Dear Everybody Who is Obsessed With Blue Apron, Green Chef, Hello Fresh, and The Like

I get it, okay. I know we need convenience in our lives. I know we're all busy - I'm right there with you. I work full time, I volunteer, I have kids, a spouse, dogs - plenty of demands. You and me both, okay? We like getting everything delivered to our doors. Amazon Prime, Bark Box, Honest Company - it all just shows up on our door step and we never even have to leave the house or shop in public or anything! Amazing. But let's step back a minute and talk about what we're getting when we make our food decisions and what our community is getting as a result. 

First let's talk about freshness - I'm guessing you are really keen on fresh ingredients because that is something that these companies tout. Fresh and organic ingredients. I also love fresh and organic ingredients. But let me suggest to you that the freshest ingredients you can get are the ones that are grown very close by and aren't packaged and well travelled. Try shopping the farmers market or the many grocery stores that sell local produce and get something fresh and organic there. It will be fresher than something that's been shipped to you and it won't come with food miles or extra packaging. It will not have travelled a long journey from the farm to the distribution center to the packaging facility to the next distribution center, etc. etc. etc. There is a lot of energy input for a journey like that so your delivery comes with kind of an outsized carbon footprint. Not unlike when I was a teenager and my feet grew faster than the rest of me: normal sized kid - GIANT feet! Meal delivery services mean a normal sized stash of ingredients - HUGE carbon footprint! 

Each time we buy food - and we buy food pretty often, don't we? Three meals a day, snacks, you, me, our families - lots of mouths to feed and lots of meals to make. Each time we buy food we are supporting someone. Think about who you support. A local, sustainable farmer? Or a large corporation? Or a company that supports organic farmers? There are a lot of decisions to make and we make them everyday. Sometimes we need to make decisions based on convenience. But whenever we can, let's make decisions that support our community.

Please join me in looking for ways to support local, organic, hard working, small farmers in our region when you make at least some of your food decisions. Your food will be fresher and your money will stay in Kansas City. By the way - you know about the local multiplier effect, right? For every $1 you spend at a national chain, only 15 cents is invested locally; but for every $1 you spend locally, 45 cents gets reinvested locally! Think about how much better our home town would be if each of us chose to spend just a few more of our dollars supporting local farmers. 

Thanks for your time!

Love,

Emily

PS: IF you want to join a Community Supported Agriculture program, call me - helping people find the right CSA is one of my favorite past times!

Missing Daisy

#daisymcdoodle

Well, it has been two weeks since we said good bye to Daisy and if I'm totally honest with you it has been one of the hardest two weeks I've had in a long time. And I've had quite a few hard weeks recently. I knew it would be hard to say goodbye to Daisy. But I had no idea it'd be this hard.

There are a lot of uncomfortable questions - could we have caught the cancer sooner? How long was she suffering before we found out? Did we do the right thing with her treatments? Did we do the right thing when we said goodbye? Questions with no good answers and questions that it does no good to ask.

So I am learning to stop asking them and to instead focus on the certainties. She led a very good life for 10 years with a multitude of beloved companions and care takers (Jetta, Mema, Papa & Honey, us, to name a few). We enjoyed her so, so much. She is no longer suffering.

I don't know what it is about dogs that makes missing them so poignant. Maybe it's because they're so constant and reliable. Maybe it's because they're always there; they don't go to work or school or have meetings ... they never even just run to the store; they're always there. Maybe it's because they depend on us for everything. Maybe it's because they're so earnest. Maybe it's because they always love you - no matter how great things are in your life; no matter how bad.

I know that many of you know what I am talking about - this particularly dogginess I'm describing. I know because you've reached out to us in the last few weeks with such comforting words of condolence, such thoughtful reflections, such compassion and caring. Thank you to all of you. Here's another "maybe" - Maybe dogs bring us together, even when they tear us apart. At least that's what I'm feeling - torn up inside but surrounded by support.

I have a very powerful memory of sitting on the couch with Daisy and Sergio one night - a long time ago. I wasn't doing anything - not reading, not watching TV, not fiddling with my phone, not talking. Just sitting. I had Daisy on one side of me and Sergio on the other side of me. We were just sitting. And I remember thinking how good it felt to just sit flanked by these two beings. How profound it was to just sit with them. It calms me to think of that moment. That was a moment that I was living in fully.

