Plain Catholic in the Mountains

Thinking about the Fall Garden

I know, Summer just started, and I'm talking about Fall already! 

But, in order to have a Fall garden, some things should be done now- planning, ordering seed, planting seeds to transplant into the garden when it is time, adding compost or any other needed soil builders, etc.   

In my area, July 1 was the suggested date for planting tomato, pepper, and eggplant seed.  I'm a few days behind schedule, mainly because I'm trying to keep up with harvesting the tomatoes that are ripening like crazy right now!   

Most of the Fall planting for my area comes a little later, since July and  August are always HOT.   The bulk of  planting comes from September to November.  But, if I don't at least make a plan now and make sure I have seeds ready, I may miss my planting date when it arrives. 

Many of the same vegetables that grow in the Spring garden can be replanted for Fall, they like the cool weather and will do well if they have time to mature before a frost gets them.  You can probably get a list of what grows well in your area in the Fall either online, from a local nursery, or from your County Extension Agent. 

Here's a little chart to show when the first predicted Fall frost date is:

Zone 3 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 4 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 5 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 6 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 7 - Oct 15th - Nov 15th
Zone 8 - Oct 30th - Nov 30th
Zone 9 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 10 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 11 - Frost Free

If you aren't sure what zone you live in, here's a map that will show you.

With that information you can see how long it takes a particular crop to mature and then count backwards to get an estimated planting date.  Of course, it all depends on the weather, and it is good to give your plants at least a week or two of a head-start if your area often has early frosts.  I live in Zone 8, and sometimes we don't even have a frost until close to Thanksgiving.  Fall is a great time for growing here. 

Please share what you grow in your Fall garden and any tips you have.  Those of you who live in colder climates, please share your wisdom, as this Texas gardener has never had to garden where it really gets cold !

Hope you have a great holiday weekend, and maybe next week, spend some time planning (and perhaps planting) for the Fall garden!

Blessings,

Catherine

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

I have been reading the book written by Jane Jarrell, titled, "Simple Hospitality". I thought I might share a little of it with you.

I really enjoyed reading this one thing that she wrote about using the letters that spell out the word "hospitality". So today we look at the H.

H--Hospital for the Soul

Why does one go to the hospital? To visit, maybe, or to welcome a new person into the world. But oftentimes it's because our bodies are broken. A hospital can be a place to go for healing and repair.

So the word hospitable is taken from the word hospital, which means a charitable institution, a repair shop, a hospice, or a shelter. Hospitality is a shelter for the soul, healing for the spirit. So when we open our home in the true spirit of hospitality or when we bring our gifts of hospitality outside of our homes, we are offering hospitality!!

The Bible states it this way: Romans 12:9-13, "Let love be without dissimulation.....v10, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;. .vs12, Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; vs13, Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

So real Christian hospitality isn't an option, it is what God commands.

O-Obedience

Some may think focusing on hospitality is frivolous or a waste of time. But in reality it is nothing less than obeying God's clear command in Scripture. Hospitality was not Martha Stewart's invention; it was God's!! Romans 12 paints an incredible picture of what it means to truly give our lives to God......In these selfless acts, we serve not only those in need but Christ Himself. Hospitality is obeying God by cheerfully serving others.

S-Simplicity

If we don't approach hospitality simply, most of us won't do it at all. When we exchange the harried hoopla for the heartfelt, everyone is blessed. Can we be comfortable when everything is not perfect, or do we always need to put on a show for people? As one lady states "I don't want to buy your house, I just want to visit." Simplicity brings us closer to having authentic relationships. Our focus is on our guests, not on the "stuff" that surrounds us.

P--Prayer

Hospitality involves prayer. Ask God to show you who and how to show hospitality to. God will show you the when, the how, and what that someone might need. I may not know what a person needs at the time but God knows!! You should always ask God for His blessing on the gathering you are about to have with someone, no matter how small or large the number will be.

I--Intimacy

Intimacy is sharing who you are and what you are to others. You need this type of relationship with your husband, your family and your friends, but nurturing genuine intimacy takes time and effort.

Cell phones and emails are nice, but we need to take time to sit quietly with a friend sometimes. You never know where they are at or what they may need.. Time plus realness plus genuine caring equals intimacy.

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

T--To Go

Are you ready to take your kindness on the road? Do you have a plan or list of ideas that will work in a hurry?

