Farm to Table Journey to Health (and Weight Loss)

The most remarkable thing about this journey is how it has affected my soul. When I first started my goal was to lose weight. But where I ended up instead, was so much better. And the weight fell off. This journey led me to unexpected places. Like farmers markets. And farm tours. And to cultivating a garden of my own. I have a deep appreciation for food now that I’ve seen the whole picture, from seed to plate. And when I say food, I don’t just mean ‘food’. I mean everything from seeds and plants and animals that “only have one bad day”; to climate and fertile soil and clean water and organic, sustainable  farming; to creating recipes with appreciation for the ingredients; and then cooking and sharing meals, relaxing and making memories with friends and family. Even after the food is gone from our plates, it’s sitting in our full bellies, nourishing us. I mean “FOOD!” I didn’t know it could be this good and, this nourishing. I’ve changed from the inside out. Deeply. This journey moves my soul and now I’m in tune with the natural world. It’s a part of me and I’m a part of it.

So if you want to lose weight AND be healthy and you’ve tried everything else… I have a little suggestion. Something you probably haven’t tried. Just learn to love nourishing food. Reconnect with it. Get to know it really well. Try a… I was going to call it a “farm-to-table diet,” but I hate diets. And I hate when people call eating well a “lifestyle”. I mean it is, but it sounds so cliché. How about… a farm-to-table journey to health. If you learn to eat well, the weight will fall off – and you won’t feel deprived or starved. Our entire family slimmed down in one summer. Except the picky one that needed to gain a little. She did.

Read some articles about all those foodie things I italicized above, and blogs like this one and dozens more like it. Subscribe to facebook pages and blogs like health.com, Slow Food USA, 100 Days of Real Food, Harvest Moon Grille/Grateful Growers and Mark Bittman. I suggest this book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and other books by Nina Planck, Michael Pollan, Alexandra Zissu. If TV’s your thing, try watching some food shows. Set your DVR to record “Dr. Oz” (he has Oprah’s old spot) and “The Chew” on ABC and Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel. And watch Food, Inc. Don’t let the politics deter you. Understanding where food comes from and how it gets on your plate is the first step to eating well. Ignore the politics, unless of course you feel passionate about it.

Visit a farmers market or two. Try to find one that is a “producers only” market with food that comes from within a 50 or 100 mile radius. Start shopping there regularly. The best one in the Charlotte area is (Matthews Farmers’ Market.) In fact, some might say this is not a good time to start farmers’ market shopping, because we’re in the middle of winter and there’s hardly any food. First of all, that’s not true. There’s plenty of food. There’s just not a wide variety of food. But I think it’s the best time to get to know the farmers’ market – before it’s busy and crowded and there’s food everywhere. In the winter, farmers’ markets are quieter. The farmers, vendors and market goers will be more relaxed, less busy and open to conversation. And you can watch it grow into spring.

Locate some organic, sustainable farms in your area where food is grown without chemicals and animals are treated humanely. Most of them offer free scheduled tours. This is a great opportunity to find out why sustainable food costs more. It’s also a great way to spend a day with the family. Farms have a way of reminding you what life is all about. Kids of all ages will love it. It’s such a fun learning opportunity. (Also good for getting a reluctant spouse on board.)

Start small. Read one article a day. Subscribe to one blog. “Like” something food related on facebook. Cook one meal from fresh, whole ingredients. I’m telling you, this journey is nothing like a diet. There’s no calorie counting or eating low fat (fat is delicious and doesn’t make you fat – google it). This journey is eye opening and it’s fun. It changed my entire family. We’re all better because of it. I thought it would be nice to hear a kid’s point of view, so I’ve asked my daughter Haleigh (she’s 12) what she has enjoyed the most about this journey. So I’m stepping away from the keyboard now and letting her write it in her own words. This is what she has to to say:

“Eating healthier isn’t as bad as it seems – like eating vegetables all the time and not eating cookies – because there are also good things, like I get to go to the farmers’ market every Saturday. That’s fun for me and also the food from the farmers market tastes better than from a store. Healthier food makes me feel more focused and fit. Unlike junk food which makes me feel lazy. At lunch when I see people all around me eating cookies and chips and I’m eating carrots and a sandwich, it makes me think I’m much healthier than my friends and I’m going to be better off in life. Even though they sometimes make fun of me and stuff, because my mom’s such a “health freak” I’m thinking well at least my mom cares enough not to feed me junk food all my life.”

