Today I turned 40 years old with a bottle of champagne and my family on a summit overlooking the North Cascades. We kicked off the weekend on the Pacific Crest Trail at Harts Pass near Canada. The PCT was the first “big girl” trail I hiked after moving to Seattle in 2013. Spending time in complete silence (for hours) was a first for me. It truly changed my life. When I finally grew comfortable paying attention without immediately reacting, I was really able to listen and see life around me in a way I never had before. If someone asks what really led to the end of my career, it was an internal shift I have a hard time describing but ultimately resembles self-awareness, and it probably began on the PCT. I met several through hikers this weekend who started at the Mexico border and were almost done. I asked what they planned to do after such an accomplishment. “Go home and get back to work,” most said. At first it seems anticlimactic but I remember Trent Peterson, a young man whose story I told years ago, as he rode wild mustangs along the PCT. He used to say that the PCT is just a trail, what matters is that we slow down, pay attention and see clearly whatever path we’re on. I looked up a quote from that report to share with you all.
“This isn't to advocate for the PCT. The PCT is just a trail. Get out of the rat race and slow down. Pay attention to the little things, not just the big things, because it's the whole picture we need to be aware of," he said.
Everyone who has chickens knows the struggle toward maintaining enough egg cartons, always asking friends to save theirs and bring them by. I was just thinking how I’d need some more when I drove by unknown trash on the side of the road. It looked like it might be egg cartons so I pulled over and sure enough - yes! 🙌 It was worth all the stares I got. Has this happened to you? What is something you needed and fortuitously found?
Whoever invented tabbouleh is a genius. I started making it because our local regenerative produce farm, Growing Back to Eden, has the most beautiful parsley. I had no idea how healthy it is! Parsley is a vitamin K super green, not to mention it’s packed with so many other nutrients. It makes regular salad greens look lazy. I opt out of the bulgar wheat and just use tomatoes, onion and mint. Back when I bought tabbouleh, I’d notice it was often made with cheaper oils like sunflower or canola. I use olive oil and a dash of sea salt. It’s so easy and if you make a lot at once, it holds pretty well in the fridge for a week. Don’t forget your Green Pasture products (cod liver/butter oil, skate oil, muscle rub, and more!) with the link below.
GREEN PASTURE:
https://www.greenpasture.org/
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Fermented foods are not just good for people, they are great for animals. Fermenting chicken feed is so easy and it makes the grains far more nutritious. All you do is put your feed in a bucket and add water until the water covers the feed. Let it soak for 1 to 3 days and you should see it start bubbling. It’s fermented and ready to feed your chickens. You will probably have to add more water after your initial mixture grows in volume to make sure there is always a little bit of water covering the top. This prevents mold. Our chickens love their fermented feed and will leave any dry feed untouched if their fermented feed is in front of them.
