No, We're Not Dead

...but we have been very, very sick. Again. The last two colds the boys got were just kid things, so at least Aaron and I were healthy while taking care of them. Not this time. Wow. Poor Aaron is still pretty sick, but the boys are almost 100% and I'm close behind them. I haven't had a cold quite like this in a long time; technically I suppose we had a flu, but in my family we always referred to the stomach flu as "the flu." For once, I almost would have preferred to throw up than feel the way I did. I'm still a little woozy, but I don't have the exhausted-to-my-very-bones-burning-eyeballs kind of aching going on anymore. I can breathe. Through one side of my nose, anyway. Last week I roasted a chicken and made stock with the bones, so I used it to make a really good spicy soup for dinner tonight. After dinner Aaron said "Thanks honey, that was delicious. I think." I've decided I'm going to start a feature on my blog: every Friday is going to be "Food Friday," and I'll post a recipe, cooking tip, technique, or food back-story. I really want to blog more regularly, and I think having something scheduled will help me with that. I've been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and I'm definitely making some changes. Not quite to the degree that Barbara Kingsolver did; I doubt I will ever be able to slaughter my own chickens and turkeys. But I like the gardening bit, being more connected to your food, using local food resources to the fullest, not eating processed garbage, etc. I don't think I'll become an exclusively PCC shopper, but probably pretty close. It's interesting how disconnected most people are with the food they eat; I've always been one to read any and all printed information on any label(toothpaste, soap, cheddar cheese), but people get sneaky with labels and what it says might not actually be what it means. Also, some things don't come with enough labels. Like beef. If the USDA required cattle farmers to put a label on their products that said "This meat was produced from cows that were fed the brains and other innards of cows and some other animals," I feel that no one would buy that beef. We have a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of mentality when it comes to details about our food. So Friday's post will be some of what I've learned about where our food really comes from, and a recipe or two to end things on a positive note. Tomorrow I'll put up some pictures. I have some great video of Matteas trying out a few of his new words. Grandpa, hold onto your hat :)