Girl on a Journey: Food Month: Week 3

First of all... Thank you so much for the out pouring of help! For all you local friends that have sent me suggestions of where to find things, farmers and markets all over this county and the next, friends and neighbors offering up produce and meat that they have harvested. Just goes to show, if I'd keep up with this blog... I have an awesome group of people the Lord has placed in my life to help me through!

I know I touched a bit last post about praying for the Lord to present me with tasty/flavorful options, or to take the desire for them away. This has been a daily (if not hourly) prayer since about day 10..boy oh boy did he answer in a big way! Two of the biggest ways... bacon and jalapeño pepper cheddar cheese. :) It is going on pretty much everything these days. It doesn't mean that I'm not craving the stuff I can't have, it just means the Lord has opened my eyes and given me a better perspective on the beauty of things grown/made right here in Southern Maryland, making this fast much more bearable (dare I say, enjoyable at times).

So here are some of the highlights (and a ton of pictures) from week three!

Day 15- Monday
After a long day of hiking, drive back home, and unpacking of all the camping gear... the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. I think that is one of the biggest things I have learned in the process. The effort of having to prepare every single meal... no convenience of grabbing something on the go/allowing it to be fixed for me... that has been a challenge for me. I'm not sure exactly what that means. I'm lazy? I'm overextended? My priorities aren't straight? I will be praying about this. I have a strong uneasy feeling it means that I am going to learn something about myself that isn't pretty... but that is the point and the ugly, yet beautiful part of this fasting journey.

So I begrudgingly prepared dinner. Bacon wrapped asparagus, squash and zucchini, and sliced tomatoes. Once again, I was not disappointed in the taste, it was simply the effort I put forth to prepare after a long exhausting day.

Day 16- Tuesday

Today was adventurous in the food department. I got another Chesapeake Farmery box. It came with jalapeños in it! So I made jalapeños stuffed with jalapeno cheddar cheese and wrapped in bacon. It was amazing and totally worth the effort.

There was another attempt at a chip today... zucchini this time. They were not good. They crisped up much better than the sweet potato chips, but were WAY too thing and tasted like crispy tissue paper. Thicker cuts next time.

I also located a sweet gem I had forgotten about. Applesauce I canned in the fall! There were two quarts hidden behind the remain salsa... it was divine!

The kids and I decided that even though I couldn't partake, I should definitely make double chocolate zucchini bread. It smelled amazing! And the kids enjoyed zucchini in a way I could not this month.

I also located a seasoning that is made right here in the Chesapeake Bay area! Old Bay, what all the locals rave about. We had rockfish for dinner. Everyone else enjoyed breaded fried fish, I had baked fish with Old Bay. To be honest, it wasn't my favorite... but it was a nice change up from simple salt and pepper... and the fish was very good.

Day 17- Wednesday

So I am melting cheese and putting bacon on everything. Bacon wrapped jalapeños again for the win! I melted jalapeño cheese and put it in my corn from the Amish market. Very filling and yummy!

Landen had a pizza party for football tonight. He decided to go to see his friends and be part of the team, but did not partake in the pizza (and Bert's has super yummy pizza). Did we get pizza or ice cream... NOPE!

I had talked with all the kids earlier in the day about what they were learning (if anything) about fasting the pizza and ice cream.

Here were some answers:

Brayden: There are a lot of other things to eat other than pizza and ice cream.

Landen: I don't miss it too much. Just kind of hard when everyone else is doing it.

Eleni: It is only really hard when there is a celebration or reward that is pizza or ice cream and we don't get to do it.

Addi: At least we didn't have to give a donuts too.:)

I have noticed that it is unbelievable how often I used food as a reward for something!

"Y'all have been good, lets grab ice cream."

"I appreciate your help, let's eat out."

"You have worked hard, let's get a special treat."

Even special dates usually revolve around food of some sort. It really is an unhealthy practice that I am becoming increasingly aware of how often I really do it. I could use some ideas on non-food related rewards that don't break the bank.

Day 18- Thursday

Today I went to a couple of local shops I hadn't ventured to yet, and some of my regulars. I finally found a new fruit! Peaches!!! They are just starting to become available around here... and boy is my sweet tooth thankful!

I also found a couple of local beverage options to try. A non-alcoholic, no sugar added sparkling cider and local teas. Anxious to give it a try. I also found canned jalapeños to add to things, pepper relish, and a homemade BBQ sauce. It almost killed me, but I also bought a homemade pasta sauce to try with some zoodles this week. Even after the crazy amount of pasta sauce I canned last year, we still ran out before tomatoes arrived this year.

While on my food hunting adventures I found a picnic basket that reminded me of my mom, so I bought it. She would have loved "Keepin' it Local"... definitely her kind of store.

I took the boys on a date to the movie. The yummy smell of movie theater popcorn smacked me in the face before I ever even walked through the doors. I managed to enjoy my time with them without participating in the food part (this part is surprisingly getting easier the more I have to do it).

Day 19- Friday

Still lots of yummy flavors... and trying really, really hard to just appreciate them and not be frustrated in the constant preparing and cooking.

Peaches, eggs and bacon for late breakfast.

Cheddar filled meatballs wrapped in bacon with BBQ, squash and cheesy corn for a late lunch.

I would like to note at this point that I am eating a LOT of food. Way more than I normally would in a sitting. But I eat less often. Not sure if it because I only want to have to prepare food a minimum amount during the day? Or if it really is just because I am so much fuller from the larger meals? But I would say I eat more food, but less often so far this month.

Grade cards came today and we had all As for every kid! We usually celebrate this by going out for ice cream, but since that wasn't an option, Movie and Popcorn Bar was something on the kid's summer bucket list, so we went that route. Nice family evening together. (Though seriously people... I need some help with non-food rewards!!!)

Day 20- Saturday

Today I toted this cute little one around to several different places to gather the final food supplies for the last week! (Woo-Hoo!!!)

The girls were up and out the door early-ish with me also... so we grabbed a donut while we were out. Any by we I mean I smelled the amazing donuts while they watched them being made and making their selection.

Shagel Farm had whole chickens on sale for $10 each, which has been the best price for chickens I have found locally so far. So I grabbed 3 and also some spicy cheddar brats. They also had cheeries, blueberries, hot wax peppers, and a patty pan squash that I've never tried, but Eleni wanted to give it a try, so we got one!

I finished our running around this morning at the local Amish market where I got a loaf of fast approved bread (only place I have been able to find it), granola, basil, cherry tomatoes, a new cheese, and granola bars.

Full confession... I looked at the granola bars labeled homemade granola bars. They were full of nuts and raisins and thought they would be super yummy, so I grabbed a bag (4 bars). When I got home I realized there was a nice layer of dark chocolate holding it all together. I gave some to my kids, but totally enjoyed one myself. It was amazing and tasty! I enjoyed it and didn't feel too bad knowing that a nice Amish woman made it from scratch and it didn't come mass produced from somewhere in a factory... but definitely not fasting approved (unless I have somehow missed the coco bean and sugar can farms here in Southern Maryland).