Well it is business as  usual at Mission Meats! We are coming into Easter and what a busy month we have had so far. 
I have been trying to eat properly. Doing things like actually having something to eat before 11 in the morning. In order to do this I have been making smoothies. Mmmm Mmmm! They are so good, and easy too! And boy do they fill the gap. No lethargic feeling right after I eat either. In fact I have been eliminating gluten based products from my diet for the last couple weeks and I sure have noticed an increase in my energy level.
So Randy and I (mostly I) have decided to do an experiment and do gluten free for 2 months to see what if anything changes. I read the book "Wheat Belly",  and to be honest have not before now put too much store behind gluten free living unless you are celiac or have an allergy to wheat. But according to this book there are quite a few "ailments" that can be attributed to gluten consumption. So I started today and like I said, we shall see. In particular I am curious about Randy's inflammatory issues.  For me it is the tiredness I feel at the end of the day or right after lunch.  
Now  this may be tough because bread based products are very easy to throw together at the end of the day for a quick meal. But I feel this can be done. It just takes a little planing because as you all know, I am very Busy, Busy, Busy! 

Being green can be easy. I think it needs to be simplified. 
When I grew up life was simple - we reduced, reused and recycled all the time. We just did not know that we were doing it. 
We reduced by gardening, canning and raising our own animals. We had a milk cow; Mum made butter from the cream and baked all her own bread and baked goods. We had chickens and pigs. They provided us with eggs and meat. So a trip to the grocery store was rare indeed.
We had a compost and there was no curb side garbage pick up so it made us think twice about what went into the garbage can. 
We reused - We cleaned with cloths that you washed and used again. I do not even remember a paper towel roll in the house.The cloths hung on the line and smelt fresher and cleaner than any additive that you could put in your laundry now a days to make your cloths smell so fine. And new cloths were some thing you got once a year to start the new school year. Other than that you got hand me downs from the neighbours or the salvation army! 
We recycled everything! Only we did not call it that - we called it being frugal and being poor. We could not afford to replace things each time we got tired of our possessions. 
Now I realize that we can not all have chickens in the back yard, nor a milk cow at our disposal. But there are great ways to compost, do upright gardening and create a small "farm" environment at home. It can be done. We just have to believe that we can do it. And you know what - our kids would benefit so much from learning about how to grow your own food, how to can ( it really is not that hard)  how to compost-indoors with a worm factory! 
So I say you can do it ! It really is easy - and our kids are up for - Growing up Green! 

Oh how wonderful it is to have the extra bit of sunshine at the end of the day! I am able to get so much more accomplished when the sun is shining!  

I just love the people who shop in our store! Sometimes it is hard to have all cuts available on the counter. We don't know what cuts people are going to want on a given day or week and sometimes it is hard to guess just when to have some of those special cuts on the counter. So I am always happy to serve a person who is willing to be flexible and improvise on the dish they are going to cook! 
What is even more fun is helping them in deciding just what and how to cook something! It is like a great adventure of cooking! What were you thinking of doing?  What can you do with what we do have on the counter? Then best of all....the feed back - that what we did deicide on turned out simply amazing and they are excited to do it again! 
So my feeling is if we don't have what you are looking for it is a sign! A sign that you too can learn to be flexible  - for as the saying goes..."Blessed is he who is flexible - for he shall not break" !

What glorious weather we have been having! In my estimation anyway,  not too cold, no rain, and a bit of sun that just gives you a taste of what is to come here in the Okanagan. Sunday was a day that I decided to clean house and get a few of those nasty chores out of the way, so I organized, washed, dried, swept and mopped my way around the house. Had the doors open and had the breeze blowing through, could hear the birds chirping and overall had just a great day. Even though it was technically a day off - it felt good to do the work that I had been putting off. It is amazing how good it makes you feel to walk into a clean house!
Off course now I am guarding my handy work - trying to keep the floors clean and the counters tidy! So beware you who want to walk through the house with shoes on and make a mess! You may walk in like a Lamb but I may chase you out like a Lion! 

Time is such an elusive commodity at times. The winter months are suppose to be the months that are a bit slower and  as such, I would have more time to get ahead of all those little things in life that don't always get done. NOT! Business is booming and I need to be in training and working and keeping busy in the shop. Not that it is a bad thing but it seems that when you count on things to be one way they turn out completely the opposite of what was expected! 
So it is "full steam ahead" at the shop. Easter is coming and we will have our hands full with that one as well! Easter Hams to cure, fresh Turkeys to receive and sort, not to mention the  Lamb and Veal to sell!  It is going to be an even busier time! 
Woo Woo! Here we go! Full steam ahead!