Keep a few recipes with the ingredients on hand so that you can prepare a meal or a welcoming treat for someone in need.

There is something extra-special about busy people who take the time to reach out and help others.

A--Acknowledge and Appreciate

We all have our own gifts, but what about those who are known for the hospitality? They also need a "dose" of hospitality sometimes. They need to be acknowledged for their kindness, appreciated for the efforts and recipients of the hospitality of others.

Most of us are "takers' by nature and unless we make a conscious effort, we’ll always take and forget to give back. Those who are more "givers", either by nature or intent, often get taken for granted.

In our busy lives, gratitude is often felt yet not expressed.

L--Lifestyle

Hospitality is a lifestyle, a ministry lifestyle. God weaves it into our hearts. We all need each other to make the body of Christ its best. You are making the commitment to a lifestyle of opening up your heart to others on a regular basis.

You will need to start small, perhaps by committing to one act of hospitality each month. Gradually you will see how easy it is and move towards once a week and before you know it you will be asking God to show you someone in need every day!!

Take time to ask God to show you how He might use you today, this week or this month. You are allowing God to work through you and when He is working, we cannot fail.

I--Ideas

When looking for ideas for hospitality, scan your favorite magazines, talk with your friends or keep a simple notebook or card file with your favorite recipes, holiday decorating ideas, party themes, or anything else that spurs your hospitality thinking. Just keep it simple, and honest. Let God's love show through you and that will be all that you need to make any time a good time to visit.

T--Time

We are all short on time for the things that we want to do or need to do. That is why hospitality is such a valuable gift to others. It means we gave them our most precious resource: our time.

Think of things to do for hospitality for others when you are doing for your family. Double a casserole for dinner one night and freeze the one for a family that may be in need, or a mother who may be sick at the time.

When baking cookies for your family, bake a few more to brighten someone's day. Out buying groceries? Cut back on one thing or two for snacks and make up a meal for a new mom.

If your time is limited, begin your quest to hospitality with small things and think about other ways that you will want to show it when your time allows for it.

Y--You

To show hospitality to others, you must first love yourself so that you are capable of loving others. This means taking care of yourself so that you are able to take care of others. When we've taken the time to put our own hearts in order, we are freed to reach beyond ourselves to meet others where they are.

Excellent Home Making Article

When I read the following excerpt from Managing A Home by Crystal Miller in the Homestead Happenings newsletter this morning, I just had to e-mail her and ask permission to post it here on the Front Porch.  Some of our new bloggers may not be familiar with Crystal's newletter or her Country Store, and I don't want anyone to miss out on the blessing of what she has to offer!  The article spoke to my home-maker's heart and was both an encouragement and a reminder that I need to be diligent in caring for my home and family.  Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

Blessings,

Catherine

Home Management and Making a Home
By Crystal Miller

When I think of the word “Homemaking” I think of the word as “Making a Home”. Homemaking is all that goes into making my house a home. Due to my home being a priority to me and perhaps because I have a large family I feel like much of homemaking is good home management. I have felt that it takes a well functioning home to feel like a comfortable home. A home where your family enjoys the time spent and others like to come to your home for refreshment and encouragement. I personally feel like it is hard for me to nurture my family and reach out to others if my life and home are not functioning as they should.

In order to manage a home you have to have a plan. You have to have a basic daily plan on how to keep the home flowing and the work done. A plan consists of routines, good time management, chores maintained, systems of organization, and tools to help you keep it all in order and keep the wheels moving forward in your home. Remember that one of the most important aspects of being a homemaker is creating a loving and peaceful environment for your family.

The housekeeping plan you use needs to be one that works for you and your life. I have read lots of books and read many ideas and used different plans, but ultimately these plans and ideas were not the end in themselves, they were the means to creating my own plan. My home is unique and so is yours. I don’t believe we could follow someone else’s plan exactly and have it work for us. We will tweak it and modify and then find something else and say, “Oh that might work” and try it and tweak that, etc., until after a time what you have is “your” plan.