That is what I want to do more - to live in the moment like Daisy did - like most dogs do. I want to sit squarely within each moment and savor it.

Old Friends and Fathers - a weekend in OKC

The hilly part of Kansas. Not that you can tell. 

Many months ago my friends from high school and I decided to gather from all four corners of the earth (and by that I just mean Boston, New York, Kansas City, and Oklahoma) for a mini reunion. (We have been friends for 20 years now. How is that possible?) We didn't intentionally choose Father's Day weekend as our timeframe for this event. But I'm glad it worked out this way.

The road to OKC was long - as always - but the drive was well worth it. At the end of that road was a very happy Honey & Papa, a couple of delighted cousins, some very dear old friends (and some new babies to meet!) ... and quality time with my dad on Father's Day - a treat not to be overlooked. 

On the way there, Sergio was able to get in a little early Father's Day affection when we stopped on the turnpike to get our wiggles out and the girls tackled him with a hug. Also en route, Julia whispered to me, "Mommy - you picked a good guy to marry." 

And of course she's right. 

Getting our wiggles out and our hugs in. 

mini harvest at my parents' house

Old friends. We are very old friends. 

my dad and me circa 1996

Our 10th Annual ThanksVegan (TV10)

Well, to be honest, many years ago, when we realized that our ThanksVegan tradition was going to be around for a while, I sort of assumed that we'd be really well off by the time we reached our TENTH ANNUAL ThanksVegan (which seemed so far away). I figured we'd be wealthy enough to fly off to Vegas or Chicago or, come on, at least Fort Worth and have a Destination ThanksVegan like we've always talked about doing, where we gratefully enjoy fine vegan dining in a top notch restaurant prepared by stellar chefs and served to us with little or no effort on our parts.

Instead, we celebrated TV10 with these little rascals on board. And you know what? It was perfect.

Dylan, age 11 months - Clara age 14 months

Rascally Julia was around too, but she is increasingly hard to photograph as she hardly ever sits still. This was now her fourth ThanksVegan (really? No… well… yeah, I guess it is!) and with the addition of the babies, we now amount to a pretty intrusive entourage in the grocery store, and grocery shopping as a group IS an important part of the tradition. That's 7 people shopping for vegan groceries. Oh, and did I mention that Jon was in a wheel chair because he'd just had knee surgery? That's one stroller, one wheel chair, one kids' car shopping cart, and 3 very distracted adults with grocery lists. Fun for us. Perhaps less so for the other shoppers trying to scoot past us. 

the entourage

At home, while the children napped (there were about 5 minutes when I think all 3 kids were asleep at the same time) we reminisced on past ThanksVegan meals (the "tofurkey" at TV1 - never again; our all-breakfast ThanksVegan at TV9 - our most untraditional) and tried to remember what it was like to have so much time to cook and no babies to chase around. Can hardly remember!

The meal

The truth is that we are old hands at this ThanksVegan meal now and those long hours in the kitchen fly by with ease. Jon, hopping across the kitchen on one leg (Hoppin' Jon!), determined to do his part, did most of chopping while the rest of us took turns cooking, setting the table, or wrangling babies. We did outsource our main course and the gravy. Since we are just minutes away from the beloved Eden Alley, we made arrangements to get our very own Spinach and Mushroom Loaf and Mushroom Gravy; it was a perfect main dish. 

I still can't believe it's been 10 years. And yet - in some ways - I can. We have very happily come a long way since then. And I, for one, am grateful. 

The Meal

- Eden Alley's Spinach and Mushroom Loaf

- Eden Alley's Mushroom Gravy

- Mashed Potatoes

- Roasted, Spiced Sweet Potatoes (Smitten Kitchen)

- Sauteed Kale

- Asian Green Beans (a la Erin)

- Butternut Squash Soup (Teany - from this book)

- Jellied Cranberry Sauce and Whole Cranberry Sauce … yes, from a can. Don't judge!

- Fennel Raisin Bread from The New Traditionalist baker who just happened to write to me the morning of ThanksVegan and say, "Can I bring you some bread today?" Um, yes! Perfect!

