in closing.......

I have moved to ......... http://gypsysoulsandmountainbabes.blogspot.com/

a little new and a little old all tied up into one new fabulous blog about raising kids and living consciously in a small mountain town

see ya there........... don't forget to "follow me"
xo Andrea

One year.....

I am simply amazed at how this last year has gone so fast, how our lives have unfolded and even though it has only been one year it seems like we have been here for an eternity!  When I envisioned our life here in Revy before we arrived it was hard to see so clearly as I have never seen the mountains up close ......... meaning only in a book. What we have made of our reality is a way healthier lifestyle of getting back to basics and to create a good life in a small mountain town!

For the the last few months we have eaten locally, grown locally and even brewed locally and now rasing our kids locally as mountain kids! My wish for them is to be active in how we live our lives and those of you who know them, they definately have a voice and we can hear them loud and clear! Also to be conscious of how to live a clean, green life of simplicity....and to just be nice to each other....lol

I am extremely thrilled of how our consumerisum is at a lifetime low. If we can't buy it in Revy then we need to think do we really NEED it! I went to a mall in Calgary and happily disgusted in the window displays of all the tickey tackey clothes all in a row......I even tryed on numerous black dress pants to only walk out and say, well if I am going to spend this much I may as well spend a little more and just buy them at home......I feel really good about sharing this! (ok the children's place was a hit....but that was all Grandad ;p)

On the self-sufficiency front, I am canning my patootie off and now have added dehydrating into the mix. I need to put up as much yummy summer flavours as possible to get through the dark months. Our local butcher has opened and awaiting a price list of 1/2-1/4 cow packages....as much as I love my fresh veg I am a meat-a-vor at heart! With our purchase of our future market shares for the winter produce I am on my way to fewer stops at the grocery store already! I love all the thoughtful planning that goes with preparing for wintertime....and really looking forward to all the delishious delights to dig into in the months to come.

So......puttng up at it's best is when it is done with others. My handsome hubby has been planning and trainning (well sorta) for this big bike race and the mens weekend away and it is coming fast...this weekend actually! This will be the perfect time to get together with my mom friends to jar it up. So excited for all the salsa, tomatoes and peaches that will be captured in jars this weekend. In between all the canning fun I will be roatating fruit in and out of the dehydrator and I am sure a few bottles of wine will be had as part of the new canning tradition we are starting this year!

As now that the sun is going down earlier, I can sense the fall slowly creeping in and the wild flowers coming to an end. Our Gypsy souls are content with the fresh mountain air and the perfect shade of green.....for now! This Andrews family project has opened my eyes to what changes we can make for the greater good of our community, our world and for our gypsysouls and mountain kids. So stay tuned as our mountain lives unravel into unlimited possiblities of the art of preserving lifes goodness in one blog!

The Out-Takes......Enjoy!

cheers,
Andrea

in abundance.......


As my husband peruses a local townie classified list he came across an add for fruit pickers. Not just any pickers the best kind of pickers.....keep what you pick for FREE! (or almost free) Here in Revy there are tonnes of fruit trees of plums, pears and apples, this leaves lots of extra fruit that either falls and rots or that the bears get to eat to prepare for their wintry down time. Which sounds like a great win win situation just a little too close for comfort when it is your back door the bears are on. In my quest for all things canned to pave the path for self-sufficiency for this years dark season....I was in heaven! Pure jarred goodness heaven!

This particular Sunday morning we took a drive to check out what the almost free plum situation was and wow it was worth the drive! A step full of boxed plums, already picked for $8 bucks. The homeowner had already picked her share for homemade plum cider and all the canning and baking she had to do. I must say I did try to recipe share with her to get the cider recipe but it was her husbands handy craft at work and not hers for sharing.

I have been busy canning spiced plums, spicy plum dipping sauce, baking plum torts and handing out bags of plums. Sephora is loving all the plums and helping herself, which leads to me finding plum pits in the oddest places!





morning dew plums



plum torte

my lil plum lover....and her sneaky big brother:)