Warm and Cozy Hot Chocolate

We have an icky bug floating around the house. It’s just a cold, but there are five of us. And when we have an icky bug, it can take weeks to run it’s course through our family. We still have a few sniffles, but we’re almost in the clear. The little one started it all. She missed school last Friday because of it. And of course they had something special planned that day. It breaks my heart when they’re sick. It’s worse when they miss an event they’ve been looking forward to all week because of it. This called for a little extra mommy lovin’.

So I had to re-create “warm and cozy day” at home. Especially since she was fighting a cold. We made hot chocolate from scratch. I haven’t bought that stuff in the packets in over a year.  We used to always have it around. So now when I make hot chocolate, it’s extra special.

While I prepared the hot chocolate, she picked a spot and arranged our picnic blanket and her stuffed “aminals”. She came to the kitchen several times. She’d grab my hand and lead me into the living room and ask “Is this okay?” They are unbelievably cute when they’re three.

The cookies were Trader Joe’s Highbrow Chocolate Chips. We don’t normally have this kind of thing in the house, but they were leftover from an event over the holidays. I was saving them for an emergency, and this seemed like the right time. The warm, creamy hot chocolate and those crispy cookies were perfect together. She forgot all about school.

“Uh oh. I had a little accident Mommy.” No problem. I worried that the all that chocolate would keep her from napping, but she slept soundly. The fever never came back after that. I doubt it had much to do with our warm and cozy hot chocolate, but who knows. I let her believe it was the cure.

Warm and Cozy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic whole milk
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• pinch of  sea salt
• 2 ounces good quality dark chocolate (or 1 square)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil
• splash of organic heavy cream or half and half (optional)
• marshmallows are optional

Method:

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, coconut oil and salt until dissolved.
3. Stir in the chocolate until melted.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool slightly or add a splash of cold heavy cream or half and half, or a dollop of whipped cream. Throw in a few marshmallows if desired. Makes 2 servings.

I decided to add the coconut oil not just for a little more flavor, but to make it a little extra nourishing for my feverish lil’ pumpkin. And to strengthen my immune system, just in case I was next… I was.

Coconut oil has been used for centuries to treat illnesses.

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system. (from organicfacts.net)

I also had some homemade almond flavored whipped cream leftover from the a few nights before. Whipped cream is ridiculously easy to make from scratch. A cup of organic heavy cream, a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar and some almond extract, all whipped together with a stand or handheld mixer on high speed until thick and creamy. You can substitute with whatever extract you prefer. Store bought whipped cream isn’t anywhere near this good.

I doubled the recipe so I’d have enough leftover for the other two when they came from school. Friday treat!!

Things I Learned in 2011 and What I’m Looking Forward to Learning in 2012

Things I learned in 2011:

1. Scaling down and purging stuff is a life style, not a task to be completed in a weekend, a week, a month or even a year. It’s easier to get rid of things, than it is to stop accumulating more stuff. Still, we did a really good job.
2. Thrift stores are a great way to recycle, upcycle, save money and cut down on trash. If we could all buy more used stuff or just use and repair stuff we already have, demand for new things would fall, less of it would be produced and we could save some of our precious resources.
3. Gardening is rewarding, but less predictable than I imagined. Nature can be harsh. Bugs are an organic gardeners worst enemy. Everything you plant will not survive or be edible. Luckily, most of it will, even if you’re an amateur like me.
4. Having two compost piles is better than one. One to use now and one to build up for later.
5. Making mostly homemade bread from scratch, instead of buying it from the grocery store is doable… if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook (and maybe a bread machine, but I don’t use one of those). A stand mixer is worth it’s cost and it’s space on the counter. I still haven’t found a 100% whole wheat sandwich bread recipe that works without using vital wheat gluten (or other additive). But I’ve learned to accept a 50/50 or 40/60  loaf using good quality, organic all purpose and whole wheat flour. It’s way better tasting and better for our health than store bought bread.
6. Homemade tortillas are not worth the trouble unless you eat and make them often. A lot of work goes into it. I have an awesomely perfect recipe and a tortilla press, but we just don’t eat them often enough for me to really get the practice I need to make them quickly. So I buy the best quality I can, when we do need them. Homemade pita bread on the other hand, is totally worth it.
7. Kids (and spouses) will eat well if you feed them well… eventually.
8. My kids aren’t ADHD afterall. Our education system just stinks. I kinda knew this already, but it’s actually worse than I imagined. School’s just too damned boring for kids. Bad diet also plays a role.
9. Okra doesn’t have to be slimy. And I like it grilled. It’s not the only food I’ve learned to like this year. I like arugula. And salmon. But I still don’t like liver. Maybe I never will.
10. The world is not going to end in 2012. It’s a rumor. The Mayan calendar, actually the long-count period “ends” on winter solstice 2012, the same way our yearly calendar ends on December 31. Time will not stop. The world will not end. The calendar just starts over. So don’t put your pets to sleep or spend all of your money. (Here’s a little NASA FAQ, in case you’re still worried.)