- Peanut Butter Chocolate Vegan pie for dessert

ThanksVegan #8

just some of our standards - Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and gravy, wilted spinach salad, and butternut squash soup (the Teany recipe)

The tradition continues! Our friends, Jon and Erin, traveled to KC last weekend for our 8th Annual ThanksVegan. Each year on the day of our TV meal, we four toil in the kitchen and slave over a hot stove and chop and chop and stir and saute and blend and bake and mash and mix for many hours in a row. It's all good fun and it never feels like hours when we look back on it because Jon often condenses our marathon kitchen stint into an 8-minute video, which, not unlike Food Network programming, makes everything look like a piece of cake - a piece of vegan cake, that is. 

But this year, Jon and Erin had the brilliant idea to prep some food in advance and to buy the main course (instead of making it) to reduce our cook/prep time and to allow for extra time for just enjoying each other's company. This was a particularly prescient move on their part because - as horrible luck would have it - poor Jon came down with a 24-hour bug on Saturday. Had Jon and Erin not prepped so much in advance, and had we not bought a pre-made main course, I think our ThanksVegan would have been severely cramped. 

Gardein (I can't believe it's not turkey!) in the foreground; Julia (who was old enough to join us at the table this year) in the background.

Instead, we were able to get in a full evening of relaxed fun and fellowship before the bug hit - then we all weathered through it on Saturday and since Jon is lucky enough to be married to a doctor, he had professional medical advice at the ready. By Sunday morning he was good as new (phew!) and TV8 commenced without a hitch! 

blueberry hand pies

And it was delicious. This was the year of the pies as Erin made two kinds before they arrived on Friday night. We waited until Sunday morning (such a long wait!) to eat the Blueberry Hand Pies, which we had for breakfast while we were prepping the big meal. They were superb, whether eaten with a fork or a hand. Then for desert we had Pecan Pie (sprinkled with a bit of salt) - it was perfect - all mapley and praline-like. 

Pecan Pie while Julia spends some QT with Uncle Jon, the baby whisperer.  

Before we knew it, the pies and the weekend were coming to an all-to-fast close. So we vowed to get together again soon - much sooner than next fall - to make up for lost time. We are already looking forward to it.

Commemorative ornaments - usually we do corks from beer bottles - this year we decided to embrace the memory of the minor inconvenience of the stomach bug. 

In the Last Two Weeks ...

I am happy; in the last two weeks I have been able to...

See my girlfriends from high school...

(l. to r. Dana, Lauren, Kreisa, Emily, and Ricki Lea; not pictured but missed - Deena)

Visit with Mema (with Julia, too) ...

Reading Mema's magazine.

Showing Mema how she plays telephone.

In honor of her namesake (Mema's mother), Julia Wesson Taylor - Julia turned her hair red for this photo.

And attend a lovely wedding in Weston...

The wedding was in an orchard.

The reception was in a barn.

We had a blast.

Long Trip to OKC

I decided a while back that a good use of my maternity leave would be to take a long trip to OKC to spend several days of un-rushed quality time with friends and family. It was a very good idea indeed.

Julia and I were scheduled to fly in Wednesday morning but the threat of a blizzard made me change my tickets to Tuesday night. When Mom and Dad picked me up from the airport and there wasn't a snow flake to be found, I jokingly accused them of having fabricated the whole weather advisory just to get 15 extra hours with Julia. But come Wednesday morning, the forecast came true and I was glad I was cozy at my parents' house and not trying to fly.

about 6 inches

We were only snow bound for a bit - not long enough to keep me from having a nice dinner out with my friends on Thursday night. The weather subsided soon enough for Julia to enjoy a few special visitors and visits, including having a whole day plus another whole evening with Mema.

sitting with Mema

holding hands

Ling and Minli were out of school two days and I suppose we should have gone out and made snow angels or snow people or something. But we didn't have appropriate winter wear and Honey had a recipe for pretzels, so we stayed inside and baked instead.

Best Pretzels Ever

Julia learning about pink from the expert

quality time with Papa

a traditional sink bath at Honey's

Sergio joined us Friday night after several long days of missing his Jujube. By Saturday, the snow was melting and the weather was downright gorgeous when we went to Minli's and Ling's basketball games.

Also on Saturday we prepared for two red-themed holidays - making the little creme wafers that we often make in my family for Valentine's Day, and donning red clothes to wear to a Chinese New Year party that night.

