Fall Farm Tour - Grassfield's Farm

I think there is nothing better than seeing and learning about where your food is made and where it comes from! We had the fun opportunity to do just that a couple of weekends ago....we attended a "Fall Farm Tour" of Grassfield's Farm in Coopersville, MI.  This event was sponsored by "Local First" which supports local businesses in the Grand Rapids area.

First, we enjoyed a yummy lunch which consisted of all local food - yummy grassfed burgers, chicken wings, homemade potato chips and a salad with raw milk cheese, veggies and dressing. They also had homemade organic apple cider and donuts for dessert! Yum!

After our tummies were full, we enjoyed a fun tractor ride out into the fields to "meet" the animals. We saw their pigs, and after that the cows. They literally drove the tractor and wagon right out into the middle of the cows. I sure was hoping they were friendly cows....

This farm is run by 3 brothers who take care of all the milking, farming, cheese-making, etc. The one driving the tractor said that when its milking time they just ride out to the cows and start talking to them and they know its time to come to the milking barn.

Here's Andrew enjoying one of their organic apples on the ride. Which we subsequently threw to the pigs - apparently some of their favorite treats!

Next stop was their TRUE free-range chickens:

There were chicken "houses" set up in their fields where they kept water and the laying areas for the chickens, but otherwise the chickens are free to roam wherever they like! We bought some of the eggs and they are delicious - not to mention their yolks are a bright orange (meaning healthier and more Omega 3's for you) - click HERE for a great article about the health benefits of eggs!

Afterwards we saw how they make their raw milk cheese (I didn't get pics of this as I was holding on to kids!) and we sampled some of them! The kids paintd pumpkins and then we were done.

It was so great to see how our food was raised and made - it once again reminded me of why I will gladly pay a little extra for REAL, wholesome, organic and LOCAL foods!!!

Stay tuned for recipes......

                                                                                                                      

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Growing up, I LOVED the pot pies you could get in the freezer section - the delicious crispy edges of the crust, the soft mushy part at the bottom, and the veggies and gravy that oozed out when you cut into it. Sometime in my teen years I actually looked at the calorie and fat content on the package (and the ingredients) - and I don't think I've eaten one since!!!


Well, a few years ago my mom visited us when we lived out in Washington and she made this version of a homemade pot pie. Its the best I've tasted. I usually use homemade cream of chicken or mushroom soup in place of the store-bought MSG-laden kind. Or, a good alternative is to use an organic MSG-free canned soup such as these:

Here's the recipe:


CHICKEN POT PIE
top and bottom crust for deep dish pie plate (or make your own)
3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 1/2 cups potatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery (or if you have none, I have simply used celery seeds instead)
1 cup frozen peas

Sauce:
3 T. flour
1/2 t. paprika
2 cups liquid (1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup plus enough liquid from cooked vegetables to add up to 2 cups!)
2 buillon cubes - non MSG kind (or the granulated type that are MSG free)
salt and pepper as desired

1. Assemble bottom of pie crust in pie plate. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Cook together in a medium to large pot the potatoes, carrots, onions and celery in enough water to cover vegetables. I cook until they are just becoming tender. When done, DO NOT DRAIN, but add 1 cup of frozen peas. Cover - will need a bit of the cooking water in a minute.

*note, in this picture I used some sweet potatoes in addition to the white potatoes. It was very yummy!

3. Make your 2 cups of liquid by including in a large glass measuring cup the can of soup plus enough cooking water from the vegetables to make 2 cups. Add bouillon cubes to mixture and stir until they are dissolved. I use the non-MSG kind of these as well. YOU MAY NOW DRAIN THE VEGGIES and add the chicken to the veggies.

4. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and then add the flour paprika and the 2 cups of above liquid, as well as salt and pepper if desired. Bring to a boil. Add to the chicken and veggie mixture. Pour into pie pan and then add the top crust. Cut a few slits in top crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is lightly browned!

*This recipe can easily be changed to include turkey or shredded beef (for beef, use a beef-based cream soup for filling as well as beef bouillon).

Settling in....

We are in Michigan! Actually, we've been here for just over 2 weeks already. We are gradually settling in and finding our way around a new town! We were graciously met by many people from the church who helped unload our moving truck as well as strip wallpaper from 1 bedroom and paint the rest. It was SO helpful!

Our first 3 Sundays of being at a new church have gone well too! In case you'd like to see where we are, here's a link to our new church's website: www.rockfordreformedchurch.org

We are enjoying our new home as well! It is a bit smaller than our home in Oak Harbor, but that has actually been a welcome change! Less to clean, right?!

We have enjoyed getting to know the town of Rockford - its a super cute and quaint town on the Rogue River. We have found they have lots of little events and festivals which are family friendly - lots to do!! And yesterday, we also found a great orchard (DK Orchards) that we went to with our good friends Todd & Jen Timmer and their kids Brett & Gretchen. Prior to our moving out west, we went apple picking each fall with Todd & Jen - a tradition that went back to college which was the first thing Bryan and I did together (before we started dating)! We had a GREAT time and walked away with what we felt like was a STEAL - a tractor ride out to the apple trees, 3 baskets of apples, 1 large pumpkin and 2 small ones, 2 butternut squash, and 1 spaghetti squash - all for only $14!!! What a deal!

