2013 Goals & Giveaway

Last year was a busy one, as always, for our family. We some of our 2012 goals by traveling to San Salvador Island, Bahamas and the Big Island of Hawaii with extended family and we finally moved to a new homestead-to-be. The stress of moving, an injury, a major summer storm, and some minor illnesses kept us from being as healthy as we would have liked. In my individual pursuits, I joyfully provided freelance web services for Watershed Distillery and City Folk's Farm Shop and represented Swainway Urban Farm at farmers' markets. The American Dairy Association Mideast and Pork Checkoff provided me with tours of farms and facroties to learn more about food production. I reached hundreds of people through classes at Franklin Park Conservatory and City Folk's Farm Shop and programs with Granville Homesteading group, Clintonville Farmers' Market, and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. I love this work because it provides me chances to exercise my educator muscles and interact with creative, smart, supportive people.

Alex, Lil and I are excited to turn over a new leaf (or, in more appropriate seasonal terms, shovel a new path) in 2013. We want to fulfill the potential of our new homestead and continue to grow strong bodies and minds. In 2013, we hope for and will work towards:

-a garden and hoophouse full of produce -a pantry full of preserved goods -eating meat we raise and slaughter on our property -collecting more eggs from more chickens -a way to offer unusual but important workshops on demystifying guns and meat animal slaughter -a more energy-efficient home -better health through lower stress and homestead exercise -travel to new places within our city and beyond -an updated name and website to more accurately reflect our new activities beyond the kitchen

City Folk's Farm Shop gave me three beautiful Igloo Letterpress 2013 wall calendar posters to ring in the new year for some lucky readers.

Enter to win by sharing one goal you have for 2013 in the comments. Be sure to leave an email address so that we may contact you if random.org picks you as a winner. The contest will be open until January 12, 2013. We will pay shipping to anywhere in the world, so enter away foreign friends.

From our homestead to yours, here's to a fulfilling new year!

2012 Plans

Despite my optimism, I did not achieve many of my 2011 resolutions.

2011 was a bit of a difficult year health wise. I had surgery to clear out my sinuses, but a raging infection kept me feeling lousy most of the summer. After some irritating testing, I found out in September that I am allergic to dogs and dust mites. We changed some habits and removed allergens in the house, but I continue to suffer sinus issues sometimes. The week before Christmas, pain and pressure returned and I now feel like I'm exactly where I started 2011. Despite being a skeptic, I will try the alternative route in 2012, starting with an appointment at Urban Acupuncture Center this Friday.

As a family, we decided to abandon resolutions per se, but we are making plans for 2012:

We will travel more. We have trips planned with extended family to San Salvador Island, Bahamas and the Big Island of Hawaii in February and June, respectively. We want to make salt from seawater on these trips. In addition, we hope to jump on at least a few of Alex's business trips this year and maybe try an RV trip of our own.

We want to feel stronger. At first, Alex and I resolved to lose weight. The Fat Trap article in the New York Times confirmed  my suspicions that the number I've maintained for 4 years now is probably the forever weight my body. Alex has not changed weight in years but without regular exercise is also feeling a little weak. I am starting each day with a short series of floor exercises (sit ups and the like) and we plan to exercise more as a family.

In the kitchen we will practice making cheese. We have experimented here and there but not enough to feel masterful and we've never made some of our favorite varieties like goat chevre. I am teaching a class at Franklin Park at the end of March about making cheese so these plan will be put into action sooner rather than later.

We want to feel settled in a home. For a few years I have felt like our house isn't the perfect home for us. We want a little more space to garden and keep animals. As we aren't using the public school just down the street, we would prefer to be somewhere with lower foot and car traffic. We debate about whether to look for a farm in the city location (there are precious few) or a quieter street with bigger lots. In the meantime we are completing little projects around the house that will make ours ready to sell when we find a property we want to buy.

In 2012, I plan to write for myself. You may have already noticed me starting, as recipe posts are being fewer and 'lifestyle' posts are increasing. I realized awhile ago that I was writing for some suspected audience that needed two recipes a week and wouldn't care about homeschool. Catering to the 'what bloggers do' schedule was a lot like work and since I'm not being paid here, why not have fun and do what I want?

On the other side of the writing coin, I plan to write for other businesses more often in 2012. I'll do a full introduction soon but I am now accepting freelance writing jobs. I promise to write a post about why I am reducing cooking classes and picking up writing.

Finally, I hope that 2012 is the year I do something BIG. It might be related to the home we hope to buy, it might be in the writing realm, or perhaps another opportunity will find me.

It all remains to be seen, which is the promise of a new year, a new slate, a time to reflect and challenge ourselves. May 2012 exceed your plans and hopes.

Before 2011 Ends...

...chew on these local news bites: 1) If you have yet to complete your charitable giving this year, may I suggest a donation to public radio station WCBE? Green B.E.A.N. Delivery will donate 4 pounds of food to local food banks per pledge through the end of 2011.

2) Speaking of my favorite station, tune in to WCBE on 90.5 for a special one-hour episode of local food program FoodCast featuring interviews with Columbus food pillars like Kenny Kim talking about the latest ethnic mini-restaurant in town, Yakitorium. The show will air at 1 pm on Monday January 2 and be available for web listeners shortly after.

3) And speaking of Yakitorium, I'll be slinging stuff-on-a-skewer with Kenny, Misako, and co. in Cleveland on February 2, exact details to come. I am taking a practice run with the Japanese grill on Saturday January 6 at 6:30 pm, 482 S. Front St 43215. Please visit!

4) The very next day is my first class of 2011, Charcuterie. Discover how salt, fat, and dehydration can transform perishable foods into delicacies from 3:30-5:30 at Franklin Park Conservatory. Register by calling  614.645.5923 or download a registration form here.

5) Did you hear that Snowville Creamery wants to expand? And the next product they want to make is greek-style yogurt? Local, low-processed, high-protein, tangy, versatile yogurt from a sustainable small business is a dream of mine. If you want to make the dream come true, support their Kickstarter project with me through February 10, 2012.

6) Finally, if you care about conservation in Ohio, please take a few minutes to read this story about the Saveson wetland and this follow up. If you feel strongly, respond by writing a letter supporting a tax change to Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo. I wrote him and received a very quick and personal, positive response. I also have a letter in to the Dispatch editor.

I hope the last day of 2011 is one of reflection and enjoyment for you and yours, and that 2012 is a great year for all of us!