Obstacles to Planning

Our Attitude
There are obstacles that can make a home management plan difficult. One is our attitude about cleaning a house. Being a homemaker is hard work and it takes a positive attitude and a lot of energy and determination each day. The beauty of it all is that with the right attitude caring for our home can be one of those areas in life where we can learn to get into the rhythm of the tasks and learn to appreciate things like warm soapy dishwater on our cold winter-time hands, the soothing hum of a washing machine going, the smell of dinner wafting through the home, the beauty of a shiny clean kitchen floor, the peace that comes from a home where all is clean and in order.

Any woman can choose to believe that their job is drudgery or they can choose to view it as a service to Christ. I believe that being a homemaker is a ministry of service and love unto Christ to those the Lord has given me to love, nurture and care for. My husband and family are the ones that mean the most to me; they are the closest to my heart. They are the first and foremost ministry in my life. If I begin to think of other things I would rather be doing then laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., I realize that I have neglected to view my role from God’s perspective and that is as His servant. There is something humbling about serving others, washing the feet of our loved ones in these tasks; something that can, if we allow it, help to put our heart and attitudes in the right place. It can change our view of the work we do each day. If Jesus walked into your home you would do everything possible to serve Him while He was in your home. Well ladies, He IS in your home and you are serving Him each day as you go about your task of raising up godly children and caring for and keeping a home for you husband and family (Matt. 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ”Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”).

Busyness
Many years ago when I began my quest to manage my home better I evaluated all the busyness in my life and looked at what things might be preventing me from managing my home better. I decided that if I am not able to take care of my home in such a way that shows that I have control over my domain then I may need to lessen what I currently have going on and not add any more to my schedule.

I have always been a person who would bite off more than I could chew so to speak. I don’t think I am alone with this either, as I talk to other women who deal with the same issue. I would take on more projects than I could handle, I volunteered for more than I should have, and I made plans that were beyond my abilities or time. The end result was always the same; something would suffer.

When I am too busy the first thing to suffer is always my home. It becomes a mess, laundry backs up, and clutter is a big problem. Then my children are next; attitude problems, discipline issues not being handled well, little ones not getting enough mommy time. Of course meals suffer; boxed cereal, instant, expensive and typically unhealthy food is served. All for the sake of not having my home under control.

The dividing line for outside busyness and effectively managing a home will be drawn in a different place for each of us. I am not saying that all outside activity needs to stop, that would be unrealistic. But rather when life has too much going on, it is much more difficult to manage a home as it should be managed. I had to make very different choices in my life in order to achieve my goals.

Time Management
Problems in good home management can also come from our time not being used as efficiently as possible. I know that it can be somewhat depressing for someone to look around and see that they don’t have control over their home or don’t have as much control as they feel they should and think it is hopeless, I might as well just continue on because I can’t ever get it under control. But let me encourage you that my experience is that as I have worked to organize, deal with clutter, create and implement systems of operation in my home and learn to use my time wisely that my skill level in these areas has increased, my efficiency has increased and I am able to train my children to work along side me and eventually move beyond the basics and accomplish other things in my life.

The first thing to remember is that there are only 24 hours in a day. We can’t expect to find anymore time available than this! We need to sleep a certain amount of those hours; we need wake up time and unwinding time and personal time. That calculates into only so many available hours to do all the other things we would like. These available hours should be viewed as precious time to accomplish the work the Lord has given us!

Be realistic about what you can do with the hours you have. Know your limits, your strengths and your weaknesses. I remember planting a huge garden one year. That was great except for the fact that I was due to have my 5th baby at the beginning of September. The same time all my tomatoes were ripe and ready. I personally did not have the energy to go from birth to canning in the same week! I was still struggling to care for my new baby (which was the 3rd baby in less in than 3 years) and recover and regain some energy. I was not very realistic about what I could accomplish. I wanted to do it all and I physically could not.

Recognize the things in our life that rob time from us. Over commitment, the telephone, the computer, laziness, hobbies that need to put off until the house is in order. Once you have a good handle on time management you will find it much simpler to accomplish the basic priorities.

In Summary
Time spent making and managing a home for my family will be a value passed on not only to my children but to future generations too. I think of the legacy left to me by my hard working, home loving, dedicated grandmothers and I know I can leave this same legacy for my grandchildren.