Of course I’ve learned more than that, but those are my highlights. Here’s what I’m looking forward to learning in 2012:

1. Creating. This blog, my new camera, cooking and even gardening has all helped me get in touch with my inner artist. I’m looking forward to “up-cyling” projects this year. The ugly gold chandelier in our dining area has been a thorn in my side. I can’t wait to paint it, embellish it and add a lamp shade (or several). I’m sure there will be some DIY disasters in my very near future, but I’m looking forward to learning. I need to work on my sewing and painting skills. (Oh and have you heard of Pinterest? Whoa! So inspiring. And a great way to figure out what you like and organize your life.)
2. I want prettier gardens and I want more of them. Still mostly edible of course. And definitely still organic, just better laid out. I’ll be working on a garden design, before I start sowing seeds and planting this year.
3. You know I’m a bit of tree-hugger, but this year I want to do better. I have been replacing old store bought cleaners and some health and beauty products with safer, d-i-y alternatives. Beauty products have been the most intimidating, but I’ve stocked up on some good quality carrier oils, essential oils, bees wax, a few other ingredients and tons of small containers to store it all in. I’ve made all-over moisturizer using coconut oil and couple drops each of rosemary oil, tea tree oil and lemon oil. My hair serum is made with coconut oil, lavender and rosemary essential oils. They work great and smell better than anything I’ve bought in the store. I’m working on a post about these.
4. I’m a free spirit. This year I’m going to let it out more and stop worrying about other peoples’ opinions. Even if it ruffles a few feathers. (In fact I kinda hope it does!) I’ve found that by being honest and being myself, I attract the kind of people I want to be around and I fit better in situations and my surroundings. And if I’m more open, others are more open with me. This is my blog. I can write whatever I want.

White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

Last week I received an email from my middleschoolers’ math teacher. I got nervous when I saw her teacher’s name in my inbox.

She’s been struggling in this class. There are only two weeks left to bring up her grade and I feared she was going to tell me that she was going to fail the quarter.

Instead, I was relieved to hear that she had seen real improvement and focus in Haleigh since they’ve been back from winter break. What a relief.

A Friday Treat was in order, to reward my girl for her hard work. Something sweet, but not too sweet.

White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 tablespoons real unsalted butter (cold or frozen, sliced)
• 1/2 cup organic sour cream
• 1 large pastured egg
• 1/2 cup chopped dried organic cranberries
• 1/2 cup white morsels
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Process the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter in a food processor until everything is combined. (You can cut the butter into the dry ingredients by hand if you don’t have a food processor.) The texture of this mixture should resemble corn meal.
3. In a medium bowl beat eggs and sour cream together, then add the flour and butter mixture to the eggs and sour cream. Mix until combined, but don’t over mix. Scones are supposed to have a rough, crumbly texture.
4. Gently mix in the chopped cranberries, white morsels and chia seeds just until they are evenly distributed through the dough. You may find that you’ll need to use your hands to gently knead them in evenly and to bring the dough together, but don’t over handle.
5. Dump the dough on to a floured surface and gently pat out into a large disk, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough like a pizza into 8 pieces and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool for 5 minutes (if you can wait that long).

(Click here for a printer friendly version.)

My kids loved these! They have a lot less sugar than a chocolate chip cookie, but the kids didn’t mind a bit. Other than that they aren’t much different from cookies. I might cut them into 12 next time and shorten the cooking time just a bit. One scone seemed like too much. You could also substitute almost any dried fruit and any kind of baking chips (or leave them out if you want). It’s a really versatile recipe and easy to tailor to suit different tastes. But make sure you use real butter. Margarine contains too much water which might make the dough too wet. And get unsalted. I never understood why recipes called for unsalted butter, but called for salt later all, until recently. Most cooks will tell you that unsalted butter is “purer” and fresher than salted butter. Salt can be added to improve any “off” taste and to preserve older butter. More care is taken with unsalted butter and therefore the quality and taste is better. At least that’s the idea. Some say that in today’s market, there isn’t really a difference between the two, except that one is saltier. Who knows. But just to be sure, I now only buy unsalted. I can add my own salt (which is probably better than theirs anyway.)

