When life gives you cookies, eat them.

Not too long ago, I decided to leave the personal assistant job I'd held for the previous two years. When the opportunity came up to work on a very well-respected organic vegetable farm that happens to be just down the road from my house, I jumped on it. The work was amazing...ly  hard. As my fridge filled with greens and radishes, my right foot started to go numb. Then the numbness crept up the back of my leg to my hip. Then my whole back went out. By the end of three weeks, and with mounting chiropractor bills, I bid a sad farewell to my short-lived farming career.

So I have returned to growing food on a more domestic scale. Earlier this year, I put in a rather large garden and built a coop to house six chickens. The backyard bounty may be our saving grace this summer. The budget feels extra tight this week - I said goodbye to my full-time farm income, and Ben is out of work this week with an injury, too. I went to the local food Co-op last night with $4 in my pocket and balked at buying red peppers for $6.99/lb. Instead, I came home, went to the back yard, and this is what I found:

 

The day's harvest was 6 eggs, 2 squash - a patty pan and a zucchini, baby romaine lettuce, a pound of mustard greens, and a ton of basil. Today I'll be making cashew pesto, baking bread, using up our glut of eggs on maple custard, and I may even try my friend's Laura's recipe for vegan Caesar dressing. 

After I washed the greens and recorded the day's egg tally, I went back outside for one more thing. Even since I read this simple line about raising chickens on a budget, it's become my anthem: Joy is Free!