Managing my home is a mission that the Lord has given me. I always want to remember that homemaking is not a job to be avoided but a job to embrace and live to its’ full potential. This is one major area that is so easy to run from. It can be hard work to run a well managed home. This is a challenge that we as homemakers can embrace and be successful. It requires a determination to succeed and a plan. I don’t mind hard work and I don’t mind working towards these goals when I know that my hard work and my goals are for the purpose of something worthy. And certainly raising a family in such a way as to honor Christ is a worthy purpose.

An excerpt from:
Managing a Home: Tips, Organizational Advice and Practical
How-To’s from a Mother of 8
A new eBook from The Family Homestead

Featured Blogger~Mama Hen

Welcome to this weeks Featured Blogger!

Help me congratulate
Mama Hen!

Great posts
Lots of neat ideas
Pretty pictures
Very nice little home on the web
Go by and let her know you enjoy her blog

Blessings,
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Homestead

More on Fermenting Foods

I found some information on fermenting and a few recipes in a book I discovered at the library this weekend- Fresh Food From Small Spaces- The Square Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal.  The directions for making Kimchi say to cover the jar loosely with the lid or a cloth for 2 days, or until you get that "fermenting" smell; then, cap it tightly and put in the refrigerator.  Maybe that is what I've been doing wrong.  I put the lid on at the beginning; perhaps it needs to "breathe" a bit first???  The author recommends Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz, which sounds like a very interesting book on the subject.  I plan to look into reading this one, too; and am going to make another attempt at kimchi soon.   Wildfermentation.com was created by the book's author, and if you click on the resources button, you can find his recipe for sourkraut and pickles, plus a troubleshooting area.  Hope this info. helps some of you who are having the same struggles as I am in learning the art of fermenting food!

Blessings,

Catherine

Koolaid Sherbet

Last week I looked in the fridge before I went grocery shopping to check our supply of milk.  I seen only 1 1/2 gallons left so I bought 2 more gallons.  UGH!  When I got home I discovered that there was a gallon hiding in the back so I had more than enough.  Plus I forgot that the girls were going off to camp for a week this week!  DH & I hardly ever drink milk!  I didn't want it to spoil so I pulled out a favorite recipe for Koolaid Sherbet!  Now after making 2 ice cream pails of it I am now down to 1 gallon of milk! I think I'll make up some pudding & pudding pops with that.

Here's the recipe:

Koolaid Sherbet

1 c. sugar

1 envelope unsweetened Koolaid (your choice of flavor. I used strawberry & orange)

3 c. milk

In a bowl, stir sugar, koolaid mix and milk until sugar is dissolved.  Pour into a shallow freezer container; cover and freeze for 1 hour or until slightly thickened.  Transfer to a mixing bowl; beat until smooth.  Return to freezer container; cover & freeze until firm.  Remove from the freezer 20 mins. before serving. 

Yield: about 3 cups.

I made a double batch of strawberry & a double batch of orange. I used up 8 pkgs. of koolaid mix in the process.  We have an over abundance of koolaid lately since they have been on sale at 20/$2.  I always stock up during the summer for the winter days ahead so I don't have to pay full price!

So yummy on a hot summer day!

Enjoy!