By the way, chia seeds might be hard to find, but they’re worth looking for. I get them at a local health food store, Healthy Home Market. They have more Omega-3′s than flax seeds and are rich in antioxidants. Those tiny black seeds remind of poppy seeds, so I sprinkled some on top.  Ch-ch-ch-chia! (Sorry couldn’t resist.)

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Well

This NPR article inspired this post. Apparently Georgia is running some controversial ads to try and fight childhood obesity. I think the ads are going to shed light on a subject that has been taboo for decades. Fat kids. There I said it. Not to be mean, but to be honest. Many kids (and adults) have excessive fat on their bodies. The fat is dangerous. Yes dangerous. In case you haven’t already heard, our children’s life expectancy is shorter than our own. What could this mean for future generations – our grandchildren and great grandchildren? Scary stuff. Something’s got to give. I want to break the cycle, not perpetuate it. I’m doing everything in my power to improve my kids’ chances. By example. And by showing them how to eat healthy. That’s right. I’m the mom who doesn’t like it and discourages her kids from eating candy and chips and soda and cake and ice cream. Though I try not to be a fruitcake. (See below.)

My kids eat vegetables. But they didn’t used to. Because I didn’t offer them. And the road hasn’t been easy (still isn’t). But I do it anyway. My three year old only eats a couple – celery (thanks Wonder Pets), broccoli (sometimes) and french fries (technically a vegetable, but just barely). But I’ve noticed that just like the older two, she’s eating more of them each week. Guess what else she loves. Tofu. Loves it! Because it tastes good. You probably don’t believe me because of it’s reputation in America as a disgusting or tasteless health food. I didn’t believe it until I actually tried it a couple times, a couple of ways.

Before you can convince your kids to eat well, you have to learn to do it. If you find healthier food to be tasteless (or even gross), give it a fair chance. Try not to write a food off after just one taste, or even just one preparation. It’s okay to be honest when you don’t like something. The kids have seen some funny, interesting and honest reactions from me. But keep trying it. They’ll get the lesson and hopefully you’ll learn to like it, not just tolerate it. Here’s a list of just some of the foods (and drinks) I used to dislike but now love:

• unsweetened beverages
• milk
• kale
• arugula (only after about the third try and after learning that salty and acidic foods compliment it’s flavor)
• beets (just getting to know and like them)
• figs
• rosemary, sage and a bunch of other herbs
• Greek yogurt
• parsnips
• goat cheese
• fennel
• kombucha
• salmon (just in the last couple of weeks)
• anchovies
• all kinds of beans
• cole slaw
• and of course, tofu – so versatile, yet I only had one image of it before we started this journey:

Here’s a link to some beautiful tofu on Google Images. Okay they aren’t all beautiful. But most of them are. And for the record, like chicken, it has an extremely mild taste, so a flavorful preparation is recommended. If you think you don’t like it, you probably just didn’t like the flavors used to prepare it. And the texture can vary and can also be manipulated if that’s your hang up. It can be delicate like cottage cheese, or firm like chicken.

But this post isn’t about tofu. It’s about getting kids (and you) to eat better, to be healthy. I’m no expert but I can tell you that I’ve learned a lot from my picky eaters over the last couple of years. One thing is certain, if you want kids to eat healthy food you first have to offer it (hello!?) and don’t give them an unhealthy option to choose from instead. In other words don’t serve chicken nuggets, french fries and kale. Duh. No need to elaborate further on that one. What are you afraid of? Insist (that’s right insist) that they take at least a reasonable bite. You do it all the time with other things. You insist they go to bed at a reasonable hour. You insist that they wear their seat belt. So ignore those “experts” that claim forcing your kids to eat their vegetables will give them some negative associations with the food. They’ll get over it. They might not like it this time, but keep offering it – over and over and over again. It can take something like a dozen tastes to change our minds about a particular food. Try another preparation. Use flavors they love. Just don’t give up on nutritious food – or your kids.

