously it's raw and you're so conscious about the way you eat/live. The other ways were fascinating too though! Sorry for asking so many questions, I was just so curious
Thank you, Nancy, that looks pretty familiar! I would recommend starting with it for people unsure of switching off the sugar, but like I said, I found the recipes altogether too sweet and dared to dwindle the sweetener from there. :)
I find it interesting how you bullet journal.... what happens if you are really involved in a project but your time is up? For example you are in the garden planting and weeding and really in the swing of it then it's time up and you are supposed to be going to the barn to work there, I feel like I would lose momentum or motivation.....
I have just had my third bub 3 weeks ago so have been using quiet moments when she's asleep to catch up on your posts and have been loving it all! Thank you so much for your insights and wisdom, it is nigh on impossible to find in real life mentors that live how I aspire to, so for you to share from across the world is so important and special to me. I don't comment often as I do get distracted by all the other amazing comments and by life in general but I wanted to leave at least one every so often saying I think of you and keep you and Troy and your girls in my thoughts and prayers. Please thank Troy for his contributions as well, his comment on your marriage post was so inspiring 😍😊
Somehow I cannot find the vinegar book you mentioned via my google searches . If someone could link it that would be greatly appreciated ! Thank you so much
Thank you for the vinegar book tip! Also really relate to what you said about body messaging. I still find myself trying things now and then, against my better judgment, because others seem to get away with eating and drinking things I can't. Makes social gatherings with food tricky, me thinks! As always, thanks for sharing your experience. Keep it up!
Hi Danielle. I ordered it from Amazon. Here is the link: ttps://www.amazon.com/Homebrewed-Vinegar-Delicious-Varieties-Carrot-Ginger/dp/1635862817/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BUNE622VE2US&keywords=home-brewed+vinegar+by+shockey&qid=1654399792&sprefix=home-brewed+vinegar+by+shockey%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-1
Thank you so much Tara! There is no silver bullet I know, but it was so encouraging to hear your reflections as someone who has been in the trenches of chronic illness and come out the other side. I am so looking forward to being strong again, and it is happening slowly but surely! In the meantime it was reassuring to hear that there is nothing (or everything!) to do but 'stay the course'. It's true, modern convenience eating is just not an option, and once that is settled we just have to keep getting on with the business of nourishing, even if it looks like we have lost our minds :)
I was so interested that you mentioned the 'clear messaging' that our body is able to give us when it's not mixed up with the static caused by sugar/dopamine. I feel like that is happening slowly! It is liberating for it to not be a sin to not feel like eating vegetables!! But my body is saying no, or at least not much, just now. And I am sure the dopamine thing is such a massive piece to healing both with food and physical nourishment, but also in settling the hyperactive static in my mind which is why I'm so excited about the bullet journal!! In 2 short weeks I have learned that I'm a chronic list 'box-ticker' (dopamine much!), I survive on adrenalin trying to be a useful person for a small part of the day, and then fall in a heap... so now I'm de-toxing from this lifestyle too :) (I am sure there is a physical detox going on!!) Can it be true that being busy doesn't necessarily mean productive, and that productivity isn't a good metric for self-validation nor is it necessarily meaningful or helpful to me or my family?? How nice to be learning this when my personal 'productivity' is at an all time low! And what a comfort it is to dump my millions of crazy plans in there for safekeeping, percolation and reflection down the track!!
So... there has been a lot more enjoyment in the tasks of the day when the focus is not solely on ticking them off, and lots more 'unproductive' time resting, enjoying the sunlight and the company of my family even when things are a bit of a mess. Wow. What a cascade of life changing micro-events your essays and audios trigger, Tara! Ha! Thank you again :)
And I hope you got all your asparagus done!!!
What great reflections to read. I love this, Liz. I'm so done with categorizing things, too. "Productive/unproductive" seems like we're machines or something. I think a lot of exhaustion comes from a busy mind and sedentary body. It's a friction. Take for example, watching t.v. There's dramas and stressors and story lines and incredible visual/audio stimulation, that we are actually experiencing but our bodies remain lumps. Same with scrolling social media and all the other "relaxation" things we are told help us "chill". Now imagine all the "unproductive" things like lying in a sunbeam (my word, the stuff that's going on in our entire bodies as we lie there resetting is miraculous!) or taking a herbal bath with the water washing over our skin (how could a pill ever measure up?). And on and on it goes - alignment of body/mind/spirit/place.
I am so glad you are finding the bullet journal/deep work idea useful. It has transformed my relationship to myself, my farm, and my days. I think it's been more powerful to my peace of mind than my regular meditation practice.
I am a waiter in my city and served an all vegan family today. The children were of course super skinny, deformed face and jaw bones etc.
Not sure why I felt the need to mention that. I eat four steaks a day, raw milk and raw eggs in protein smoothies. Potatoes added on gym days. Still a teenager and I’m so glad to be able to support you Tara. God knows I’m not pickling asparagus any time soon but perhaps a farm is in the near future. Thanks again for this post, much enjoyed listening to it before bed :)
Love hearing from you, Logan. It makes me so sad that in this world, where it's already a challenge to find healthy food and water and the toxic onslaught is steady, children are further depleted at such a crucial time in their development by well meaning, but misinformed parents. Keep eating your steaks, raw milk, and raw eggs. The world needs more well nourished humans!
