Farm husband and I took our oldest son out hunting this past weekend. We used to hunt regularly but once we began building our home two years ago, we haven't had the time. Hunting is something we both enjoy doing and has been a part of our lives since we first met. There is a huge sense of pride to harvest an animal and "bring home the bacon" to your family.

​This fall was my first ever antelope hunt. Antelope are not very large creatures and I have heard mixed things as far as taste goes. With a freezer newly stocked in beef, I decided to give sausage making a try! I was always intimidated by the process, but I found it to be quite simple once I decided which blends we would try! 

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!