Here’s another tip. If they refuse to eat, let them go hungry. They won’t starve. And the next time you offer them something nutritious, they’ll probably be hungry enough to try it. Maybe not at first. They’ll probably rebel if you haven’t been eating this way for long. But if they refuse, they probably aren’t really that hungry. Trust me on this. Even if they’ve barely eaten for days, they won’t starve. If you cave and offer their favorite junk food, you are undermining your efforts and their chances to learn to eat healthy. It helps to look at the big picture. Have plenty of the fruits they love, milk if they’ll have it and other healthy options for snacks or meals. Stock up on the nutritious things they already love. And don’t expect them to be eagerly eating vegetables in a month or even a year. We’ve been at it for two years, and we still have issues. But it’s a million times easier than it was those first couple of weeks. Trying new foods and learning to like them is a lifestyle, not a childhood phase. As I said, I’m still doing it.

Come up with some ground rules. For instance, our kids must take a “thank you” bite. Always. At home and away. If they want seconds or dessert, they have to eat everything they’ve been served. I only serve them small portions to begin with. Sometimes a half portion or even just a couple tablespoons. My kids are used to trying new foods or new dishes now, though they aren’t always thrilled about it. Many of the foods that used to make them gag (literally, but I still made them take a bite) are some of their favorites now, or are at least tolerable. And I don’t care if the only reason they eat the kale or tofu is to get more chicken or dessert (we don’t have dessert regularly though). I am even going to start offering special privileges for clearing their plates. Like offering to play a board game after dinner, or to do one of their chores for them – dishes perhaps. The point is for them to give the food a chance. Who knows, you might like it Sam I Am. And don’t forget to praise them when they eat well or try something they don’t like.

While this post is mostly about offering healthy food, don’t forget to teach them portion control. My kids are only allowed one serving of each food, until they clean their plates (unless of course it’s more vegetables). If they want a second single serving of chicken after they’ve eaten salad and roasted carrots, then go for it. Americans tend to over estimate portion sizes (thanks to “individual” sized bags of chips with two servings, soft drinks and super sized meals in almost every restaurant, but especially fast food joints). A serving of vegetables is about 1/2 cup (1 full cup for greens like spinach and lettuce). A serving size of meat is 3 ounces (not 4). A single slice of bread is one serving, so a sandwich includes two servings of bread. Learning how much to eat is equally as important as learning what to eat. Here’s a handy chart.

I want to suggest one other thing. Eat and prepare meals together as a family. Families who eat together are usually closer, eating habits are better and kids are more confident, less likely to drink, do drugs, smoke, be depressed, have sex at a young age or get pregnant (just to name a few). Countless studies and research has been done on the subject. Tons of articles have been written about it. We eat dinner together nearly every night. My kids are almost always in the kitchen when I’m preparing dinner, usually doing homework or chatting (though I still need to work on letting them help more). It’s not always fun and games, but as the kids get older, the benefits become more and more important. And linger at the table after everyone is done eating. Finish your glass of wine or coffee. Chat. Goof off. Plan future events. Talk about your day. Our best conversations happen after the meal. Serious subjects like sex and drugs and bullying. Sometimes we get down right silly. Like the time we used an iPhone app to turn our voices into a song and sent it to a relative. Or the night we gave London some silly (but useable)  examples of what to do and say next time a boy in her class hits her or one of her friends. The dishes, the homework and the baths can wait just a little longer. This is more important.

***Updated to add a couple of things.

1) Sometimes kids will refuse to eat something even if they like it, just to be right. One of mine decides with her eyes first and will rarely admit she likes anything new. (Very discouraging and annoying.) But I’ve accepted it. Sometimes she’ll continue the charade indefinitely. But she doesn’t put up as much of a fight when I put it on her plate. Sometimes she’ll say it’s “okay”. But she’s quite stubborn. So am I. I just keep putting it on her plate. It’s like a little dance we do.

2) Texture can be a big problem for picky eaters. If something doesn’t taste good AND it’s mushy, it’s like a double whammy. She dislikes some delicate fish and hates beans and used to hate mashed potatoes (keep reading). Funny though she never had a problem with grits, which have a very distinct mushy/gritty and slightly slimy texture that many people do have a problem with. I have always added milk, cheese, lots of butter and sometimes sausage or bacon in our grits, preparing them almost like a rich risotto. Sometimes I even add onions, tomatoes, chard or spinach, mushrooms… My guess is that she just couldn’t resist the rich flavor. (That gives me an idea. Maybe I should try this with beans.) I mentioned that she used to hate mashed potatoes, but now she devours them. Especially with gravy. That’s my girl!