THE AMISH COOK by Lovina Eicher--June 22, 2009

June 22, 2009  THE AMISH COOK By  Lovina Eicher This is a daily diary of a recent Saturday here at the Eicher home: 7 a.m.  It is Saturday so we slept later this morning.  After getting up all week at 3 a.m.  my husband Joe is glad to get caught up on his sleep.  It is another cool morning. It sure makes for nice sleeping at night.  Our rain gauge shows we have received 3. 5 inches in the last few days. It sure has given everything in the garden a boost.  We have been enjoying fresh red potatoes and peas from the garden along with radishes, lettuce, green onions, and strawberries. 8:15 a.m. We eat breakfast which is eggs, fried potatoes (fresh from the garden), bacon, cheese, toast, rhubarb jam, milk, juice, and coffee.  9 a.m.  Joe and the boys are hauling manure.  The girls washed the dishes while I sort through some clothes that the two oldest have outgrown.  I will hand them over to sister Emma for her daughters. 9:45 a.m.  My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, 15, mows the grass while Susan, Verena, Loretta, and I wash off walls in the kitchen, dining room, and living room areas. It sure needed it after a long winter. 12:30 p.m. We all stop for a break to eat lunch which consists of vegetable soup and sandwiches. It is a very warm day which is different from the 60 degree weather we had a lot of the spring. 1:30 p.m.  Joe and the boys go back to hauling manure and Elizabeth goes back to mowing grass. The girls and I finish with the walls and then sweep and mop all the floors.  We also wash off the kitchen cabinets and dust the furniture.  Everything looks very refreshed.  Monday we will wash the windows and curtains if weather permits. 4:30 p.m. Joe and the boys quit hauling manure. With church being tomorrow Joe didn’t want to work too late.  Elizabeth keeps mowing and is nearly finished.  The girls start giving the younger children their baths.  I pop some popcorn for a neighbor lady to serve after services tomorrow.  The children take the popcorn over to the neighbor lady with our pony, Stormy, and buggy. 7:30 p.m. Everyone is cleaned up and Joe starts a fire in the fire pit so the children can roast marshmallows and hot dogs. We all enjoy sitting around the fire after a long days’ work. 9:15 p.m.  Bedtime. The children want to stay up later but morning will be here before we know it. We have plans to go to a neighboring church district tomorrow so we need to start out a little earlier in the buggy.  Tomorrow is Father’s Day so the children gave Joe a volleyball set which is something he has always wanted.  We will all enjoy it though.  COUNTRY POTATO SOUP 3 cups diced potatoes 1 /2 cup carrots or celery 1 /2 cup onions, diced 2 chicken bouillon cubes 1 teaspoon chopped chives 1 /2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour  cream 2 1 /2 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk Combine potatoes, carrots, onions, and water (just enough to cover everything) bouillon cubes and salt in large saucepan.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.  Add 1 cup milk and continue to heat. In a separate, medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, flour, chives and remaining milk.  Stir mixture gradually into the soup base.  Cook over low heat stirring constantly until thickened.  Serve immediately.

A Time to Rest

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.  ~John Lubbock

This is good advice for a summer's day, I do believe.  Take some time today to rest, relax, and enjoy the  garden.  Listen to the song of nature, give thanks for the beauty around you, plan for next season. 

If you've had some trouble with the garden this year, remember these wise words:

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments." ~Janet Kilburn Phillips

I have done lots of experiments in the garden . 

Now that you've had a nice time of rest and reflection...Get back out there and get busy because-

"Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade." ~Rudyard Kipling

Blessings,

Catherine

Losing a Piece of Me! Pt.2

Well, the tooth is gone.  That was very nerve racking to say the least.  When I first got in there they put a blood pressure cuff on me to take my blood pressure.  I've never had that happen in a dentist office before.  My blood pressure was very good.  Better than it's ever been before.  It used to be 120/80 which is good but now it's registering at 113/67!  I think that has alot to do with me working out & losing 22 lbs.  So many good benefits of working out & losing weight!  So the dentist comes in & introduces himself.  He then precedes to numb me up.  OUCH!  That is SO painful!  I cried!  Especially on the last shot that was given to me in the roof of my mouth.  So he lets it get good & numb then he comes back into the room to start the pulling.  He pulls & tugs & wiggles the molar.  Then all of a sudden there is this extremely loud POP!  I yelled.  It didn't hurt but it scared me.  This went on for about an hour.  When he was FINALLY done he told me that he had to take the tooth out in 3 pieces & now he was going to put in a few stitches.  ::shudder::  I'm thinking to myself, "does he HAVE to tell me what he is going to do next? Can't he just get on with it & get it over? I really don't want to know!".  So he puts a few stitches in & I can't feel the stitches being put in but I can feel the "thread" being pulled because it's tickling over my lip.  The hygentist sits me up & takes my blood pressure again.  It's still normal but a little higher than it was before.  I will say this, if I EVER have to get teeth pulled again (which I more than likely will) I will request to be totally knocked out!  The tugging & pulling & sounds are too much to handle.  Before I leave they give me this little 'goodie' bag of chap stick, gauze, directions for eating, drinking, brushing, etc. & a prescription for some vicodin.  DH came during work & waited in the waiting room during the procedure to make sure I could get home.  I told him that I was fine & could drive myself home.  On the way home I was completely numb & feeling fine so I figured I would sing all the way home as I always do while driving....out of 1 side of my mouth.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  About halfway home the pain started!  Later as I read the directions it said to avoid any unnecessary talking, drinking, & eating for the first 2 hours.  OOPS!  Lesson learned!  I wasn't going to fill the prescription b/c I don't like to take pills unless I absolutely HAVE to.  By the time I got back in my own town & to CVS I was dying!  The pharmacist asked when I wanted this filled & I said (in the best way I could out of 1 side of my mouth in pain) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!  She could tell I was in pain & she said, "Okay how's 15 mins?"  I went home, which is right across the street, & went back as soon as 15 mins was over.  Came home, popped a pill & told the girls that I was going to bed.  AHHH vicodin is WONDERFUL!!!  It took away the pain & that was it.  It didn't make me sleepy or anything.  The dentist gave me the prescription with 1 refill.  I only took 1 pill but I am saving the rest b/c I have more work that needs done.  The next day was Sat. & I felt fine.  We went shopping then we went to the lake.  So all in all it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. 

