The “ish” in Healthy-ish might actually be the most important part. Because healthy isn’t perfect. The “ish” is the learning. It’s questioning. It’s paying attention. It’s making better choices when we can. It’s growing some of our food while still buying plenty of it. It’s cooking from scratch most often, but not feeling guilty when we don’t. It’s moving our bodies because they deserve to move, and resting them because they deserve that too. It’s caring about what we eat without making food a source of guilt or shame. It’s changing one thing at a time instead of trying to overhaul our entire lives overnight. It’s understanding that what works for one person might not work for another. It’s getting something wrong, learning something new and changing our minds. It’s mindset. Gratitude. Curiosity. Balance. Accountability. And slow, sustainable change. It’s knowing there will always be another thing to learn, another skill to build, another habit we could improve. And being completely okay with that. We don’t want Healthy-ish to make anyone feel like they aren’t doing enough. We want it to remind people how much they can do. Grow one tomato. Cook one more meal at home. Learn where your food comes from. Read one label. Plant something for the pollinators. Spend more time outside. Ask more questions. Change one habit. Then maybe change another. There is no finish line where you finally become “healthy.” We’re just trying to live a little better, understand a little more, and take better care of ourselves and the little piece of the world around us. That’s the “ish.” And honestly, we just think there’s a whole lot of freedom in it. 💛

After about 5 hours in the freezer, we have thick, rich, and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert!! And is it ever fantastic! No toppings even needed! Four simple ingredients, no fancy equipment. I can't believe I made this!!! ☺️

What's for dinner tonight, friends?! We are having a nice hot bowl of my homemade root vegetable bisque, avec bacon! Pumpkin seeds on top! Homemade, freshly baked, whole wheat sourdough slices slathered in butter!

First 100% whole wheat sourdough loaf in the new home is a wrap! Still got it!!! 🙌

Soon the trees will stand completely bare against the autumn sky showing off what the leaves have kept hidden all summer. Every beautifully imperfect branch will soon be revealed 🍂

You can just make a simple 4 ingredient, no unnecessary additives, and no fancy equipment, homemade ice cream right on your back deck! You can just do things!!

It's working!!!!! 😃🙌

What a perfect, crisp autumn day to make some homemade ice cream outside. All the ingredients have been mixed together and rechilled. Ice bath ready to go...and now it's time to stir, stir, stir!! Let's see how this goes! 🤞😅

This stuff is INCREDIBLE! 😃 I had forgotten how delicious whipping cream is all on it's own!!!

It's ICE CREAM TIME!! 😃 I got the cream!! And have decided I am going to attempt making homemade ice cream for the very first time!! I don't have fancy equipment! Just a few simple ingredients, couple bowls, some ice, salt, and a little sense of adventure!!

Right back into the swing of sourdough, but with a new approach! Marge now lives in the fridge fulltime! Instead of pulling her out for a few days and feeding her before baking, I will simply take a small amount from the fridge, to build a fresh levain the day before I'm ready to make bread. Every couple of weeks, Marge will come out for a feeding, and to build her back up as she gets low. Less discard and really just whole lot simpler! Especially if you're always forgetting to feed your starter on the counter!

One of today's kitchen projects calls for some vanilla! I've finally run out of my last store bought bottle, and I refuse to buy another when I've got my own homemade batch brewing! It still has another 7 months to go, and I really want to let it reach that one year mark. But I'm making an exception today. Taking just what I need...1 tsp. And then tucking it back away! Any guesses what I am making today?! 🐄

Autumn in bug form! 🍂

It's DOOOUGH time!!! 😃 I am so excited to get back into the swing of baking our own bread and all the others homemade sourdough goodies we've missed! It's been a couple of months since my last loaf turned focaccia in that hot, off grid trailer! When I last tucked Marge into the fridge, had no idea we'd be buying a house!!

Good Tuesday morning!!! Got a little extra spring in my step this morning! Some days you just wake up excited to get going, and today is one of those days! We hope you're all having a lovely start to your morning! Whatever the day has in store, make it a good one!!

So much accomplished today, and we're just about ready to call it a night! We are still finding ourselves smiling at just how much our lives have changed in such a short time! We hope you're all happy, healthy, and have a restful night's sleep. Goodnight from us 💛

One final little kitchen project for the night!! My feet are aching and I'm more than ready to sit down and relax!! But first, it's time to put Marge to work and building my first sourdough levain in months!! Tomorrow we bake bread!!!

Soup number two is also done and tucked away! 100% homegrown tomatoes roasted with local onion, garlic, fresh homegrown rosemary, thyme and our dried oregano. Blended with homemade beef bone broth until beautifully smooth! Another batch of homemade goodness for future meals!

And that's soup number one finished and tucked away in the freezer for future meals! Roasted root vegetable bisque, made with our homegrown carrots and two little sweet potatoes, along with locally grown butternut squash, more sweet potatoes, onions and garlic! Roasted with fresh thyme and sage, then blended with our homemade beef bone broth! I then simmered everything together for about 20 minutes and cooled before storing!

And dinner is served!! I have been craving shepherd's pie for a while now and tonight is finally the night! What’s for dinner, friends?!

Shepherd's pies is going in the oven!! Cheddar cheese to added during the last 10 minutes of baking! 😋