These cookies were so much more

delicious than I remember them being. I forgot to take a picture of the heart-shaped ones; Dad took a picture of the last three cookies and sent it to me.

Year of the Rabbit!

We headed home on Sunday and the whole way back to KC I thought about those delicious little Valentine's Day wafers ... and I kind of wished I could have stayed one more day so Julia could have spent Valentine's Day with her Honey and Papa. But it never matters how long or short my trips to OKC are, nor does it matter if they fall on a holiday or an anyday ... I always wish I could stay just one more day.

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, ThanksVegan

Catching up on the last holiday before the next one kicks in!

Our Lil Turkey (thanks, Erin, for the awesome duds!)

So grateful...

Julia was a jet setter for her first Thanksgiving, traveling first to Nashville then to Greensboro to see - and to meet for the first time - lots of family on both sides.

Cousins!

After two Thanksgivings, we went to Tulsa for Thanksvegan - it was Mommy and Daddy's 7th Thanksvegan - but Julia's 1st Thanksvegan! And she's got the onesie to prove it.

Lentil Loaf - Who needs turkey!?

Mmmmmm - one of the best meals of the year, every year!

A Month of Fun

July whizzed by at an unprecedented rate, sped up, I think, by a whole string of parties and celebrations. Sergio's cousin's daughter's quinceañera was the start of it all, bringing family from all over to celebrate.

a top Liberty Memorial: Sergio, Christy, Emilio, cousin Ana from CA, cousin Ceci from TX, and Joyce from the DF

In between and after the quince activities we found time to see the sites, taste the ice cream, enjoy the Fourth of July, and watch a bit of futbol on the iPhone 4.

at Glacé, rooting for Ghana

Christy's birthday came next, on July 10, and since this was a big milestone birthday, we had a huge party on the back patio, complete with Chef Armando at the grill, cooking enough great food for a small army.

the birthday girl and the chef

great gifts galore

By then, Sergio's aunt and grandmother from Nashville had arrived, as had his uncle from Peoria and the other cousin from Texas and his wife. Oh, and my mom and dad came, too. No one wanted to miss the big celebrations - first Christy's birthday and then a fantastic baby shower for us, hosted by Christy and Joyce.

sweet

pool party

This baby shower was a pool party, up on the fourteenth floor of our apartment building, with lots of great games, swimming, and lovely views out the big windows - not to mention all the friends and family, too.

happy

OH! And one last thing I don't have pictures of ... our informal photo shoot. Lindsey and Beto who were in town (for a second time this summer!) for Christy's birthday and our shower, are photographers and they were generous enough to spend some time photographing me, Sergio, and the bump. All of those stellar photos can be found here. Check them out and see just how happy we were/are.

Memorial Day Weekend

We traveled to Oklahoma last weekend. Our first stop was in Tulsa for a surprise graduation party for our friend Jon (of ThanksVegan fame) who has just completed his masters degree. Erin pulled off a very nice surprise complete with many homemade cupcakes and big, vegan pizzas. Jon never had a clue until he walked into his kitchen and saw us all standing there surrounded by streamers.

dog's-eye view of Jon and some lettuce and grass

Sergio at the Philbrook

We had a nice (but too short) visit. We spent some time scampering with the canine entourage through Jon and Erin's substantial back yard garden, and then enduring the heat amid the phenomenal edible landscape in the garden of the Philbrook Art Museum. When we weren't watching food grow we were eating food, and otherwise having a splendid time catching up - as we always, always do.

tofu bacon and vegan yum yum pancakes for breakfast (yum yum indeed)

Erin and delicious fries in hibiscus sauce at Hibiscus

I wish we could have stayed longer. But late Saturday night we whisked ourselves a little further south to OKC in order to see my family, particularly my grandmother who celebrated her 89th birthday on Memorial Day.

Mema and me

I spent some good quality time with Mema, also in her garden. We picked a few blackberries, admired the poppies (so numerous), and she helped me to imagine what her wealth of roses, all gone now, looked like in their full bloom just a few short weeks ago.

blackberries and poppies

And, while I was visiting, my mom and I even made enough time to go to the fabric store to look for some things for the baby's room and to talk all about the impending arrival.

Tyler says, "You've got a lot of reading to do."

It was a wonderful visit, but so, so short, as always.