Well, my 8 yo daughter and I planted a container garden this week.  We now have 28 pots full of tomatoes, various peppers, strawberries, cilantro, and basil.  It is our second year and I hope we get tons!  Last year, we didn't do so well.  It was our first year to EVER plant a garden and we were winging it.  Actually, we're winging it againt his year, but trying some new things with the soil so...we'll see.

I would love, love, love to have enough tomatoes to can or freeze for several months (good luck this year - not enough planted!) so I don't have to spend so much on canned tomatoes at the store.  I'm doing my best to change my family's eating habits by cutting out the preservatives (as much as possible), making bread, cooking from scratch, etc.  It's a long road for me and I'm asking a ton of questions to every person I know who is doing what I'm doing.  I think I'm a nuisance, but I want to know! 

I made my first food co-op order this week and I'm so excited!  I ordered hard white flour, basmati rice and apricots.    I am trying very hard to figure my budget (which leans along the lines of WalMart, not the health food store) so I can do better in the kitchen with healthier foods.  Cutting out all the junk will help tremendously. 

My family is not too fond of my newfound venture, but they seem to be coming around a little bit at a time.  They don't seem to be asking for fast food quite so much as they used to and we can actually eat some homemade hamburgers without them boo-hooing for soft drinks.  Progress!  I DO allow soft drinks for homemade pizza, though.  There are just some things that are very difficult for this mom to give up.

It's an exciting road for me and I can't wait to see where it leads!

Have a great day everyone.

Paula