The Q+As are dense with info I’m hungry for. Thank you. Which Darina Allen book contains the how-to’s for infusing ice cream with flowers? 🌸
Forgotten Skills of Cooking. It's a great book!
Thank you, Cassandra!
Can you send an email about the marriage discussion thread? Married 10 years with 3 kids. We are in a sweet spot right now but have made it through some tough times. Love hearing advice from you and other couples. Particularly interested in any couples who have made it through alcohol and substance abuse. We are freshly on the other side of it but nervous what it will look like going forward. I love love the man who is sober and present for his family. It is so hard when he falls off the wagon but I always hold onto the man I know is underneath the alcohol. Hoping for advice along the lines of everything to do with this space.
Yes, of course, it will go out as part of our Wednesday essay to all subscribers. No advice, just people sharing, I hope.
Yes, sharing. How they moved through the good, the hard and the beautiful.
Thank you, Tara. Always a delight to read/listen to your wisdom. Can please share how you structure your water?
Thanks, Julia. A couple ways: I pour gallons into glass and put them in the sun and I also make herbal infusions that go directly on the ground, under the sun. I also have an Analemma wand that I use when out and about or ran out of structured water that I use to stir a vortex into the water while I send love to the water. Weird, I know, but I swear the water softens and sweetens :)
Thanks Tara! You answered my questions so well. I appreciate the advice for butchering the goats, that was a question I should have asked! They are Nigerian dwarfs, so not a meat breed and not big. Bone in chunks is what I’m going to ask for.
Re conifer tips, I have seen the syrup recipes, and I figured you’d have some better ideas. I’ll definitely try drying some for seasoning :)
Thank you! sorry for asking for recipie, not guidelines, method or directions (:))- I forgot you are not recipie person and this is much better.
I was intrigued to try salty-savoury cooked down fruit&berry preserves this season. Was experimenting with such simple pastes as raw rowanberry puree+some honey, tkemali ( wild plums cooked and pitted, salted and herbs added) but these went into a freezer.
And probably stay with frozen no sweetened berries as basic item as my family “tolerate” zero sugar very well!!!
Oh my, those tkemali sound divine. Is there vinegar added? Tell me more! Could you have canned them? Are they fermented?
Tkemali is cooked sauce, can be canned if cooked properly.
I cook not long and freeze.
There are many recipes and they originate from Caucasus and tkemali traditionally eaten with shashlik (sheep shashlik is the best).
Basically you cook in water the wild (small) plums, say 1,5 kg and mash them through the sieve to remove pits. And then add : 7 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tea sp ground coriander seeds, 1 tea sp ground fenugreek, 0,5 tea sp chilli, 0,5 tea sp dried mint, bundle chopped fresh coriander, parsley, basil leaves, salt. That's the local ingredients I have, but according to the original recipe they add ground black pepper, fennel seeds.
I love that plum/mint/coriander taste!
I am definitely making this when the plums appear. I shall name it Modesta's Tkemali in your honour! It sounds fantastic!
Thank you:)
If your cow calves on 15th June , you can also use my name :):):) when you wrote about that day planned, I thought wow, mine and Tara's calf birthday might be the same, ha ha
Thanks! I assumed that you did heat the milk, I was just curious how much since obviously it's raw and you're so conscious about the way you eat/live. The other ways were fascinating too though! Sorry for asking so many questions, I was just so curious
I liked your questions, Cassandra :)
Maybe this is the book you were referring to?
Canning and Preserving Without Sugar https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1564401634/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_T3C4NFGDDYKZE70RXCG0
Thank you, Nancy, that looks pretty familiar! I would recommend starting with it for people unsure of switching off the sugar, but like I said, I found the recipes altogether too sweet and dared to dwindle the sweetener from there. :)
I find it interesting how you bullet journal.... what happens if you are really involved in a project but your time is up? For example you are in the garden planting and weeding and really in the swing of it then it's time up and you are supposed to be going to the barn to work there, I feel like I would lose momentum or motivation.....
I have just had my third bub 3 weeks ago so have been using quiet moments when she's asleep to catch up on your posts and have been loving it all! Thank you so much for your insights and wisdom, it is nigh on impossible to find in real life mentors that live how I aspire to, so for you to share from across the world is so important and special to me. I don't comment often as I do get distracted by all the other amazing comments and by life in general but I wanted to leave at least one every so often saying I think of you and keep you and Troy and your girls in my thoughts and prayers. Please thank Troy for his contributions as well, his comment on your marriage post was so inspiring 😍😊
Somehow I cannot find the vinegar book you mentioned via my google searches . If someone could link it that would be greatly appreciated ! Thank you so much
When you talk about braising….what kind of pot do you use and what size do you recommend for a family of 5?
Thank you for the vinegar book tip! Also really relate to what you said about body messaging. I still find myself trying things now and then, against my better judgment, because others seem to get away with eating and drinking things I can't. Makes social gatherings with food tricky, me thinks! As always, thanks for sharing your experience. Keep it up!
What is the book ? I can't seem to find it through my google search .
Hi Danielle. I ordered it from Amazon. Here is the link: ttps://www.amazon.com/Homebrewed-Vinegar-Delicious-Varieties-Carrot-Ginger/dp/1635862817/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BUNE622VE2US&keywords=home-brewed+vinegar+by+shockey&qid=1654399792&sprefix=home-brewed+vinegar+by+shockey%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-1
Sorry I just noticed the "h" in what should have been "https:" at beginning, was truncated. Author is Kirsten Shockey.