Rockford also has a great little farmer's market. Last week I bought an eggplant and 2 nights ago made Eggplant Parmesan. I found a recipe HERE that I followed. The changes I made were to initially cook the eggplant a little longer than suggested (I cooked it for 10 minutes on each side rather than the 5 per side that was suggested). It was SUPER yummy!!!

I am looking forward to getting back into my meal-planning routine again. It makes meals so much easier and my life less stressful. I will post my meal plan coming up here soon!!! I am also working on finding some local resources for food and natural/whole foods. I look forward to sharing with you what I find here very soon!!!

Blessings!!!!

Summer....

Wow, if the weather has anything to do with it, it FEELS like summer is winding down here in the Pacific Northwest. BRRR! We had our outdoor service today for church and I am thankful I brought blankets along!

Our time in the Pacific Northwest is also winding down....we shared with our congregation here last week that we will be moving soon. Bryan has accepted a "call" to be the Associate Pastor at Rockford Reformed Church in Rockford, MI. He will be preaching weekly, which will be a new but welcomed challenge for him. God has been working in him over the last 6-8 months or so and has ignited a desire to preach God's Word regularly. That, along with doing some adult discipleship and assimilation of new members into the life of the church will make this position a perfect fit for Bryan. We are excited about the new ministry opportunities there.

The BEST part is that we will be only about 40 minutes from our families! For that, we are rejoicing! (and so are our families!)

We found a house there a couple weeks ago as well. We are excited to down-size a bit and live a bit more simply. I'll keep you posted on that progress!

Since my blog is also about food- I will leave you with a QUICK and easy way to use that nutritious KALE that might be growing in your garden........

KALE CHIPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Wash and de-stem kale

2. Cut kale into smaller, bite-sized pieces

3. Arrange on cookie/baking sheet

4. Drizzle with olive oil

5. Sprinkle with salt. (add some garlic powder for extra yumminess, if you choose)

6. Bake on tray for 8-10 minutes until edges JUST start to turn light brown.

7. Allow to cool and then ENJOY!!!

A few of my favorite things....

I have 2 homes. My actual home (where I was born, raised and went to college, where my heart is) is in Michigan - Zeeland and Holland, Michigan, to be exact. But for the last 6 years our family has lived in Oak Harbor, WA. A part of my heart is there now, too. Friends, a church, our first house, life experiences, joys, pains, the place where our kids have grown up so far....

I have realized that it is strange to me that when I am in Oak Harbor I talk of going back "home" to Michigan. When in Michigan, like we've been the last 2 weeks, I talk of going back "home" to Oak Harbor. It is confusing really. Where is my REAL home?

Well, obviously my "real" home will someday be in the presence of the Lord in heaven. (Definitely looking forward to that!). But for now, here on earth, I have 2 "homes". I guess I am lucky for that.....

Goodness, this whole post started because I wanted to share a few fun things about being back in my "Michigan home" and I took off on a tangent. So, here are a few of my favorite "Michigan home" things:

Thunderstorms. Wow, I think we had about 4 of them (including 1 tornado warning, which was a bit scary) while I was here. Glorious. I LOVE thunderstorms. They are one of the big things I miss since living in Oak Harbor, WA, where there are no thunderstorms.

JP's Coffee Shop. When in college, I would take study breaks here - sometimes my dorm room or the library were too "quiet" and I needed some background noise and distractions to help me study. Plus, their Creme Caramel Latte's were the best (and they still are - I have had at least 4 of them while here):

Downtown of Holland, MI - some of the best shops, window shopping and people-watching are here. My mother-in-law said she's a happy woman when she can weekly take a stroll downtown. I am in complete agreement.

Not to mention, they have a great "Street Performers" night every Thursday night during the summer months:

And of course, Lake Michigan.

And yes, for those of you who have never been to the West Michigan lakeshore area, there are WAVES (even some pretty big ones) and SANDY beaches (not too unlike the ones in Florida or California). The best part is that its FRESHWATER, so no saltiness here like in the ocean

But best of all, our families are here. Our kids have had a great time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The time went too quickly.

A couple months ago I mentioned how I was taking an online e-course on the subject of making good, homemade, nourishing food! I have REALLY enjoyed it and the recipes that come along with it.

GOOD NEWS!! The creator of this course is now opening up the lessons again, and anyone can sign up to access them/start them ANYTIME. You can go at your own pace, download them, etc. I put a new "linky" on the right side of my blog's home page. I do earn a small commission for referring people, but I would never refer people if I didn't think it was worth your time/money. Its been awesome! Just yesterday I made a chicken in the crockpot and am now turning the bones, etc, into a homemade and nourishing broth!!! SUPER healthy! I skipped the lesson on making soft, spreadable cheeses, but I'm going to go back and learn that one too!

It's been SO fun! And the best thing is that even with a busy family and schedule, I can do these lessons at my own pace, when I have time - and she has both VIDEO tutorials for each lesson along with PRINTED instructions.

I HIGHLY recommend it! If you are interested in checking it out, clink on the advertisement on the right side of my blog! THANKS!!!!

Fiesta Dip - BEST DIP EVER!!!!

THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE BEST DIP EVER!!!!!

Fiesta Dip

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Mexicorn (sometimes called Fiesta Corn?), drained

2 firm avocados, diced

2 firm tomatoes, diced

1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced

red onion - to taste

Dressing:

1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix (I found an all-natural one)

1/2 cup oil (I used olive oil)

1/4 cup vinegar (I used white)

*Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over veggies - mix gently. Serve with tortilla chips (the "scoops" work great!)