I woke up this morning and felt compelled to jump on my computer and write this. Partially because I need to remind myself why I chose this crazy life and partially because maybe just one other person like me will be inspired to do something similar. It takes one seed to grow into a mighty tree! 

I feel so deeply honored that the Creator left his most prescious creation in our hands. Well the way I see it, we are all responsible for this world. Down to the smallest mircobe, we are a team. We cannot thrive when one of our teamamtes is out of whack. I have always felt this way but wasn't educated enough to understand my role. My desire to learn more about this subject has taken me down a winding road that led me to a life that feels purposeful and beautiful and hopeful!

After reading a ton of books(I'll share my favorites), I set my sights on farming one day. I wanted to honor our land, our animals, and our bodies by raising the foods that would nurture us and give back to our earth. We eventually purchased a ten acre property that had to be the most opposite you can get from a regenerative model. I felt like the land needed to be loved. It wanted me and even though I didnt know it at the time, I wanted it.

How I dreamed of a green pasture, rolling hills covered in orchard, pigs and chickens and a barn all waiting for me to just take over! I admit, I wanted to take the easy road. Starting a farm, after living in the city for half my life, was daunting enough. "I have so much to learn," I kept telling myself. And its true, I most certainly do! I have no experience raising cows, very little experience with chickens and pigs, and very little business experience. I didn't complete college, well besides culinary school. I have a long list of reasons why I shouldnt do this!

It's no secret I am a money saving mama! I like a good deal just like anyone else. I saved tens of thousands of dollars by general contracting when we built our house. So when it comes to essential oils, I had to find ways to squeeze every last bit out of those little bottles of goodness. 

It takes experience to figure these little tricks out. Let me save you some time and show you my top four ways to put every last drop to good use! 

Fermented foods are all the rage, and for good reason! Our ancestors fermented foods to preserve the bounty when refrigeration didn't exist. This process made the foods easier to digest and made the nutrients more bio-available. Historically, traditional cultures suffered far less disease than modern man. I believe eating a nourishing, traditional diet is important and beneficial to our health and that is why I aim to eat a fermented food at least once a day, ideally with each meal. 

Kimchi has always been a favorite of mine. It's spicy kick pairs well with scrambled eggs, on top of burgers or as a snack all on its own. Way back, when Farm Husband and I called Hawaii our home, kimchi was a staple in our diet. I remember the first time I was introduced to it. I thought it smelled funny, like someone had stuffed a dead fish in the jar of sauerkraut . I was so naive about food then! 


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Lately I have been craving mushrooms. I say lately, but literally for months, I want mushrooms everywhere! My go-to is always butter and garlic, sautéed with sliced mushrooms. You really can add this to any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner and its delicious.

But I wanted something saucy and cheesy. This dish can stand alone along side a protein or makes a great topping. I love to top chicken or steak with it, but some cauliflower rice would also go great with it!

This dish cooks quickly too! I always keep some button mushrooms on hand so that I can whip this up if I'm feeling less than inspired come dinner time. First you will want to "deneck" one pound of mushrooms. This is a term my middle child coined, meaning to remove the stems from the caps. I have a vault load of these endearing phrases that I will never give up using. 

Rinse your mushrooms and pat them dry. Add roughly 1/3-1/2 cup of butter to a cast iron skillet. I cook with a lot of Kerrygold butter. Not only does the butter taste wonderful, it comes from pasture raised cows making it highly nutrious. I grab mine from Costco for the best deal. 


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Ranch dressing is one of my all time favorites! It's good for dipping and delightful on salads. Unfortunately it is also one of the worst you can buy at the store with added sugar and a myriad of frankenfoods to give the product shelf life. Even the organic varieties have concerning ingredients. 

For years I steered clear of my beloved ranch, opting for simpler oil and vinegar concoctions that I could easily whip up at home. Alas, you cannot make a chef salad with an italian dressing(in my book anyway!) 

Luckily for me I stumbled upon an amazing seasoning blend at Costco that changed everything! I'm talking about the Kirkland brand Organic No-Salt Seasoning! This blend of spices works well in so many dishes and happens to make a kick butt ranch too!