Fast forward to today (5 days later). 

I still feel fine.  They said the stitches would come out on their own between 2 & 5 days.  Well, they are still in there. I am not chewing on that side at all.  I'm kind of scared to.  It is still a little sore.  On July 15 I have an appointment with my regular dentist to get a full set of X-rays & to talk about what else needs to be done.  I'm thinking about just pulling all the back molars & the wisdom teeth & getting partials.  What good is it gonna do to sink thousands of dollars into fixing the teeth when they are gonna eventually get worse anyways?  Doesn't make sense!  I'm gonna get me some shiny white store-bought teeth!  lol

So there you have it, my story of getting a tooth pulled.

Thoughts on Going Green and Fair Trade

The Fair Trade issue is one that has been on my heart for quite some time.  I first read about the Fair Trade movement on a visit to World Hunger Relief to pick up the week's share of organic vegetables for my family and friends from their CSA.  They also have a nice little gift shop which sells Fair Trade items like tea, coffee, and all sorts of crafts and gift items.  I purchased a bag of coffee beans for my coffee-loving husband.   Though they were more expensive than our regular grocery store brand, I thought the little extra $ was worth it since it was a gift, and the money was for a worthwhile project.  In my bag was a little pamphlet telling about the Fair Trade Movement.  After I read that, I felt saddened that I had no idea what the cost of producing things I buy on a weekly basis was to not only the earth, but to the farmers growing them.  I was shocked, saddened, and convicted; now that I knew the truth, I was responsible for my own response to that truth.

The things that my family has started with in an effort to not only Go Green, but buy Fair Trade are tea and coffee.  I buy these often as we drink both on a daily basis.  My local grocery store does stock one brand of Fair Trade coffee, and I can order teas from Mountain Rose Herbs when I place an herb order.  These are 2 simple things that I can do without much extra effort at all; and though the cost is a little more at the checkout; I know  that we are doing the right thing by not making life harder on a farmer somewhere across the world.  My first concern was the cost, as we do not have a large income for our family of 5; but I felt that either I needed to pay the cost of a Fair Trade brand, or sacrifice by not buying tea and coffee at all. 

Bananas are usually the cheapest fruit in the grocery store; but I've recently learned that there is a huge cost elsewhere.  Since I've not yet found Fair Trade bananas in my area, I've decided to do without that fruit until I can either buy Fair Trade or grow my own.  I have noticed a blessed absence of fruit flies as one benefit of not having bananas in the fruit bowl daily (My husband makes Kombucha which is dearly loved by fruit flies it seems- no bananas, no fruit flies attacking the Kombucha!). 

These are just 3 simple things that I have committed to do in order to promote Fair Trade, Go Green, and do what is right by those who are growing these items. 

I've included several links throughout this, and you will find possibly more than is comfortable to know about Fair Trade and the true cost of food should you choose to read about it.  It isn't always a pleasant subject, but knowing the true cost of what we consume is something that is important, I believe.  It may be challenging to know the truth; but knowing the truth sets you free to do what is right.  One book that gives a good picture of the true cost of food production in the world is Hope's Edge by Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe.  Please note, I do not agree with all of their viewpoints, but their travels and sources are well documented; and it is a good source of information. 

I'm not suggesting that everyone has to make the same choices I have.  I'm simply sharing my story and giving you some information on the subject.  If you are a Christian, read the information in the links, or do your own research;  and then truly ask yourself...What would Jesus do?  Perhaps Isaiah 58 is a good place to find out. 

Blessings,

Catherine