New beginnings!

I've taken a long break from blogging.  A VERY long break!!

Ok, allow me to revise that statement.  I've taken a very long break from blogging here.  I did do some blogging on our mission team's blog.  Allow me to elaborate.....

I went to Peru for eight days on a mission trip.  We spent our time in the Amazon jungle area of Peru, just outside of Pucallpa, a city of about 500,000 east of the Andes.  The area is heavily deforested, so it's not thick, green, lush jungle; it's red, dusty, HOT jungle.  Our team of 13 worked in the villages of Todos Unidos and Monte Rico with Food For The Hungry (FH), an international ministry.  Our church partners with FH in communities in Peru and commits to an 8 to 10 year partnership with each community.  FH works to ensure that each community is completely self sufficient at that point and moves on to the next community.  Our church, Blackhawk, has partnered with FH in several communities over the years and has had great success in creating self sufficient, thriving communities.

I was able to share the experience with my oldest daughter, Margo.  She and I were both vegetarians for years and suddenly realized that, hey, we won't have any choice in foods in the jungle.  We had better start eating meat again now so we won't get sick in Peru and we won't starve to death.

Since our return, I've been doing some research and have discovered that our vegetarian diet may have actually been causing more harm than good.  After reading research by Dr. Weston Price, DDS, and Dr. William Davis, cardiologist, I am firmly convinced that it's grain in our diets that is causing disease. We have since adopted a more paleo-style diet, with grass fed beef and other meats, eggs from organic chickens, fresh vegetable, nuts and seeds, and some fruits.  I've also begun using raw dairy.

Boy, do I feel better!!!  I'm excited to see how much better we all fare this winter when the daylight is shorter, the skies are grayer, and we usually experience our seasonal depression.  I'm expecting a much smoother time during the colder months, but I'll let you know.

In addition, I will be posting my new favorite Nourishing Tradition and Paleo style recipes.  I've just begun to experiment with almond and coconut flours for baking and, some new crock pot meals.  Oh, how I have missed butter and bacon!!!