Blessings and Business

*This post was started an embarrassingly long time ago - but alas, life happens and blogging, well, sometimes doesn't...*

So, since Downtown Naturals made its debut at a local farmers' market about a month ago, business has been growing, busy and wonderful. I'm am so humbled to be able to provide a local treat, healthy indulgences, and immune boosting elderberry syrup to our community...it just leaves me speechless and awestruck.

Brent and I have daydreamed often about running a cafe, opening a restaurant - just cooking and tasting the days away, together - working hard but feeling like we are hardly working. All we have is our passion for quality ingredients, local, healthy, organics - the opinion that things don't need to be cooked all stinkin' day for flavors to properly marry. People! Nutritious does not equal (taste of) sticks and stones!

This is our first taste of our dream...and I must say, it tastes UH-mazing.

We do our math lessons over a batch of granola. I ask the kids to tell me exactly what they taste as they test a new recipe. It is our family's effort and love that is in every bite of the products on our market table. The kids tag along on (most of the) Tuesdays for market. They watch as grown ups taste, critique and purchase their hard work. They watch money exchange hands. They are learning the value of a dollar so early, and so comfortably...

Tonight, for dinner, Mary Louise, David and Everett enjoyed pan seared tilapia and cod cooked in avocado oil, local herbs, Bragg's liquid aminos, organic lemon and fresh cracked black pepper. These are the tastes of their childhood. This is what they will want for comfort into adulthood. We are raising little "foodies". Unafraid of foods, flavors and new tastes...this is important.

I dropped a package by a neighbor's house today. She ordered some molasses cookies for her friend for a birthday. I made... MADE a birthday present!! I made a birthday present with spelt flour, blackstrap molasses, turbinado, local eggs and (partly) organic spices...I made a birthday present that keeps giving in enjoyment, taste, community support, sustainability and nutrition. The fact that someone thought of us when they were looking for a gift is humbling. What an honor to be a small part of their happy celebration!

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This morning was one of those that I woke up and decided to make the day wonderful. It was a conscious decision because, in truth, I was tired, run down and a little grumpy...but, nonetheless, I got us dressed and went to our local Children's Museum. Mary Louise and David are very familiar with the set up - but get so excited to play with everything every time we go. Everett has just recently started to really get into the pretend playing and props there - his sweet mouth was open and in awe for almost all of the 2 hours we spent there.




We had a great time and I got us out of there just before the SUPER hungries hit and while we were all still having fun (one of my greatest Mom lessons was learning to stop things BEFORE they got boring and BEFORE anyone felt too hungry. I still slip from time to time, but make every effort to stop while we're still having fun - so they always want to go back for more later.) As we walked out of the door and I heard the, "Thank you Mom!!" and "But I wanted to play a little more!", I decided that today, we all needed to play a little longer. We went to lunch together. This never happens - especially not without Brent in tow. But there we were. We sat at a table, Everett in my lap and David across, Mary Louise next to me. We talked and ate, laughed and smiled. Then we played some more. It. was. fabulous. Everyone was happy, and we even made it through Sam's on the way home.

I had some errands to run - other than Sam's - but opted for some sofa snuggles this afternoon instead. Because days like this...well, they should be stolen, often. My happy spot is right under my nose (and usually under my feet) but it's just too easy to get wrapped up in business and forget to really savor that time your little girl couldn't understand how Mommom could be a mommy because she doesn't have her hair in a bun and play with babies all day.

Today, today has been savored.
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As promised, a few pics of our stay with Mere and Pops on our way home from St. Augustine:









xo,
Heather