Road Trip: Tampa, Legoland, Honeymoon Island and Savannah

I had this whole post typed up about the responsibility of meat eaters to know where their food comes from. Bla, bla, bla… Spent an hour writing it and linking lots of informative sites. Then realized it sounded a little preachy and a bit like vegan or PETA propaganda. I’m not vegan. I’m not a member of PETA. And I hate propaganda, so I deleted the entire thing. Instead I’ll just say this: You should watch this footage of a Butterball turkey plant located in my home state of North Carolina. And here’s the story from the Chicago Tribune that led me to it. Enough said. I’d rather post about our recent road trip to Tampa, Legoland, Honeymoon Island and Savannah.

We rarely travel during the winter, especially during the holidays. And when we did (many years ago) it was to go north to Pennsylvania to visit relatives there. It’s usually frigid and the last time there was a ton of snow on the ground. I love snow, but it’s bitter-sweet when it’s too cold to play outside. Beautiful to look at though.

But this time we traveled south to visit my sister in Tampa. We took the kids to Legoland (thanks Mom) and spent New Year’s Eve on the BEACH!! It was 78 degrees and my kids were in bathing suits and swimming in the gulf. It was kind of surreal to spend New Year’s Eve on a beautiful, warm beach. Aside from the strange, eerie fog that covered Honeymoon Island most of the day, it was wonderfully refreshing for my soul, not to mention all kinds of fun.. and relaxing.

Legoland just opened in October and it was crowded. All of the theme parks in Florida were crowded according to the news broadcast that morning. I’ve made the mistake of going to Disney during spring break and now I know that winter break is only slightly less crowded. But still we had plenty of fun. I had no idea that the Cypress Gardens were in the park and going in there was like warping into some kind of magical garden. It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful – a stark contrast to what was going on outside the garden. Cypress Gardens was Florida’s first theme park back in 1936. (I wish I had visited it before it was part of Legoland.) The Banyan Tree was one of the oddest, most magnificent things I’ve ever seen. You could sense the quiet awe from those of us admiring the tree. Roots literally fall from the branches in search of soil. Mother nature never ceases to amaze me. This horrible cell phone pic doesn’t do it justice. I got a new DSLR camera, but didn’t want to lug it around all day. I realized that it was a big mistake as soon as I stepped foot in the gardens. You should see this tree in person, if you ever get the chance.

We left Tampa on New Year’s Day and headed for Savannah. I love this city. The history. The architecture. The natural beauty. Spanish Moss hanging from nearly every tree. The people. We’ve visited quite a few times, but this is a town you want to keep coming back to.  (And I took my camera everywhere this time.) We splurged a little and stayed at the Hilton Savannah DeSoto in the middle of downtown so that we could walk out the door in the morning and start exploring. The hotel itself was beautiful and grand. The view from our balcony and the sound of church bells the next morning were breathtaking. (The biting cold and wind hadn’t arrived yet.)

We headed out in search of breakfast and bumped into to a local senior out walking his dog. He could tell we were looking for something and kindly offered to help. Apparently we were headed in the wrong direction if we wanted a good breakfast. He suggested Clary’s Cafe. The restaurant was established about a hundred years ago. The breakfast menu was amazing. I wish I had tried a bite of ‘someone’s pancake with the Georgia Cane Syrup, but I was just too full from my veggie omelette. Thank you to the gentleman that directed us there.

After breakfast we headed toward Forsyth Park. Beautiful. We were there for at least an hour and got some great photos.

Then we headed toward River Street to check out the shops. The wind began tunneling through the buildings.

Eventually we got to the cobblestone streets near River Street. The wind was downright painful by then and we ducked in and out of shops as quickly as we could and sought out sunny patches anytime we had to be outside for more than a minute. The Mad Hatter was a fun stop for the girls. They tried on some funky hats. I didn’t notice the sign restricting photos until my sister-in-law pointed it out, after I’d already taken a few. I’m glad I didn’t.

We visited an art gallery and I found some strikingly beautiful photographs taken at Bonaventure Cemetery. We also passed a couple of Savannah College of Art and Design student galleries that Haleigh (my budding artist) and I wanted to visit, but we were running out of time and the wind and cold was finally unbearable. Next time Haleigh. SCAD, the galleries and Bonaventure Cemetery will be our priority. Maybe our first mother-daughter trip.